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Category: writing a book

  • Book Review: Phoenixheart

    PHOENIXHEART: BORN OF ASHES by Arthur Quill was an ARC book I had the pleasure of reading recently. Quill is a brand new author on the self-published scene and is doing a smashing job. Most debut novels (including my own, THE EARTHSPARK, when it originally published in 2021) are generally still very rough. Great stories…

  • digital water color painting of a girl writing on paper

    When You Can’t Afford Therapy, Start Writing

    When I very first set out to write my first novel, I’ll be there first to admit that I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know what story structure was and why I should even care about it. All I knew was that I had words on my mind that wouldn’t go…

  • Shadow and Bone Book Review

    SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo was another reread from 2023. I originally read this novel so fast, I didn’t have much time to absorb details I could use while teaching my writing class. So I had to make this my second book for 2024, as my students are getting more involved in learning about…

  • When a Horse is Your Best Friend

    I’ve always been a lover of both books and horses. Sometimes I’d even combine the two and read while sitting or laying on the back of my horse while he was eating. During my childhood, one of my absolute favorite books was BLACK BEAUTY. If you’ve never read this classic by Anne Sewell, and you…

  • A Look into the Heart of a Guardian

    This post is hard to write. But I wanted to share with you the inspiration behind Tellen, in the Comstock Chronicles. As far as the human aspect of Tellen goes, much of the credit goes to my husband. He is the joy in my life. He has a love for the earth that is hard…

  • What Makes You Feel Connected to a Character?

    One of the best opening lines I’ve read recently was: “This job’s going to kill me.” The Midnight Thief ~ Livia Blackburne This line hooked me into the story so fast that I was a hundred pages in before I realized it. Having a great opening line in a story is crucial to readers wanting…