In honor of #FantasyMonth, I thought it would be fun and insightful to re-explore some of my absolute favorite books (who wouldn’t?!) and why their “worlds” felt so special or real to me. Why they felt like places that, oftentimes, I’d prefer to the world I actually live in. The Sevenwaters series. Author Juliet Marillier [...]
Category: Books
How I Self-Edit My Books
I know many of you are not only readers but writers as well. We all develop our own system for both writing and editing. And as I continue through the slogging process of editing my own latest novel, I thought it would be fun to take a break and give you a peek into how [...]
The Power of Imagination
This is a guest post by author Jenelle Leanne Schmidt. When I was asked to write a post about something that inspires my writing, my mind went instantly blank. I struggled with jotting down one idea, then another, but none of it felt right. You see, I’m not entirely certain I can point to a [...]
When Winter Won’t Go Away
I'm not sure what you're experiencing in your part of the world, but here in Missouri, winter keeps coming back. Fortunately, I love winter and snow. Unfortunately, snow makes it harder to get out and DO things. But more hibernating days means more writing days! And I've been taking full advantage of those. My new [...]
Winter Fairy Tale Reading
With the weather getting colder (we’ve already had SO much snow!), it’s just the perfect time of year for cozy reading. As usual, I have a whole slew of books I’m eager to read, so I thought it would be a great time to not only list a few that I’ve read, my opinions on [...]
My First Year of NaNoWriMo
After brainstorming, planning, and outlining my next novel for the two or three months previous to November, I felt this year would be as good a time as any to finally participate in National Novel Writing Month. Though I didn't reach 50,000 words, I did reach my own personal goal of 25,000. I loved the [...]
Change Is Beautiful
It’s a funny thing how I can await a certain book’s release, eager for months to read it, drool over the premise and the delicious cover art, watch as it is plastered all over Instagram and Facebook . . . and when the day comes and it is in my hands and the first chapters [...]
The Best Bookish Friendships
Friendships tends to get overshadowed by romances in many books and movies. However, true friendships are some of the best relationships in any book. The possibilities they give for growth and depth, along with the simple joy they bring, are some of the most powerful things in many a beloved story. Here are some of [...]
Authors: Truth vs Myth
Maybe you hope to be an author. Maybe you have a friend who is one. Either way, there are plenty of misconceptions about what happens when a writer becomes published. The minutes I became a published author, these assumptions started popping out of my friends’ and acquaintances mouths until I just had to put aside [...]
The Vintage Jane Austen Tour
Oh my. First off we have retellings, which I love. Second, we have Jane Austen, whom I adore. How could I say no to being involved in this blog tour?! Take a look at the beautiful covers and intriguing premises of the Vintage Jane Austen books below. I can't wait to read them myself! What [...]
Ashlee Willis, Author of Fantasy 