My friend Jared’s blog post on running, For the love of it, inspired me to write this post today. I don’t like to run. I don’t understand why so many people do it. But Jared’s blog helped me understand why he does it. He does it because he loves it. That made sense to me. … Continue reading Love Makes It Worth It
I held my first Writers Wellness Retreat two weeks ago on March 12, 2017. I was going to write a post about it but felt so relieved and gratified afterwards that I decided to let it go for a while. Plus, Marcus and I were busy preparing for his dad’s memorial. Then, a few days … Continue reading Wellness and Self-Care for Writers
I’ve been a professional adviser for the last 16 years but it isn’t very often that I’m asked to give advice to my 15-year-old self. But that’s exactly what my friend, the amazing author Sandra Evans, asked me to do this month. I met Sandy through our mutual friend Tamiko Nimura, a terrific writer and … Continue reading Giving Advice to my 15-year-old Self
I’m hosting my very first Writers Wellness Retreat on Sunday, March 12, 2017! I’m excited about this retreat because it’s exactly the kind of event that I would have loved to go to when I was writing full time last year and feeling isolated and depressed. Writing can be such a lonely and scary pursuit. … Continue reading Come to My Writers Retreat!
There have been so many terrible events in the past year that have depressed me, made me angry, and made me feel helpless. The most recent two that gave me a sucker punch right to the gut were the killing of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota by police officers. After these … Continue reading The World Needs Artists, Especially Now
Before I write a novel, I plan and plot it out. To me, planning and plotting is like creating your map before going on a road trip. Unlike Plotters, I don’t want to map out every single stop along the way; but unlike Pantsers, I also don’t want to take off and not know where … Continue reading How I Plan and Plot a Novel
I’m incredibly pleased to announce that my first novel, The Contenders, is now available for purchase! Hooyeah! I hope you enjoy reading my scrappy, funny, fast-paced story that asks (and answers) the question, can enemies become friends? It was written for kids from third to fifth grade, but really, it’s for kids from age 8 … Continue reading The Contenders is Now Available!
In my last post, I talked about what I consider to be the most fun part of the self-publishing process: designing your novel’s cover. In today’s post, I’m sharing what I consider to be the hardest part of self-publishing: writing your novel’s back cover. Now, some indie authors plan on only offering their novel as … Continue reading Write Your Novel’s Back Cover First
I’m so excited to show you the cover of my middle-grade novel, The Contenders! I have to say–having a cover designed for your novel has got to be the most FUN part of the self-publishing process. I mean, you get to see your novel conceptualized in different fonts, drawings, and photos. If you’re a visual … Continue reading Creating the Cover for The Contenders
Had I been born somewhere from the 16th to the 19th century, I would have been a printer. Why? Because I have an inordinate love for letterpress, invented by Johann Gutenberg in the mid-1400s. Did you know that letterpress was the primary form of printing and communication for more than 500 years? That means that … Continue reading Why I Chose to Self-Publish My First Novel
