Well Hello there stranger, thought I dropped off the face of the earth didn't you, well I did sort of. For starters, I needed some time dealing with my personal life and my mental health. My social anxiety had gotten a bit out of control so I needed to get a handle on it before moving forward. But now I am working to push myself through the darkness and get back to my passion for writing and blogging. So with that said let's get back to the fun. When someone has severe social anxiety it can leave you avoiding everything especially the need to become a successful Author, by not wanting to do social media, attend book conferences or meeting new people even. When this happens to me I tend to want to cocoon myself, hideout under the covers, eat large amounts of chocolate, just be alone with my thoughts to give myself time to regain my confidence. This is what has happened to me in the last few months. The overwhelming urge to hide came as my original book lau...

Hi all, yes its been a while I was sick and not feeling very inspired to do ANY writing...UGH.., so I've been thinking how do you inspire yourself to write that epic novel roaming around in your head? Well, I started talking with my sister/Best Friend and got the idea to use Barbie Dolls, yes I mean "the barbie"... the one we all played with while growing up. We got to talking and realized there's no RULE that grown women over 50 can't act out a scene or plot twist to get a  better feel for how it will work. So I started looking for dolls including GI Joe's because let's face it KEN is NOT or has ever been SEXY BRAVE or a HOTTIE, so I have been on a bit of a craze finding just the right face and body type I need for each character. WOW, I have been away from doll collecting too long, so many to choose from, but I am finding some great ones. Ebay is booming just from Cheryl's and my purchases. I also saw dioramas which are SOOOO expensive but decided...

So I won Camp WriMo now what do I do? well ... first, need to get my printer fixed I sort of blew it up with all my printing and rewrites, so in a few days back at it. Until then I've been editing rest of One Family, Many Voices, so I can rewrite those and then the Beta process, begins...(biting my nails). How do I make all this happen you may ask? Well, I set realistic goals for my self. I figured out if I write 333 words per day at the end of the month I will have 10k written. And since I know I can write 1667 words per day to do NaNoWriMo in November to have 50k this smaller goal seems easy to accomplish. And Keeps the creative flow going.  So If I don't write one day I can easily catch up the next. As long as I keep going, that's the key to never give up. I do most of my writing late at night, its quiet, a special kind of quiet, no phones ringing, no unwelcomed guests, or last minute errands to do. It's my time to let loose with my cup of juice or cocoa, plen...

Hi all, Have you ever gotten in bed and just get comfortable to go to sleep then your characters start running around inside your head, coming up with great scenes for your story. Do they give you so much inspiration at night you toss and turn till you finally get back up grab your journal for that story in a  furied state write everything down? Well, that's why I keep brain dumping journals for each story, for nights when they are running amuck, I get them at the dollar store I like the soft cover composition books. They are the perfect size to drop in my bag when going to the bookstore or traveling. I have different colors for each story. I'm naturally a night owl, so when the characters are spinning in my head I have a habit of letting them run the course. When I have writer's block I just pretend I'm going to sleep and what do you know they're right there ready to play. The biggest problem is making sure to write everything down even if you have no ide...

Since being an "older woman" who writes, I was wondering do readers want to read books written by us older people? Do they think we can relate to their lives? Are we even relevant anymore?  Do we have to have every book include all "Genders" for today's world, I wonder can people realize we are not all that different. I understand the "Millenium Generation" everyone wants all voices heard, to be represented, but NOT every story in one's life is about gender equality or race. or politics its just life, everyday life. I don't feel like I should change a story I'm writing to bend to society just because. If I have a multicultural story then I will have people of all cultures. But I write about people, not color, sexual preference, or political views. Just life which believe it or not is rather universal. We all have the same wants and needs, such as love, health, home, family, friends.  We aren't so much different as we are the same. A...

Hi all, I've been busy working on Camp NaNo. Doing all the rewrites of One Family, Many Voices which is a collection of poems and personal essays I've had written some time ago and some newer ones added. I want to have all these in one place so they don't get lost over time, this will be a multi-genre book. I like trying out other genre's to see who it translates to the page. So here is what I have planned for next writing projects.  Deadly- (series of 3 books) Crime/Detective story,  1. tragic loss of a friend leads to more murders, following the trail leads to a deeper more sinister plot, now its a race against time to stop anyone else being killed, maybe even a fight for own life. 2. Hollywood starlet, finds it's NOT all sparkle and fame, once the mask is removed a much darker image awaits. To own your soul, how does one escape in one piece, or do the dark forces in control really can do anything they want with no reprisals. 3. Detective Williams finds all ...

So Tomorrow Starts Camp WriMO, in case your not aware its a month of finishing any writing project you have left over from NaNoWriMo in November. But this time there is no word count set goal, you can set your own. I'm working on the final edits of my 1st book and writing the complete outline and character profiles for my next novel. Which will mean April I will write close to 25k words. How do I survive the endless writing sessions, well first of all lots of chocolate, I ordered some french truffles just in time, also lots of apple spice tea, tons of water,  multiple notebooks, and having google images on in the background in case I need inspiration. I turn off my phone and stay holed up in my cave. My cave lets explain it's an antique French desk, a huge stuffed armchair with footstool, a throw to keep warm in late hours. With a sign on the door to not be disturbed for penalty of death. lol, Camp happens twice a year in April and July, which gives most writers eno...