April is fast approaching, a month with two important dates for me that mark the end of some major projects I began last spring. One of the dates is April 29, when I will graduate from college with my bachelor’s degree in English. The other is April … [Continue reading]
A Look Back at 2015
Posted on January 5, 2016 ·
2015 was a strange year for me, full of change and surprising opportunities. Looking back, one of the best things about 2015 is that I have no regrets about the choices I made. The biggest was going back to school. What had always kept me from … [Continue reading]
2015 End of Year Book Survey
Posted on December 31, 2015 ·
This is by far the most fun I've ever had writing a blog post! Big thanks to Jamie, a book blogger over at Perpetual Page Turner, for hosting this end of year book survey. All the pretty graphics are hers; you should really check out Jamie's site and … [Continue reading]
Other Voices
Posted on November 24, 2015 ·
One piece of writing advice you will hear repeatedly—and with good reason—is to put aside your rough draft for a while before starting edits. This is so you can gain perspective on your work. Usually the problem is that after you write something you … [Continue reading]
Moving On
Posted on November 2, 2015 ·
October has come and gone, my favorite month of the year. We had more trick-or-treaters than ever before, many of them teenagers, which was fun—they always scream the loudest when our jumping spider leaps from behind the hibiscus tree, and I don’t … [Continue reading]
The Key to Getting Through Rejections
Posted on September 18, 2015 ·
This morning after dropping the kids off at school, I headed to Xtreme Bean Coffee Co., determined to catch up on the one class I’ve fallen behind in (one out of five—not bad, right?). I ducked into the dimly-lit vault (the building was formerly a … [Continue reading]
Celebrating Today
Posted on July 29, 2015 ·
I love secrets. And birthdays. And new beginnings. So today’s kind of perfect. Today I turn 40, and I’m so excited about this decade of my life. In my 20s I became a mother, the most important thing that’s ever happened to me. In my 30s I had a … [Continue reading]
Now You See Me
Posted on July 24, 2015 ·
First drafts are not meant to be read. They are clumsy and embarrassing, filled with trite dialogue and bumbling prose, riddled with clichés. I’m working on a first draft now. It’s terrible, I promise. You will never, ever see it. If the book … [Continue reading]
What I Wish I’d Known about Publishing a Book
Posted on June 10, 2015 ·
Today marks the one-year anniversary of The Fourth Wall’s release, and boy have I learned a lot about marketing in that year. While I still feel incredibly lucky to have had a book published, I know I’ve made mistakes trying to get that book into … [Continue reading]
How Sweet the Silence
Posted on May 8, 2015 ·
I read something the other day about how we have a better chance at accomplishing goals when we keep them to ourselves. That struck home, because the first time I wrote a book I didn’t tell anyone. Not my kids, not my husband—not until I had a … [Continue reading]
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