For this month's IWSG post, I thought I'd have a little bit of fun. I created a mini mantra, or secondary mantra, of the things that has somewhat defined my life as a writer.   #1 - I drink loads and loads of coffee when I write. I mean I have to seriously stock up. I look for coupons. My …

One summer morning in 2018, my daughter and I went on a mother-daughter date to a popular pancake house in a nearby town. We went on a Tuesday to avoid the weekend crowds, and so that we wouldn't be rushed. The best mother-daughter conversations burst from binging on pancakes and coffee.  And …

These past few years have been tough. I released my last book in 2018, The Onyx Ring, just two months before my brother passed away. I put all book marketing and promotion on hold, and writing the last book was practically impossible. I had bigger and more important things to do, and my imagination…

When my brother finished reading the 3rd-to-last chapter in the The Box Of Souls, he called me up and said, "But... why?" He was angry because of a death of one of his favorite characters. "How could you do that?"  I assured him that there was a reason, and to finish the story …

Two years ago, my life changed. My brother passed away and it shocked me. To my core. Long story short, I practically stopped writing fiction. Mourning does that to people, I've learned. It keeps us from doing what we love to do. We can't help ourselves. I stopped writing, running, salsa da…

My kids are growing up, and with that comes all of life's frustrations. My daughter is in her first year in college, and like a lot of kids, she is facing a major that was much harder than she imagined. For a student who has always been at the top of her class, this was incredibly frustrating…

Yesterday, I wrote (more like rewrote) a full scene in The Dragon Medallion. I'm still far from finishing, but the point is that scene prompted new ideas. It created new tangents which, at least from my outline, was not planned. It gave my draft a kick in the butt, the jump-start it needed so…

It's been a year since my brother passed away. Just saying that gives me a heavy heart. Losing my brother has greatly affected many aspects of my life, including my writing. The last day I worked on the third book in my Family Relics series was the day before my brother passed away. The last …

I've come a long way with many miles left to go, I've traveled the land, both high and low. There is still so much I have yet to know, But what I've learned could only be learned as I go. I've tumbled and rolled in a tide's ebb and flow; I've climbed up steep mount…

To me, social media is like a party, a place to discuss inconsequential matters of the world, a billboard for all the wonderful celebrations of life, a worry-free zone to express whatever your heart desires. Photos of friends and family, political memes from all sides, humorous insights into hum…

Iraq, 2008 Whenever I think about my brother, I think of a goofy guy with the most infectious laughter. In our younger years, if I wanted to bug him I would just tickle him until he cackled, all the while laughing along with him. Anyone within earshot would giggle too. It was that kind of lau…

"Why are you still ignoring me?" Rebecca sits on my red barrel chair with her arms crossed, glaring up at me from under furrowed eyebrows. The colorful rainbow graphic on the front of her white shirt contrasts her angry demeanor. "Susan, I'm talking to you!" As I st…