I ventured into the world of book (and blog) writing to fulfill a promise to my beloved mother-in-law. Sue's bright light was extinguished on December 2, 2010, after a valiant 13-year battle with breast cancer... just five month's after her first grandchild (my daughter) was born. Now as a mother, entrepreneur, friend, sister, daughter, wife, and torch-bearer of a legacy, I paddle my boat, one wave at a time, toward that promise to her—and now to myself. In death as in life, Sue continues to motivate and inspire me. Follow me, and I'll do my best to pass the inspiration along. To life!
Someone once told me that writers have especially intuitive dreams. I’ve had some soul-shaking ones, and last week’s was a doozy. But more on that later. So I consulted the Internet. Turns out there are whole books on the subject of writers and dreams. Did you know that without dreams we wouldn’t have Frankenstein, The Strange Case … More What Are Your Dreams Telling You?
Ready to play a game? Keep your eyes firmly planted on the screen. Then (without looking around) read the following question, close your eyes, and answer it:
A love letter to my beta readers As I hit the send button, and my final manuscript zipped through the ether to my proofreader, I felt I should formally thank the most unexpected new friend on this book-writing journey… Critique. Do you wince at the word? At the beginning of this story, I would’ve. Hell, even six months … More Meet My New Friend
At 8:00pm, the toddler turned to me and said, “You know, mom, there aren’t any other kids here.” And she was right. It was prime dinner time on a Friday night, in a Top Chef’s restaurant filled to bustling with people out on the town. Next to me, my mother-in-law Kristin rocked my sleepy five … More Jedi Mind Trick
It’s Children’s Book Week! What are some of your favorites, recent or classic? Here are some of my top new discoveries. You can also check out my full list
Today I take a break from the book stuff to honor one of the reasons behind it: My son. Sweet little Von never had the chance to meet two of the most incredible women I’ve ever known—the women who inspired this journey and would have been his adoring grandmothers. (Emphasis on adoring.) Despite the deep sorrow that brings, it … More Birthday Wishes for My Son
How do you find an illustrator for your children’s book? Or perhaps more adequately… How do you find, choose, and trust a person to take what’s been in your head and turn it into the tangible something special you know it can be? There are many ways to go about finding an illustrator: You can already know of an … More Finding an Illustrator—and Introducing Mine!
What is that “someday” project you’ve been wanting to tackle? My writing coach (turned online friend) Deborah Reber recently published an impactful little book called Doable. Though it’s marketed to teen girls, anyone can use its no-nonsense approach to stop wanting and start doing. Included below are 10 of my favorite quotes from the book. Whatever it is that lingers … More Top 10 “Doable” Quotes
Thanks for all the great feedback on my publishing logo, friends! It was a tough decision, but your choice ended up matching my gut reaction. Drum roll, please. … … …
Today I finally dropped my baby boy off at daycare for his first full day. I meant to do so months ago, but circumstances had other ideas. But every time I got frustrated with my lack of work time, I’d snuggle my baby in my arms and remember this post I wrote back when my now-four-year-old was the baby in … More Dreams Persist
My Castle Heart Publications 