@bethvogt I just spent three days in Florida with a group of writing friends and I’m once again reminded how friendship strengthens our hearts. Our time was bookended on both sides with hugs, mixed with liberal doses of encouragement and insight and lots of laughter. Getting together took planning and effort and yes, it cost us financially, too. But we …
In Others’ Words: The Importance of Dreams
Someone came up to me the other day and said, “I didn’t know you were an author!” I smiled and said, “Yes, I am.” Whenever someone says something like this to me, I pause and remember I’m living my dream. This crazy, challenging, some-days-I’m-not-sure-I can-do-it career? It’s my childhood dream come true. And sometimes, I forget it all started because …
In Others’ Words: Someone to Inspire You
To be honest, I tripped over the first few words of this quote by Emerson before I embraced the rest of the truth. While I agree with him that we all want to be inspired to be who we can be, I’m not so certain that’s our “chief want.” I want a lot of things. I need a lot of …
In Others’ Words: Making Changes
Some quotes you just can’t argue with. I could leave it at that and this would be a very short blog post, wouldn’t it? Yep. Feeling a bit sassy today. Expounding on the whole “making changes” theme: People in my life can influence me so that I see the need to change. People can inspire me by the changes …
In Others’ Words: Inspiring Change
My husband laughed and summed up today’s blog post in two words: Change happens. You can’t argue with the man. January was a month of change for me as a writer. I started on book 2 in my Thatcher Sisters Series — always fun to develop new characters and plot a new story. “Why?” is the repeated question during this …
In Others’ Words: Decide What It’s About
Perspective changes everything. As my husband and I wandered through a local park early one morning before my daughter’s day-long volleyball tournament, I paused in front of this wire bench. The surrounding trellises were mostly bare. What few leaves remained were brittle and brown. The landscape was awash in grays and browns. And it had its own certain beauty. …
In Others’ Words: The Courage of Dreamers
I just got back from a bit of vacation in California and, yes, I spent some time in Disneyland. It amazed me how everyone embraced the “happiest place on earth” mentality, donning all versions of “ears”: traditional Mickey and Minnie ones Star Wars ones Princess ones — think Ariel, Cinderella, Snow White … pick a princess, any princess … Bride and …
Contemporary Romance Writer: What’s Your Inspiration?
Over at my author page on the Simon & Schuster website, someone in the editorial department wrote a blurb (great word, that!) about my debut novel, Wish You Were Here.* Within the blurb is this phrase: “WYWH … is sure to be a pleasure to inspirational romance readers.” Ah. Yes, it’s true: WYWH is categorized as an inspirational contemporary romance …