The Construction Zone

November is National Novel Writing Month, better known as NaNoWriMo in writerly circles.  You can officially sign a commitment online to churn out a 50,000 word novel or you can modify the plan, like I have, and use the framework to challenge yourself unofficially....

Losing Weight/Gaining Self-Esteem

    I’m an advocate of good mental health, and good mental health is often closely related to good physical health.  Danielle Dooley is my 22-year-old Great Niece who has made some choices in her life that have impacted her physical and mental well...

Meet Lisa Kline and Win SEASON OF CHANGE

Congratulations to Laurie Cramer for winning a copy of WHEN CHRISTMAS FEELS LIKE HOME.  Leave a comment (and your email if I don’t have it) and win a copy of Lisa Kline’s book, SEASON OF CHANGE.     Today I am pleased to welcome award-winning author Lisa...

When Does Christmas Feel Like Home?

Today I am privileged to feature Gretchen Griffith, author of the recently released picture book, When Christmas Feels Like Home.  I first met Gretchen some years ago when we were both in the same critique group in Charlotte.  Recently we reconnected at the SCBWI...

Blog Tour Interview

 Highlights Foundation  Writers Workshop at Chautauqua   Today I am honored to be invited on a blog tour by fellow writer, Gretchen Griffith, who will be a guest on this blog next week.  Writers (and hopefully our readers) can gain from exchanging ideas and...

Working Through Grief

I recently came home from a training session in the Stephen Ministry with an amazing self-revelation.  My book, CRAZY, is really a piece of grief work.  I’ve already acknowledged that writing this book was cathartic and that it is certainly autobiographical, but never...

TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

Forty-three years ago my best friend from college and I sank a hundred dollars into a limping used car, packed a few essentials like our journals, hand-made flannel nightgowns, and our recent college degrees, and set out for NYC.  We were small-town girls from Oregon...