I’ve always been a big reader. I grew up going to the library and bringing piles of books home with me. On vacations, I’d bring more books than there were days of the week; in the pre-Kindle and tablet days, I was worried I’d run out of things to read! So, when I had kids, I knew books would be a big part of their lives. (Affiliate links included). From the moment they’ve been born, we’ve … [Read more...]
Nanowrimo Prep: Give Yourself Permission to Do This
It’s almost time for Nanowrimo, otherwise known as National Novel Writing Month. This “event” is to help encourage writers to get the novels out of their heads and onto the paper (or computer screen, I should say) in just one month’s time. If it sounds crazy, it kind of is… but it is also really amazing motivation to write the stories that have been swirling around in our heads. The goal: at … [Read more...]
The Courage to be Vulnerable: Book Review of ‘Daring Greatly’ by Brene Brown
I’m going to get vulnerable here… and this is new for me. I feel like I’ve always been concerned with how other people perceived me. I always worried that I was too awkward and too weird. Or maybe too quiet. Or that I never knew what to say. In turn, I never felt “good enough.” It’s something I’ve been working on for awhile, basically ever since I’ve had kids… because I saw (and see on a daily … [Read more...]
My History with Words… and Introducing my Path to Publication
I feel like this is a bit of a coming out for me… even though I’ve been writing nearly my entire life. At 8 years old, I walked into my 3rd-grade classroom during recess and told my teacher Mrs. Engle that I’d rather stay inside and write. Instead of pushing me out the door, she asked me, “How about we start a writing group every Friday?” She was the first person, other than my parents, to … [Read more...]
Finding Beauty Everywhere: Book Review of ‘A Different Beautiful’
I first learned about Brenna shortly after she was born. News came from my sister-in-law, a best friend to Brenna’s mom, Courtney Westlake, that the little girl -- born just before Christmas -- was fighting for her life due to a rare skin condition. This sweet fighter named Brenna not only survived but eventually thrived. I first followed her story through Courtney’s blog and was always amazed … [Read more...]
