• Nov. 10th, 2015 Read More from Harlequin

    You should be reading more books published by Harlequin. Really. As I mentioned in my post a few months ago (this one – I Write For Harlequin – you should definitely read it!), the term “Harlequin” has a tendency to raise some eyebrows. Some people assume that if the book has the Harlequin logo on the cover, it’s one… [ read more ]

  • Nov. 5th, 2015 Strengthen Your Writing Muscles with NaNoWriMo

    I’m doing  NaNoWriMo  this year. There are a million reasons not to, but I’m doing it anyway. Are you familiar with NaNoWriMo? NaNo, as it’s often abbreviated, stands for  National Novel Writing Month . The goal is to write a new, 50,000 word novel in thirty days.  That’s 1,667 words every day for thirty days. I’ve done it before. I’ve… [ read more ]

  • Oct. 1st, 2015 On Your Left

    A few weeks ago, my family and I rode the Virginia Creeper Trail. Built on an old railroad bed, the Virginia Creeper Trail offers a unique biking experience. 17 miles. Downhill. Really. It’s an amazing ride. The scenery is stunning and the trail is open to cyclists of all experience levels. As you head… [ read more ]

  • Sep. 14th, 2015 Already There

    Despite the fact that he has never been left and has absolutely no reason to expect me to forget him, one of my children needs constant reassurance that I’m not going to leave him alone. This summer, I arrived early to pick him up from Vacation Bible School. I took a seat at the side… [ read more ]

  • Sep. 3rd, 2015 Perfection and Vulnerability, A Tough Combination for Writers

    There are a few things I know about myself. I don’t like them, but I know they are true. I’m a perfectionist and I don’t like feeling vulnerable. But I kept hearing about this author and researcher,  Dr. Brené Brown , who has a couple of insanely popular  TED talks  where she discusses her research.  Guess what she researches? Vulnerability,… [ read more ]

  • Aug. 6th, 2015 Thursday Review – The One Thing

    I’m a task-oriented person. It’s how I’m wired. You’d think with that kind of wiring, I’d be churning out books by the dozens. Not so much. In fact, I’ve been struggling to figure out how to get this whole writing thing squeezed into my day. I’m a wife, a mom of three, and a published… [ read more ]

  • Jul. 30th, 2015 He loves me?

    One of my greatest frustrations as a parent is wondering if Emma knows she is loved. Does she? Is she secure, certain, confident that her parents love her?  After years of therapy, Emma can articulate most words, but that doesn’t mean we have conversations. She gets her point across, but abstract feelings and emotions? No.… [ read more ]

  • Jul. 2nd, 2015 Super Structure

    Every time I see a book on “structure” or “story” I find myself bracing for the inevitable battle. If you’ve hung around with writers for long you know why, don’t you?  Someone is about to get in an argument about THE way to write. In my mind, I see a group of literary protesters. “Structure Leads… [ read more ]

  • Jun. 25th, 2015 Don’t Let the Whiteboard Get You Down

    I got home from the gym the other day, and I felt great. Well, I didn’t feel great physically. It took me an hour to stop sweating enough so I could take a shower. But mentally? I felt great! Why? Because that workout was the kind of workout I wanted to skip.  Because burpees. Burpees are my nemesis . This… [ read more ]

  • Jun. 12th, 2015 Book Signing FAQ

    My readers are awesome! First, I have to say a huge THANK YOU! I’ve been blown away by the enthusiasm and excitement about Covert Justice. It’s been so fun to see pictures of Covert Justice in the wild and I’m thrilled with the response to this first (and hopefully not last!) story. The book signing/launch party for Covert… [ read more ]