When I took it upon myself to read Ronald R. Van Stockum Jr.’s 2nd and latest novel “Cosmos the Stellar Stalker”, I had no idea the ride I was in for. This is a book unlike any other I have ever read. It mixes the fantasy of magical realism with real-life scientific...
Of Hope and Determination: Writing Fellowships
There's no way I'll ever get this fellowship. I'm not good enough. Why even waste the time and effort trying? Sound familiar? Not just for writing fellowships, but for everything in life we try for (contests, job promotions, auditions, scholarships)? Everybody faces...
Book Review: Precious Children of India
Greetings! I'm back after a short hiatus. Once I reached my halfway point in my book, I felt the need to take a break from writing and have just gotten back to it recently. I may not post regularly every week going forward. I've found spending less time on my blog is...
Writing & Editing Resources
***Edit*** April 2024 Wow! It's been a DECADE since I started my publishing journey. And it's been a really long time since blogging regularly was a part of my publishing ecosystem. Nowadays I focus all my time on raising my kids and getting my next book...
Milestones: The First Story I Ever Wrote
[update 1 yr later: having divided my efforts between this and my Lily Singers Series, which will be published April 2016, I am now 3/4 done with my urban fantasy novel draft and will done by the end of the year. If all goes well the novel will publish in spring 2017]...
Second Published Story CRT Anthology Christmas Greetings
Yesterday, I met with about 25 other members of the Cherokee Roundtable writing group at the estimable Don Ray's home to celebrate the release of our groups anthology, "Christmas Greetings" - a collection of short stories, poems, and plays with a Christmas theme. I...
A Writer’s Why: Fighting for the Least of These
One of the most important questions we can ask ourselves is why we do what we do. Not only for healthy self-reflection, but to focus our efforts and cut out the things in our lives that don't have a good enough "why". Whether you write prolifically, and wonder what to...
Writing Workshop Peggy DeKay & Cheri Powell
This past Saturday I went to an excellent writing workshop that not only equipped me with useful and empowering information, but also re-motivated me to work on my book. It was like creativity shock therapy to my muse! The workshop was sponsored by the J. Camille...
A Writer’s Trip to Red River Gorge
You probably expect me to write about how I couldn't stop thinking about my book while I was on my trip. Or, that I kept having to stop on the trail and jot down story ideas in my handy-dandy notebook (I did keep stopping, but it was because of mushrooms, and my...
A Vision for the Future: Autographs and Timetables
Today I want to tell a story, share a vision, and offer an encouragement. A Story..... My story happened last Sunday. My husband and I went to meet a friend of ours, we’ll call her Sally, for lunch. Soon after we arrived at the restaurant, David got a call from...
