If you've already read my new fantasy novel, Daughter of Two Realms, you may have noticed that some of the angels and demons in my story are not drawn entirely from the Bible. That's because even though I touch on the concepts of Heaven and Hell and God and Satan, all the characters and settings aren’t only based on the Christian religion. Angels like Samyaza and Azazel, the concept of the Watchers, and the settings of Heaven and Hell, all have roots in another ancient book t

On Tuesday, June 9th, my new fantasy novel, Daughter of Two Realms, was officially released and ready for purchase on Amazon in paperback, ebook, or audiobook format. • In case you missed the notice, or haven't gotten around to purchasing it yet, here's a look at the synopsis to whet your appetite: Kendra Swift doesn't believe in God, much to the dismay of her devout mother. She studies faith like a scientist studies bacteria—with distance, logic, and zero personal investment

If anyone understands how hard it is to let go of a creative project, it's me. Logically, I know when to let go of a book. An idea flitters around in my head until I feel the need to follow it. I sketch out an outline or simply jot down ideas until I decide if it's worthy of more of my time. Months of writing pass until I finish my first draft. Tweaking comes next—fine-tuning, rewording, making it sing. Editing is the final writing activity. I look for spelling and grammar mi

If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, you may have noticed something… I sort of vanished. Back in August 2024, I cheerfully announced I was heading off on summer vacation, and then apparently decided to take the scenic route back. What I didn’t anticipate was how much my other hobbies would distract me from writing. I dove head-first back into painting, and some of my artwork got accepted into shows, pieces sold, and I spent more hours than I can count happily s

I missed another Monday. What does that mean? I think it means it’s time for a summer vacation! So far this year, I’ve written thirty-five blogs—one for every Monday of the year. When I first started this journey, it seemed like a good idea. A way to keep my writing chops fresh. And it’s certainly done that. But writing a blog is a completely different animal from writing a fiction novel, and I’m not getting as much done in my next book as I would like, partially because I ke

I’m late! It’s after 7:00am on Monday, and no blog was posted. I’m sure everyone was waiting with bated breath. But, I got so caught up...

This is the final entry in my “The Indie-Author’s Arsenal” blog series. I probably should have put this one first, because to do a really...

I approached this “Indie-Author Arsenal” series of blogs with the assumption that you are publishing your book on Amazon, IngramSpark, or...

This week I’m taking another break from “The Indie-Author’s Arsenal” series and offering a quick read of a deleted scene from my first...

The proof-reading and editing are done, but you can’t publish yet. What about the artwork? Your book cover is the first thing your potential readers see. Before they even read the synopsis, they’ll look at your cover. It may even be what influences them to buy, or not buy, your book. Besides writing, I am also an artist. I dabble in a lot of different mediums—acrylics, oils, watercolors, colored pencil, oil and soft pastels, and gouache. If you’re curious about my work, check

You’ve spent months, maybe even years, writing your book, and now, finally, you’re finished! Now what? It’s time to publish, right?...

Welcome to “The Indie-Author’s Arsenal: The Writing Process”. This is the third in a series I hope is beneficial to first-time...

I’m taking a break this week from my “Indie-Author’s Arsenal” series to talk about a book signing I attended last week. Brick & Mortar...

You’ve chosen your writing app, read the manual or watched a video and know how to use it, and you’re almost ready to start chapter one!...

You’ve decided to go for it! You’re going to write a book and publish it yourself. Good for you! Now you’re scouring the web, trying to...

I recently went with a friend to an art retreat on Samish Island in Skagit County, Washington. If you’ve never been there, it’s a really...

In the writing world, it’s not uncommon for authors to use templates or guidelines to help them put their stories together. Everyone has...

Hello all! Welcome to Part 2 of my KDP Virtual Voice Audiobook blog. This is a continuation of my last blog about how I created an...

Welcome to my blog, KDP Virtual Voice Audiobook: Part 1. I’ve split this adventure into two blogs to put them into readable-sized chunks....

In my blog titled, “Fictional Realism”, I touched on how I try to make my fictional characters believable. I also alluded to the fact...