Welcome
{ to my blog }.
Welcome to my blog.
Thanks for visiting my blog. My hope is to post every 1-2 weeks with a combination of adventure stories, craft/writing posts, book reviews, and other non-boring, exciting content to keep you coming back for more!
The Responsibility of a Children’s Author
When a child reads a novel, they want to be entertained and swept away into familiar worlds or magical places. I used to be a kid ... long, long ago. As a fourth grader, I craved mystery and detective stories. I voraciously read Nancy Drew mysteries and Stephen King....
Fun with Filters – Advice from a potato and a frog
I decided to have fun with this blog post. I'm not trying to preach life lessons - I'M NO EXPERT! If you've ever tried to explain something to your kids, and they stare at you with glassy eyes, BUT then a person next to you shows them a video or an Instagram post...
Anxiety Brain – The Constant Battle
The frustrating part of anxiety is that little voice in your brain zipping around your head telling you things that are absurd and irrational. Deep inside, I know it's not the truth, but it's exhausting. The next time your friend, mom, sister, aunt, husband, or loved...
So You Want to Write a Picture Book!
Writing a picture book is hard. Very hard. The sweet books you read to your children are poured over by their author with scrutiny for every word on the page. When I’m told, “I’ve always wanted to write a picture book – I have so many ideas!” That is fantastic! But...
Being Creative: No Training Required
When I get frustrated with writing and revising, or on the days when words get stuck, I take a break. But I have to justify my breaks to my obnoxious, overactive brain that insists I don't waste life flipping channels (Stupid brain.) One outlet I have is working with...
What’s All the Hype? It’s Just a Straw…
I've been enlightened by my thirteen year-old daughter, Sydney. (A typical day around here.) Her passion for change is contagious. After she wrote a report about plastic pollution, she shared her research and knowledge. We no longer use straws. In fact, if we use the...
Prioritizing and Living Life
Soooooo, I haven't posted for a while! My bad. The summer swallowed me up and writing got pushed aside. When it comes to priorities, family wins every time. My teenage daughters hung out all summer, and they still don't mind spending time with their parents. That...
“Don’t Say I’m Getting Older, Cause I’ll Say It When I Do” – Judah and the Lion
Please watch the video before you read my babble.... I heard this song and instantly replayed it three times and searched for the lyrics, because I'm positive they sang directly to ME. As we get older, priorities change in our lives, and this captures the notion that...
Highlights – Where I Found My Story
Lessons from Highlights. Sometimes it takes a journey to find the heart of your story. After a week at the Highlights Foundation Workshop on Writing the Unreal, I am energized and ready to create. Amazing mentors and new friends with similar aspirations...
Sometimes You Need a Swift Kick
I’ve been in a funk lately. In my search for motivation and inspiration, I decided to make a list of things to get me going. Instead of turning to cheesy hash browns and a cold beer on a regular basis, I'm making other plans. Take a walk – The flowering trees are...
Merci Suarez Changes Gears – A Novel Packed with Power
There is no surprise that Meg Medina won the Newberry Medal for her most recent middle grade novel, Merci Suarez Changes Gears. The novel explores school bullying, enlightens the reader to rich Latino culture, touches on socioeconomic stressors the trickle down to...
You Deserve More than the Crusty Piece
My kids eat a good breakfast every morning before school, but I often show up to work and realize I have forgotten to eat. I make sure the kids get to appointments, math bee practice and piano lessons, but I have not been to the dentist for over a year. Nobody in my...