Here are some of the many special people this community is remembering today, along with a little snapshot as to why. I hope this project inspires you to share your own story of a loved one. Loss does not take away legacy. It simply leaves it in our hands to champion that tale. I wish you a … More Loss and Legacy
In honor of Mother’s Day, here are five ladies who taught me about the mother I want to be. Who are your five? Or for the guys, what mom figures most influenced to you?
Sometimes you just need a little soul food, a breadcrumb from the universe, a taste of that dream ever waiting beyond the bend. Sunday I enjoyed some much-needed soul food at the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators conference—along with these tasty morsels of encouragement. May they help feed your dream, too.
Moms, why is it so hard to invest in ourselves? Is it parental guilt? A relic notion of “modesty”? A societally ingrained notion of selfishness? Why, even in situations when the return on investment is quite obvious, does this feel so uncomfortable? For instance, this weekend there’s a kids’ book conference, and I dilly dallied … More Return on Investment
What I was prepared for was preparing my taxes. A pile of paperwork sat close at hand. An empty spreadsheet awaited the figures of another year gone by. What I wasn’t prepared for was an existential crisis. It’s no coincidence that Shirley, my incredible grandma-in-law, died nearly a year ago. It was a year after I started … More Taxing Poetic
Five years ago, I booked a round-trip, red-eye ticket to Oklahoma City to pick up someone I met online. Her. Okay, technically we didn’t “meet” online, but I saw her description and photo on Petfinder and knew I had to.
I recently wrote this to a friend, a new mom having a tough day. If any of you moms (or dads) find yourself in this situation, I’m writing to you now. Letter to a New Mom You’re going through an overwhelmingly incredible moment in your life right now. I don’t need to tell you about all the … More Letter to a New Mom
What do you think of when you hear “Comicon”? I’m guessing your top 3 would likely include comic books, nerd herds, and costumes. Excuse me, epic costumes. That’s what I thought three years ago. Then I attended one for the first time. Now my top 3 would be inspiration, imagination, and motivation. Why? Because of the … More Top 3: Inspiring Tales from the Con
In Part 1, we discussed the mindset. In Part 2, we explored the ground work, and in Part 3 we talked money. Now let’s get down to specifics. Here are some questions I received from others taking the plunge. Both new and experienced freelancers (and their clients) should find good info in here. So let’s dig … More So You Think You Can Freelance? Part 4: Q&A
Before you read this, did you read Part 1: Mindset and Part 2: Ground Work? Both are critical before you even think about the money. If you have… What do you charge? Be honest. It’s what you want to know, right? If you’re going to take this dive, you need some assurance there will be a little money … More So You Think You Can Freelance? Part 3: Money
My Castle Heart Publications 