Showing up late to the party: when you feel unseen
As a late-blooming writer (aka mid-life), I often compare myself to prolific authors with five, 10, 20+ books in their backlist, while I eagerly await the release of my Harlequin Love Inspired debut novel (releases April 2024). I have to remind myself to acknowledge the small beginnings; e.g., my stories in Woman’s World, Chicken Soup…
Decision-making made simple: determining your priorities
When you know what’s most important to you, making a decision is quite simple. ~ Anthony Robbin Recently I was invited to join other ladies in my community for games and lunch. Despite a full day of writing on tap, the first thing I did was try to figure out how to make it happen.…
Between a rock and a hard place: making peace with your stuckness
Noun. stuckness (uncountable) (informal) The state of being stuck (in all senses) When I recently found myself experiencing a state of stuckness, my type A personality jumped in to invent a solution. Did I need a change of scenery? To take a hike? To get lost in a feel-good movie? Check, check and check. Yet…
When life throws you lemons: ‘squeezing’ the most out of it
Our neighbors own a second home in the Phoenix Valley. This past winter, they transported bags to the mountain teeming with sunshine-yellow lemons from their backyard. It gave me a pang of homesickness and the four citrus trees we once had. But when they offered me a share of their haul, it was like accepting…
The only gift I want or need: a momma’s thoughts
This latest Mother’s Day has consumed my thoughts, my heart overflowing with gratitude as I smile at the memories. Although we’d seen our daughter two months earlier and we visit almost daily, she made the three-hour trip to our cabin—apologizing for not getting me a gift. Oh dear child, you are the only gift I…
5 favorites: cutting out the ‘fluff’
While scrolling through my Twitter feed one afternoon, an author I follow posted her five favorite things. Several years ago, I challenged myself to share an image on Facebook of a simple pleasure I saw or experienced daily. It turned out to be a fun but oftentimes tricky exercise to discover something new for 365…
Getting real: ‘I got the call’ Q&A with Harlequin is live!
I was excited when my editor invited me to participate in the ‘I got the call’ Q&A series with my new publisher. But even though I’ve conducted interviews in the industry from the driver’s seat for years, the view from the passenger seat looked a bit scarier! So after drafting my responses, I asked my…
What you see is what you get: standing by your word
During the past year, I’ve encountered a startling number of people who say one thing to me, while their actions speak something entirely different. On a recent podcast, the presenter shared insights about what integrity means to her: being dependable, following through on promises, arriving on time, etc. Admittedly, throughout my own life, I’ve fallen…
Rootbound vs. adventure-bound: selecting your course
I’ve discovered I can’t sit still for long anymore. Oh, I’m able to stay put for 45-minute writing sprints that often morph into an hour and a half until I force myself to take a break. But when it comes to where I’m planted—whether in a particular home, vocation or season—my roots seem to need…
Work-life balance: streamlining our time
“Something’s going to give…” While that’s a line mined from my debut Harlequin Love Inspired novel releasing in 2024, it had been mirroring real-life. Although I can sit at my laptop for 8½ hours while on deadline, when I emerge from my fictional world, my task list is still begging for attention. This arrangement may…
When you’re ill-prepared: speaking of backups
Funny story: a couple weeks ago, my husband and I packed for an overnight trip to the “big city” for various appointments. I was rather proud of how quickly we were on the road. All went well, until the next day when we attempted to head home and the roads traveling back up to the…
Contingency mindset: backing up your best laid plans
When my husband and I moved to Northern Arizona’s Rim Country a year ago, we already had an unlimited data plan for our phones, so reliable Wi-Fi was our biggest concern for internet usage. We received provider suggestions from others who reside in our community (population 599) and settled on one that has kept us…