by Virginia Smith I’ve had many goals over the years, a lot of items on my bucket list. I wanted to learn to scuba dive. (Check.) I wanted to publish a novel. (Check.) I wanted to travel to other countries. (Check.) Riding motorcycles was not on my list. I’m … Continue reading
by Grace Bridges There’s a city in New Zealand, where my father was born, where as a child he bathed in backyard thermal springs and steaming ponds in the public park. These days I live a few hours away. Imagine if you will, after a short roadtrip, cresting the … Continue reading
Ah, we are entering my favorite time of year again. October ushers in the beginning of fall and the preparation for the holidays season. Oh, how excited I am! Hello, October! The kids and I are already making plans for the many things to do with pumpkins. My daughter already … Continue reading
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
