As people celebrate Independence Day in the US, I want to celebrate four other types of freedoms. 1. Freedom to dream. 2. Freedom to work towards your dream. 3. Freedom to fall down and get back up again. 4. Freedom to create bad art. I’m going to expand on the last freedom because a lot of writers struggle with it. They look to critique groups, agents, editors, friends, and/or teachers to validate their work and give it a stamp of approval. They want to create masterpieces. Here’s a news flash. Most masterpieces came after a lot of sh**ty work. Manure helps things grow, whether it’s a harvest or talent. It’s…

I’m busy packing up for my trip to New York. I’ll be attending the annual Romance Writers of America conference. I plan to meet old friends and make new ones, take lots of notes and find out what’s happening in the industry. I have a feeling I’ll come back both exhausted and rejuvenated. But that’s to be expected because conferences can be overwhelming, if you don’t know how to handle them. If you’re a newbie to the conference scene, here are three tips: Smile. You know that ‘dear in the headlights’ look? Not attractive. You know that falling on your knees in worship over an author whose work you adore?…

Welcome to my new website! I always see June as a great month for reflection and change. It’s halfway through the New Year and gives me the opportunity to look at my goals and see the progress I’ve made. I get to look at tasks and gauge whether they’re pushing me forward or holding me back. I take the time to find out what to keep on my “To Do” list and what I need to move to my “Don’t Do” list. I’ve already uncovered three items to put on it. Having this new website represents renewal for me. The new format gives me the chance to blend my blog…