Writer's Block

 Are you experiencing writer's block? Go outside and take a stroll.  Be aware of everything around you. Listen to the birds. Smell the air. Look at the trees. Take a mental picture of the sky. Watch people as they pass you. File those experiences in your mind. When you are finished with the walk, write those experiences in the form of a short story. Don't hold back. Let your mind guide you.

New Manuscript in the Works

 Hi Everyone,

I am excited to announce that have a new manuscript in the works. The story, targeted for young adults, centers around a teen who gets a second chance on life. Although the story has Christian undertones, it is by no means preachy. Now a days, when hope often seems beyond our reach, and, because of the pandemic keeping us from from family and friends, I felt an uplifting story, filled with excitement, hope, and promises is what we all need. If you believe that everyone deserves a second chance, that life is precious, and good wins over evil, you will enjoy this story.

Writer's Block

 Writer's Block?

I have found that the best way to get rid of writer's block is to find a story prompt. Go to any genre and pick a prompt. Sometimes it helps to pick a genre you have never tried before. This exercise will help you to think outside the box.

Happy writing

Time to write

 Finding time to write in this hectic time is not easy. School, family obligations, and a host of other concerns can get in the way. Don't get down on yourself. A window of time will open up to you. Take one day at a time, relish what you have, and all will fall into place

Hints for Writer's Block

 Having writer block? Don't fight it. Step away from the computer. Clear your mind by taking a walk or picking up that craft you left undone. When feeling refreshed, look up prompt suggestions, pick one and write a fifteen to twenty-minute piece. You will be surprised as to how creative your mind can be! Happy writing.

Chapters Writing Group

I would like to say a word about Chapters Writing Group. During these hard times, I want to send out a message to them, congratulating them for their perseverance in what has to be a difficult situation. We have gone from weekly in person meetings to weekly computer meetings, and during it all, they have remained true to their conviction of honing their art. They continue to share their work with one another, offer helpful criticism, and build up one another. So proud of you all. 

 Announcing the publication of my new YA book, A Bristol Manor Mystery:Beyond the Closet Door

Like mysteries wrapped inside the paranormal? If so, this book is for you.

                                                        Synopsis:

To Greta Steele, strange happenings only take place in books and movies. Haunted houses, ghosts, spirits, things that go bump in the night, are nothing more than creations of overactive imaginations. At least that’s what she thought when she was living a nice, normal life.

After losing their parents to a fatal car crash and experiencing a disastrous Nebraska tornado, Greta and her older sister, Maryanne, move to a small Chicago community where they purchase Bristol Manor, an old run-down mansion thought to be haunted by a teenage ghost.

From the moment Greta moves into Bristol Manor, she experiences frightening, supernatural events that turn her life upside down.

Coupled with the angst of  beginning tenth-grade at a new high school and dealing with a formidable bully, Greta is sent on a fear-filled journey, where good clashes with evil, and uncertainty clouds every day.

With stubborn determination, she solves a sixty-five-year old mystery, rights a wrong that kept an innocent soul from eternal peace, and softens the heart of a misguided bully.