My article, "Educator by Day, Novelist by Night" recently appeared in the summer 2026 edition of The Kentucky Thesis, the official newsletter of KCTE (Kentucky Council for Teachers of English). I was pretty excited to see this article come together. It gave me a chance to reflect on the balancing act of writing and publishing … Continue reading Educator by Day, Novelist by Night
Wow, the past few months have been a whirlwind! First, my daughter graduated from high school, which meant all of the end-of-senior-year craziness no one warns you about (senior recognition/honors night, final performances, receptions, graduation parties, etc.). Soon after all of that hoopla, she left for a tour of southeast Asia while my husband and … Continue reading Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) Requests for Rhodelia are Open!
As I'm waiting for edits to come back on my manuscript and preparing for all of the book launch shenanigans that come with releasing a new novel into the wild, I've been catching up on email newsletters and rereading Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (Side note: This book is a must-read … Continue reading Should You Really “Kill Your Darlings”?
Writing can be such a lonely endeavor. I remember feeling isolated when working on my first novel because a.) no one else knows what I’m thinking,b.) no one besides me knows who these characters are, and c.) no one can see how the plot will unfold. I felt like I was annoying my friends who … Continue reading Solo Writing Retreat: Making the Most of the Time
Candlelight flickers, casting a halo of light Into the darkness around me. I shiver lightly, goosebumps forming on my skin. What memory will I stumble upon next? I wander through the mystical realm of my imagination A wide open land of endless opportunities I peer into the distance and see a snow-capped mountain peak, The … Continue reading Paint Chip Poetry #3: A Big Mistake
In 2019, I began researching for my next book, a historical fiction novel inspired by the fascinating life of Alice Martin. Alice was born in 1881 in Derby, Indiana, which is about an hour from my house. She lived on her family’s farm until she left for college, and then she traveled the world (literally) … Continue reading Road Tripping and Novel Researching
April 13, 1936 The coffin rested on the kitchen table in the center of the room. She turned and stared at the walls, up at the ceiling, down at the floor, anything to avoid looking at the smooth pine box that seemed to swallow the air in this room, seemed to draw the very breath … Continue reading Waverly: A Novel (Excerpt)
I may have a new obsession: I picked up Paint Chip Poetry: A Game of Color and Wordplay by Lea Redmond on a whim at Blick Art Materials when I was in Atlanta last week. I thought it might be a fun little activity to do when I hit a wall of writer’s block or … Continue reading Paint Chip Poetry
My mother is blessed with smooth skin, thanks to good genesand Oil of Olay. Despite hours in tobacco fields or laying out on a towel, the scent of Johnson’s baby oil lingering in the air, a pitcher of sun tea brewing nearby, she has always tanned gently,like a soft caramel. Growing up, I longed to … Continue reading Summer Sun: A Poem
I love reading historical fiction. Getting lost in the world of a great story inspired by true events is the ultimate escape for me. I’ve always admired authors who are able to describe a world from long ago so clearly that I can put myself right there in the midst of the action. Through the … Continue reading The Trouble with Historical Fiction
Amy Bellamy, Author 