Disruptions and Distractions
Disruptions and distractions—the stuff of nightmares for control freaks everywhere. Even for those less OCD people, these two words have negative connotations. Both indicate interference—in a plan or of focus and concentration. But what if we looked at disruptions and...Taking Stock
Everyone sets intentions and makes resolutions on January 1st, but how many routinely take stock? The process of looking at our lives to see what’s working and what’s not could save time and probably a boatload of heartache and yet, so often, we only take...A Thankful Post
Okay, I know everyone with a blog is posting gratitude articles this month, this week specifically, but this one’s not going to be too very cliché. Yeah, yeah, yeah…you know I’m grateful for my family, for being able to do what I love, for sunsets and sunrises....Tell Me a Story
I’ve always been a storyteller. My parents talk of times from before I can remember about the friends I’d make up—I was an only child until my sister came along when I was 4—and the interesting adventures and rich backgrounds I had for them all. In grade school, I...Constructive Criticism (or, Why it Takes so Long to Write a Book)
A lot of work has gone into my upcoming book, Cedar Ridge, and I actually just started on a second revision, much to the dismay of those close to me. Their problem is that I’ve been working on this one manuscript for over a year, and when they ask how it’s going (a...A Heartfelt Post
Oh, those handsome, hunky, romance novel heroes…even their foibles and imperfections don’t keep them from stirring up our insides as we read about them. They kind of set real-life men up for failure. What guy can compete with the suave, attractive Josh Carmichael in...A Fish Out of Water
They say misery loves company…maybe that’s why we all love a good fish-out-of-water story. Not because we’re all miserable, but it’s comforting, reassuring even, to see someone else struggling. And who struggles more than the person who finds themselves in a world...One Step at a Time
“You should write a book.” People have told me that for I can’t even remember how long. I’ve always loved to write. In school, English class was a cakewalk, and I rarely struggled with essays and papers for other classes. That’s not blowing my own horn, it’s a nerd...On Writing What I Know
Most people have heard the recommendation to “write what you know”, even those who aren’t writers. That’s pretty solid, logical advice, considering it’s kind of tough to write about things you know nothing about. Where would you get the frame of reference to...