A very inspiring post by author (and superintern, I hear) Mandy Hubbard about her road to publication. The difference between a published author and an unpublished one is one day. It only takes one day, one moment, for your whole world to shift. I firmly believe that if you work hard at improving your craft and you simply do not give up, your day will come.Read More →

How did I come upon this site?  I’m like a freaky web site magnet, that’s how.  Still, it made me think of you. Please Don’t Promise Me Forever It’s a hallmark type book from some time in the 70’s about love.  And it’s mushy.  But it’s kind of real, too, if you’ve ever been in a long-term relationship. Things My Girlfriend and I Have Fought About I read the whole freaking page.  Seriously.  And it’s not formatted well, so it’s like a vomit of hilarious text.  But note: it’s hilarious.  Plus, they’re British and German, so it’s got a Euro relationship flair we Americans don’tRead More →

I’m linking today to a beautifully written site. It’s the heartbroke daily and the stories there are the type that stay with you, haunt you, jog your memory and your senses, and make you feel like you’ve just taken a deep, secret peek into someone else’s life.  Whether you’re a reader or a writer, you will find satisfaction and inspiration there.Read More →

Unknown: “Many of us spend half our time wishing for things we could have if we didn’t spend half our time wishing.”Read More →

Okay, this isn’t a well-researched, in-depth look at love or romance or…well, anything.  I’m writing, give me a break.  You don’t tell the muse, “Not now, honey.  I’m busy writing this blog.”  You can totally tell your husband that, but not your muse.  That chick is vindictive and might not show up again for six months.  *I know*. So, for your enjoyment, a very extensive list of endearments for your sweetheart.Read More →

As I spent seven hours a few days ago, reading weird websites and finding ways to waste my time, I realized that I was avoiding writing out of fear.  Fear of what?  That I’m just not good enough.  I’m not good enough to pull it off, my writing isn’t good enough to be published, I’ll ruin this awesome story just begging to get out.  I actually had to walk away from a WIP I had 1/4 of finished because I psyched myself out that bad.  I’ll go back to it later, but for now, we–the manuscript and I–need some distance. But, I’m not the onlyRead More →

I recently wrote a post about my friend, Lea, and the anniversary of her passing. The post was more for me than anyone else. Crasty said: I added your blog to bookmarks. And i’ll read your articles more often! He commented again with: Valuable thoughts and advices. I read your topic with great interest. Really, Crasty?  Perhaps you should unbookmark me then, because I very rarely write about the death of close friends or even very personal topics.  Maybe you would enjoy Virtual Memorials a bit more. A couple of weeks ago, in a very short post consisting of three links and the word awesomeRead More →

I think that I’ve outgrown pop quizzes.  They were all about doing something fun and delving into different aspects of romance, but they were more flash than substance.  Also, while completely random and silly, they were still personal, in that they were about me.  And why do you care if I kiss like a woman or what movie my love life is like? So, from now on, Saturdays will be the day that I discuss romance*.  Sometimes it’ll be something one could incorporate into their writing, or it might be inappropriately amusing, or it might be kind of touching, or… you know what?  We’ll justRead More →

I just needed to somehow commemorate that it’s been one year since my beautiful incredible friend, Lea, left this world to spread her awesomeness throughout the universe. Lea battled cancer, a benign brain tumor, a rare genetic disease, much personal tragedy, and was a single mom for a long time until she met her love.  And she was an amazing, wise, generous, loving person.  I learned more from her about life and living it in the seven years that I knew her than most people will in a lifetime. She taught me: how to make homemade chicken noodle soup that life is about passion andRead More →

I love writing.  I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions. ~James MichenerRead More →