Writing Tips

Summer Writing Tips for Teens

When I look back on my writing life as a teen, I think about the summer a lot. I loved nothing more than spending hot sunny days swimming, evenings working at the restaurant, and late late evenings writing in my books. (Seriously, how did I have so much energy?)  That said, there are a few… Continue reading Summer Writing Tips for Teens

Author Announcements

Happy Memorial Day! + Blogging News & Giveaways

Happy Memorial Day! I usually blog on the first and third Mondays of the month (and will include one if there’s a fifth), which is why I thought today might be a great time to update everyone. My blogging schedule is changing! Moving forward, I’ll be posting on the first and third Wednesday of the… Continue reading Happy Memorial Day! + Blogging News & Giveaways

Writing Tips

Becoming a Mom Has Made Me A Better (And Worse) Writer

One day after my first Mother’s Day and my mind is reeling. I am so incredibly lucky to be a mom. I love Winnie bear. I love watching her grow and explore, and her giggles just wake up my life in a way that nothing else ever has. Kids are amazing. But they do change… Continue reading Becoming a Mom Has Made Me A Better (And Worse) Writer

Author Announcements

Minutes Before Sunset 10-Year Anniversary Giveaway!

10 years ago today, Minutes Before Sunset was published! Can you believe it’s been that long? I definitely can’t! It blows my mind.  Don’t recognize that book cover? That’s because it was the original version with its first publisher. But we’ll get into the backstory in a minute. First, the fun part:  To celebrate, I’m… Continue reading Minutes Before Sunset 10-Year Anniversary Giveaway!

Publishing Advice

What ChatGPT Taught Me About My Author Brand

On Twitter the other day, (as writers do), I came across a writer who had ChatGPT write ten tweets in her style, just to see what it thought of her voice. They were hilarious. Moments later, another writer I followed did the same thing. (Also hilarious.) I won’t lie, I have never used ChatGPT before,… Continue reading What ChatGPT Taught Me About My Author Brand

Miscellaneous

SATurdate: It Ends With Us, TikTok Cookies, & Love is Blind

Remember these? It’s been a loooonnnggg time since I wrote a SATurdate. (The last one was in 2016.) For those of you who haven’t been with me for that long, they were generalized Saturday posts just updating everyone with what I am up to in writing, publishing, and my personal life, like what I’m watching… Continue reading SATurdate: It Ends With Us, TikTok Cookies, & Love is Blind

Writing Tips

A Lesson in Backing Up Your Books

I recently hit THE END in my young adult contemporary, my first book since my baby was born. It was an exciting moment. I formatted it and sent it off to my betas, ready to sit back and work on a palette cleanser until I got their notes so I could start revising.  What is… Continue reading A Lesson in Backing Up Your Books

Miscellaneous

I Write Because I Want My Mom’s Death to Mean Something

March 16 marked the twentieth anniversary of my mom’s death. It’s a strange fact to realize how much time has passed, how much my life changed, how much she is missing. I’ve spoken about her many times on my blog and across other social media channels, most recently in the context of writing a middle… Continue reading I Write Because I Want My Mom’s Death to Mean Something

Writing Tips

Unpopular Opinion: Healthy Relationships Shouldn’t be Required in Fiction

I was recently on Twitter when someone asked for unpopular opinions, and one that's been grating on me came out in the form of this tweet: https://twitter.com/AuthorSAT/status/1628759550051471362 Full disclosure: I actually wrote a blog post about this that was supposed to go up earlier this year, but I chickened out. Why? Well, because I know… Continue reading Unpopular Opinion: Healthy Relationships Shouldn’t be Required in Fiction

Writing Tips

My Average Day as an Author, Librarian, and Mom

After my last post - My Postpartum Writing Life: Working-Writing Mom with a 4-Month-Old - I received a few questions about where I fit my writing in, so I thought it was time for another "average day" post. I've actually written a handful of these over the years. The last time I wrote one was… Continue reading My Average Day as an Author, Librarian, and Mom