It all started with a book called The Blue Chair. It was an ordinary looking book, just a simple hardback with a light blue cover and a white diamond pattern in the background. I didn’t even notice it at first among tables of dishes, dusty floral arrangements, and an old brown recliner leaning haphazardly to … Continue reading The Mystery of The Blue Chair
Category: Writing Process
My Morning Routine
I’m a stickler for routine. I’m the first to admit, spontaneity is not my forte. In fact, I can be downright stubborn about making sure my morning goes according to plan. It helps set the tone for my whole day, and it’s a system I’ve used for years. Step 1: Coffee I prefer caramel flavored … Continue reading My Morning Routine
Book Review: Writing Your Legacy
"Writing is healing. You don't need to set out to heal yourself; it happens naturally as you allow yourself to write your truth." ( from Writing Your Legacy: The Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Your Life Story) I have often said that writing is my therapy. I have experienced the healing power of writing firsthand, both … Continue reading Book Review: Writing Your Legacy
Getting Reacquainted with Alice
I recently decided to dust off the old manuscript (or open the old google doc, as the case may be), and revisit the novel I began researching and writing back in 2019. If you've followed my story for very long, you know that I had just began my serious writing journey and had three self-published … Continue reading Getting Reacquainted with Alice
Exploring Waverly: Insights
When my book, Waverly: A Novel was chosen for the Owensboro Community and Technical College Common Reads program, my intention was to attend a live event on campus and share information about the book, answer questions, etc. Then, of course, the world as we know it came to a screeching halt in the spring of … Continue reading Exploring Waverly: Insights
Beginning Again
It's been quite awhile since I've posted anything. Between recovering from a brain hemorrhage and documenting that journey in my last book, navigating a global pandemic, building a new house and moving, and life and work in general, writing unfortunately fell to the wayside. I have journaled faithfully over the past few years (including an … Continue reading Beginning Again
God Finishes What He Begins
"I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion..." (Philippians 1:6, CSB) I have a friend who always reads the ending of a book first. She says she wants to know how the story ends before she invests the time and energy to read … Continue reading God Finishes What He Begins
Draft 1 Complete!
At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen. (Isaiah 60:22, NLT) My first book, Kentucky Family, was an experiment, really... a chance to see if I could actually accomplish the goal of writing a book, plus preserve some priceless family memories. My second book, Waverly, was the book I always wanted to … Continue reading Draft 1 Complete!
Hello, Summer!
For the past 12 years, I've spent the end of May packing away classroom materials and struggling to survive the last few weeks of school with a room full of antsy adolescents. This was my first year as a District Literacy Coach, and I have to say the end to the school year was very … Continue reading Hello, Summer!
So what’s this book about, anyway?
In August, 1936, Rainey Bethea, a twenty-six year old African American from Virginia, was executed for the crime of rape in Owensboro, Kentucky. Hundreds of reporters and a crowd estimated at 20,000 people descended on the city of Owensboro to witness the execution, due in no small part to the fact that the sheriff in … Continue reading So what’s this book about, anyway?


