A Glimpse Into My WIP Now that I've successfully published my first novel, (Time out. True confession! That is an amazing sentence to write!), I know that readers want to know how I found my topic and why I chose to write about it. So, as I begin my next book, Out of the Flame,… Continue reading Behind the Scenes of Writing “Out of the Flame”
Last year, I received this birthday card from my special friend and writing buddy, Linda Phillips: Friends as Blessings Writers know that the road to publication is long. Along the way we connect with fellow writers who encourage us to persevere as we draft, revise, and seek publication. Linda's stedfast encouragement, prayers, and wisdom are… Continue reading Celebrating Friendship and Writing Blessings
INTRODUCTION When you write "recent" historical fiction, sometimes you are fortunate enough to interview people who were alive during your story's period. I am one of those authors. HALF-TRUTHS takes place in Charlotte in 1950, and when I started researching the book twenty years ago, I searched for people who were alive in the 1950s.… Continue reading Learn to Read, Read to Learn
Exciting News Two weeks ago I won my first book award! I am thrilled that Half-Truths received the Bronze award in the Readers' Favorite "Coming of Age" category. You can read their review here. Now, I can put this lovely sticker on my book! Write2Ignite's Fall 2025 Master Class As some of you know, I… Continue reading Exciting News and An Awesome Conference
Sorry I haven't blogged in 10 days--but it's been a whirlwind since April 2. Here are a few highlights of the last two weeks. Book Launch Plus! First, there was the National Reconciliation Day event "Reconciliation Through Story" sponsored by the Levine Museum of the New South. I was joined by my fellow Charlotte authors,… Continue reading Catch My Latest Book News!
Come on a Story Safarai with Joyce Hostetter! If you've followed my blog for awhile, then you are not new to my friend and mentor, Joyce Hostetter. I have learned so much from Joyce over the twenty years that I've known her, that I'm happy she will be leading the next Write2Ignite virtual Master Class.… Continue reading Unlock Your Writing Potential with Joyce Hostetter
I heard that writing a book was only part of the work an author does to get his or her book out into the world. Marketing and publicity are equally important! As I'm finding out, they're equally time consuming. What to Do Next? Each night I go to bed thinking about the jobs that for… Continue reading My First Interview and My First 5-Star Goodreads Review!
Every author can't wait until they can reveal the cover of their forthcoming book. In the past, I have shared several of my friends covers: Linda Phillips' new cover for CRAZY, Stacey Bartlett's FREE SINGS THE SEA, and Vivian Elbee's I WANT MY BOOK BACK to name just three. NOW, IT'S MY TURN But first,… Continue reading YOU CAN SEE IT HERE FIRST!
By the time you read this, I hope to be well on the road to recovery from pneumonia. Getting sick got my attention. I had to rest! I put aside my pile of revisions for Half-Truths courtesy of my mentor, Joyce Moyer Hostetter, but I didn't put aside the "thinking about" process that all writers experience. I'm re-reading Blue Willow by Doris… Continue reading Blue Willow -PART III: Comments on a Surprisingly Influential Book
REVIEW In Kim A. Larson’s debut early reader picture book, Goat’s Boat Won’t Float, young readers discover a fascinating STEM fact. Some goats faint when startled by loud noises! Kim took this little-known fact and brilliantly created a funny scenario. The internal rhyme of goat/float/boat/oats/coat will have kids asking for it over and over again. They… Continue reading GOAT’S BOAT WON’T FLOAT: A Picture Book Young Readers Will Love and A Giveaway!