by Rebecca P. Minor As I sought to boil down the most succinct description of my artistic persona, I think I blundered into why I’m always feeling a little at odds with myself. I mean, “pessimist dreamer?” What IS that? Maybe there are more of us out there than … Continue reading
by Kristen Stieffel In the 1984 film Romancing the Stone, mousy Joan Wilder braves the jungles of Colombia to help her sister. After a bus wreck, she meets adventurer Jack T. Colton and introduces herself as a romance novelist. Later, when the villains come for her, he says, “Romantic … Continue reading
The dream to be published is at the heart of most writers in their journey. But what happens when everyone around you sees their dream come true, and you’re still waiting for the right opportunity to come along? I’m Jason, and sometimes I feel like the bridesmaid, but never the … Continue reading
by Zachary Totah Everything has to be right. Better yet, perfect. Or else panic, chaos, the end of the world. Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration (emphasis on “slight”), but so much of the time it seems all too true. Welcome to the life of a perfectionist. Did you know … Continue reading
by Liberty Speidel Sometimes, when you get married, you don’t always realize everything you’re getting yourself into. Fifteen years into it, it can still be amazing to think about all the changes you’ve done since you married your beloved. Take me, for instance. If you met me as a teenager, … Continue reading
by Karen Sargent Not a single photo exists of my father and me. He had just turned 27 when I was born, but during my mom’s pregnancy, mental illness had clutched him so quickly and so deeply that his eyes, his face, could no longer hide it. My father’s illness … Continue reading
by Pam Halter I started quilting before I began writing. Both activities give me a creative outlet, but I have to admit, designing and sewing a quilt is much faster than writing a novel. I also write and have published picture books. They’re fairly fast to write, although can be … Continue reading
by Serena Chase My name is Serena Chase and I am not a real person. I am an invention. A pen name. The secret identity of an author who, for reasons ranging from personal safety—due to a scary series of incidents—to shelf placement, chose not to associate her real … Continue reading
Welcome to another bright, shiny month! Can you believe how fast May flew by? I still feel that the conference I went to the first weekend of May was last week. May was pretty crazy for me. Fun, amazing–but crazy. I accomplished a lot, but none of what I set … Continue reading
by TLC Nielsen As I work on my first novel, I can’t imagine a more perfect job for an aspiring author than working in the public library. Even though I’ve been in the children’s department for almost 12 years now, my job is still as much fun as it … Continue reading
