This month marks the one-year anniversary of my grandmother’s passing. She passed less than two years after her husband, my grandfather. They’ve been on my mind a lot lately. I catch my thoughts slipping into memories, like a bittersweet treat. I saw a typewriter today and thought I’d share one of the many reasons I love them so much. When I was 15, I wanted a typewriter. I am a techie–always have been–and a writer. I take my wording quite seriously and always have. This typewriter had a small word-processing feature on it. Not to give away my age, but this would’ve been summer ofRead More →

Here at the Sizemore home, we’re getting ready to celebrate Christmas. To those of you who celebrate differing holidays, like, say, Festivus (a holiday for the rest of us), I wish you lovely celebrations, decadent food, and happiness in the upcoming year. It’s been a hard year, 2017. I lost my grandmother, I got a 3 book contract. I’ve watched my kids succeed and struggle. I got an Alienware computer (OMGYAY) and a new Nintendo 3DSXL. Not that I’m all about the things… I’m just looking for the stuff I can appreciate. It’s my way of coping. Don’t even get me started on the state ofRead More →

I had this great topic (for other writers) dreamed up this month (actually last month, but I digress), but it’s been one of those months. via GIPHY I finally finished the second book I had to revise and submitted it to my publisher. Edits for the first (which is being published June 20!) should arrive any day. We had an Open House and Formal Dance here this week with the kids and my daughter’s last day of Cosmetology school was Wednesday. And I wasn’t there because my husband had to have surgery WAY out of town. And, so of course, we took her out MondayRead More →

Settle in for a little story. As usual with me, there’s some drama and a little bit of humor. You guys remember when I told you I’d become sick earlier this year, so sick I almost died? I wanted to tell you a little more about that. I was getting ready to send in my manuscript from what’s called an “R & R”–revise and resubmit. Even though I didn’t know they’d accept it, I just had a feeling. This was it, my chance to break into publishing. First, let me set the stage a little. I’d had surgery in December. And even though it wasRead More →

But, now? Now she wants to be an individual. And if a purple pixie cut is her way of doing that, then I will pay whatever it costs, including judging looks from other parents, to let her do that.

People will say I let her run wild. She has rules, and I promise you, she is NOT a rule-breaker. But, you know what? I’m kind of hoping she does run a little wild. I didn’t discover myself until my late twenties because I needed a chance to run a little wild. I’d prefer she not have to go through that.Read More →

I know that last time I was here, I discussed my surgery and apologized for being MIA. Well, just as I was making my comeback, I became septic. Not to be too dramatic, but I was in the hospital for eight days and nearly died. For real, I’m not exaggerating for effect. However, I’m well now and finally starting to get my bearings physically as well as mentally and emotionally. I’m back, for real. Tomorrow I’ll post my writing tweets since last time, and then I’ll continue doing so weekly. I’ll also be blogging on the third Friday monthly and I’m very excited to beRead More →

Actual thing I just had to say: Don’t do wild jazz hands while your sister is trying to do math. Math and jazz hands do NOT go together.Read More →

Today, I’m sharing with you a conversation between my husband and me, as we stood arm-in-arm and watched my stepdaughter dance with her new husband after the wedding. She’s a nurse as well as just an independent, kind person. Him: I can’t believe we didn’t screw her up. Me: I know, right? We did good. Here’s hoping we’ll manage with the other two!Read More →

I was raised that it’d be better to tie a rock around your neck and jump in a body of water than be rude to people. Don’t get me wrong, this has not helped me at all when, say, a salesperson is rude to me. I’ll keep right on being nice. Nonetheless, these are the rules I live by. I can’t help but be polite. Let me tell you, was I in for a shock when I traveled above the Mason-Dixon line. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure all of you up there are very kind people, but you are not sickeningly sweet, like iced tea. Something elseRead More →

I’ve experienced a lot of tragedy in the last three months. In February, one of my friends since childhood was brutally murdered. In March, my grandfather passed away. And last week, my mother-in-law died from a sudden illness. I am exhausted. I don’t mean that to sound mean, like, “Oh, hey, people dying is very inconvenient for me.” I just feel like I’ve walked through an emotional mine-field. And I have written. I know I have, because since January, I’ve kept a small calendar in which I put a star on every day that I write. I’ve missed maybe four days a month, on average,Read More →