What a long journey! When I sold my public relations firm in 2013 and decided to write a book, I had no idea what a steep learning curve I’d encounter. My end goal was to publish an alternative to the stories about witches, vampires and werewolves—something with a touch of paranormal, but biblically based. I…
Tag: #amwriting
A Bright—not Black—Friday
Last year’s Thanksgiving made me dig deep to hitch up a smile. Both my children celebrated the holiday away from my husband and me for the first time in their lives—my daughter with her in-laws in Texas and my son with his Marine unit in Afghanistan. Tough year. Thanksgiving is our gig. We always host…
How Christianity and books launched Friday the 13th
Are you hunkering down in your home today, worried that bad luck might befall you? Don’t feel alone, one in four Americans say they’re superstitious. How did Friday the 13th become the spookiest calendar date? Early Christians were the first to acknowledge Friday as an unlucky day. After all, Jesus was crucified on a Friday….
NaNoWriMo Makes Me Nervous
Friends, I need a little prayer. For the past four years, I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo . . . with dismal results. This year, for once, I’d love to meet my goal. NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month. It takes place in November for some strange reason. I don’t know about other writers, but…
Zeta tried to steal our joy
Yesterday started off with frightening thuds around 5 a.m. when straight-line winds from Tropical Storm Zeta tore through our yard, felling part of our wooden fence and two trees. My husband and I jolted from our bed to the howls of my daughter’s dogs. North Atlanta should not be a target for diluted hurricanes. My…
What happened to binge reading?
When you hear the word “binge,” do you think of Netflix? Of binge-watching a series for hours and hours? I know someone who’s watched every episode of Friends TWICE. There are 236 episodes, almost 20 days of 24/7 viewing. That’s a lot of non-participative hours glued to a TV screen. Several friends on social media…
How to write a solid book review
How did we ever select a good read before book review sites blossomed across the Internet? I would select the ones with cool covers and enticing titles. More often than not, I’d return home to discover the writing subpar and the storyline dull. I found the saying, “You can’t judge a book by its cover,”…
So happy and grateful!
I’m thrilled to announce that my novel made it to the semi-final round in the Young Adult category of the American Christian Fiction Writers’ Genesis Contest for unpublished writers. I can’t name the novel because judges are working on whittling down the list of finalists. Check out the semi-finalists in all categories here. My heart…
It’s May Day!
Did you know that it’s traditional to leave baskets of flowers on your loved ones’ doorsteps on the first day of May? In today’s germ-conscious environment, it might not be the best idea. But, there’s nothing to stop you from sending someone a virtual bouquet. May celebrations began in the second century with the Festival…
Coronavirus: from the perspective of a writer
As of this posting, 14,578 Georgians have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, and 524 have died. Mind-boggling statistics, considering doctors detected the first case in our state March 2. My heart breaks for their loved ones. This time last year, my accountant husband arrived home early. On Tax Day, his office closes at noon. He…