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Writing What You Know

And the joy of discovering what you don’t “You are not your characters, but your characters are you.” — Raymond Carver Last week, I had a couple of a-ha moments around the revisions I’m making to my upcoming novel (technically my previous novel that I put aside to publish Little Pink Houses). Ever since attending Courtney Maum’s fabulous workshopContinueContinue reading “Writing What You Know”

Wife vs. Mother-in-Law

You can rewrite the story (Trigger warning. This one gets a bit emotional towards the end.) The envelope, as I recall, was lavender. The card inside a flowery, glitter-encrusted thing, Happy Mother’s Day written in flamboyant script. She’d presented all three of us daughters-in-law with similar cards. The awkward thing was, two of us were childless. “DoContinueContinue reading “Wife vs. Mother-in-Law”

Truth and Consequences

Or: An optimist, a pessimist, and a realist walk into a bar “We should open a bakery,” my sister said. We were enjoying some decadent creation, say a vanilla bean cupcake beneath a cloud of her amazing fresh strawberry buttercream, at some family event. Her daughter’s birthday, maybe. Though it could have been any randomContinueContinue reading “Truth and Consequences”

Plotting a Week on Ambergris Caye

Sunrises, sunsets, and Little Pink Houses As I write, I’m watching the sunrise IN BELIZE! Revisiting places that inspired my novel, recreating character moments, handing out bookmarks and postcards as if I’m part of a salvation mission, posing for pictures like a twenty-year-old wannabe influencer, and generally driving two of my oldest, dearest friends crazyContinueContinue reading “Plotting a Week on Ambergris Caye”

Year-end Musings

And – Ta-daaah! – My Book Cover December. I both love it and dread it. Do you? A few of the things I love: The Phoenix weather. After a fickle November, where the high might be 90 or 60, December settles into long stretches of days hovering around 70 degrees. Just nippy enough for a sweaterContinueContinue reading “Year-end Musings”