Books, books + more books: working through my TBR
Because I write romance, it might come as a surprise that I gravitate toward reading psychological thrillers. Lately, however, I’ve been devouring nonfiction (with a fictional romance thrown in). Here’s a shout out to the top five books in my (to be) read pile: If by Mark Batterson Trading our if-only regrets for God’s what-if…
Letting go: opportunities to grow
Let go of the old so you can completely take hold of the new. ~ Joyce Meyers As we welcome spring’s official appearance in Northern Arizona’s Rim Country, the possibility of a new season breathes fresh life into me. But without the end of one season, we can’t welcome a new season—which holds true in…
Answering the call: stepping into a new season
Although March came in like a lion and snow still lingers on the ground in my slice of the forest, I recently spotted a robin—a hopeful sign that spring is just around the corner. And while it was fun to experience a “real” winter after 22 years, I’m looking forward to the promise of a…
Doing it all over again: if I knew then what I know now
A year ago, my husband and I set in motion a series of leaps (of faith) that turned our well-laid retirement planning into a buckle-up-for-the-ride-of-a-lifetime adventure. But to say we were unprepared would be an understatement. For example, what if we’d known our small town would receive a record snowfall (with only front-wheel drive vehicles…
Mining everyday moments: stories waiting to be told
I’ve always enjoyed learning how other writers develop their story ideas. Which inspired me to start paying closer attention to the random snippets of conversation and everyday moments I encounter on any given day. For instance, a couple months ago, while standing in the middle of a caulk aisle at the hardware store as my…
Compound interest: accruing momentum for the climb
It’s hard to believe the end of February is right around the corner. On the creative front, the year began with a big bang. Within the first two weeks, I received green lights on a few of my submissions to smaller publications. I don’t know about you, but when things get off to a stellar…
The gift that keeps on giving: self-love for the win
How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you. ~ Rupi Kaur In my February email to subscribers, I talk about the difference between self-care and self-love (with the possibility of overlap). Incidentally, all subscribers (new and existing) can download a free copy of the ABCs of Self-Love as my gift this…
Reimagining self-care: the benefits of regular timeouts
In reading up on the concept of self-care, I stumbled onto a great deal of differing opinions. Some are negative, touting that the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness—particularly during periods of stress—involves putting your own needs ahead of other people’s needs. In other words, self-serving (or selfish)…
The truth of the matter: feelings or fact
Not too long ago, I noticed a recurring theme in my speech. While I’m not suggesting the following phrases aren’t valid, they gave me pause: “I don’t feel like it,” and “I’m not in the mood.” But here’s the problem: both are based on emotion vs. truth. And the truth is: our hearts are wishy…
‘As if’ habits: getting serious about what you want
Act as if you were already the person you most want to be. ~ Brian Tracy How serious are you about going after what you want to achieve in the new year? I’d like to think I’m at the all-in serious stage—the one where we begin to treat our goals and/or dreams “as if” we’ve…
You get what you give: small beginnings
Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin. ~ Zechariah 4:10 When the path to achieving a goal becomes littered with challenges and setbacks, how do you respond? Do you run the opposite direction, or do you continue forward—believing a breakthrough awaits on the other side? It’s been…
When too much happens at once: dealing with change
As a rule, I’m not good with change. Also me: I crave change. Otherwise, I become lazy or stagnant. Change is enlivening—bolstering me with energy. But when too much change happens at once, it paralyzes me. Not physically, but mentally it can cripple my response time and my ability to think clearly or rationally. Coinciding…