I am lucky enough to have a family member in the writing business! Here, my cousin Lia Mack shares a little about how she became a writer and what it meant to her to write her first novel. When did you take up writing as a hobby? Hobby? Them's fightin' words, ya know! Joking aside, I …
Category: Writing Advice
Another Kind of Loneliness
Being a writer can be very isolating. I can’t tell you how many times I wished I was cuddled on the couch next to my husband, watching a movie or reruns of “The Office.” But instead, I was sequestered in the other room, furiously typing out my story. Even last Saturday, I was upstairs at …
Magic
One of my dad’s favorite sayings is, “Good luck is the residue of hard work.” Typically I would think of this in terms of sports. In fact, he mentioned it a lot in regards to my high school tennis career, as well as my brother’s baseball playing. And I could see what he meant. The …

My Biggest Goal
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a few discussions lately about whether or not this year (2020…can you believe it?) is the beginning of a new decade. And while it is technically not a new decade (because we didn’t start with year zero), I get that a new number in front really makes …
Necessary Confidence
Writing a historical novel is terrifying. By training, I am a historian, so my desire to “get it right” and be historically accurate is strong. When I read a historical novel, I want to be immersed in the story and connect with the characters, but I also want it to be a learning experience. A …
When It All Started
I knew I wanted to be a writer when I was nine years old. My fourth grade teacher set aside weekly writing time, where I took my love of reading a step further and created my own stories. At the time, most of them were simply my own life experiences, fictionalized with name changes. But …
Everyone needs cheerleaders…
...and you are mine! This site is a bit of a scary new adventure for me. I have been writing for nearly thirty years, but I am ready to convert my hobby into something a little bit more. To be frank, I want to make it my career. When I was younger and had a …