My writing routine consists of a lot of coffee. It feels cliché, hot beverage, empty room, writer or artist creating all the things. But it’s just part of it. You know? There’s something about getting the right beverage that just begins to set the stage. Finding the Groove I love hiding away in my studio or sitting at my favorite table in Starbucks. I used…

When I was little, we had this kid record player and one of the records we had was The Hobbit. I remember listening to it a lot. I loved fantasy and adventures and mythical creatures. Finding My Voice In the ’90s a TV mini-series of Merlin aired with Sam Neill playing Merlin. I’m embarrassed to admit how often I watched that mini-series. When I was…

Do you have a designated area that’s for writing or doing art? This is my desk in my studio. I had to face the window. Had to. I love looking out at my backyard all year long. It isn’t really about the space I’ve moved around the house with my writing and creativity. I started out in our sunroom. Later, I had a writing cabinet…

I am not sure if this is my favorite motivational quote of all time, but it is for sure a favorite, perhaps even a mantra of this year. This year I started a Pinterest board for my word of the year, Process, and a board for the year in a more general sense. When I have ideas, my mind tends to have a feel, a…

It keeps me sane. That feels like the easy answer. Maybe it isn’t the ‘easy’ answer but the answer a lot of people might say. Why is that? What about writing draws the writer back time and time again? Keeping my sanity while I bleed on the page Have you heard the quote from Red Smith the sportswriter from 1949? Red Smith was asked if…

I talked a little in my last post about how self-promotion took me about a year to figure out. I am not saying I am perfect at it either, I am always learning from the experience. The other piece of this self-publishing writing journey I am learning about this year is business. Selling books When I published my first book, I did not have a…

When you start out with a new venture, the people who support you first are your friends and family. I think the beauty of that should be embraced and celebrated. Often, we want to laugh at best friends and moms who are overly excited about their friend’s work. Instead, I think we should take note of those getting celebrated. Fanbase When I finished my first…

Hey friends, it’s been some time since I got a blog post up! My apologies. I was cranking it out and keeping on my schedule but as I neared the end of writing the first draft of my next novel I funneled all my energy towards that. It is my goal to get back at the blogging and back to my regular schedule for June…

I joined Insta in 2013 but didn’t use it until two years ago. It took me a minute to get used to it but as my love affair with Facebook was dwindling my love of beautiful pictures grew. The square When I published Dandelion Jane: Strawberry Jelly in 2017 I threw my Instagram posting into full gear. Something about Insta feels easy, free, light. I…