Early on in the pandemic my mom shared with me that it’s always been a dream of hers to have a card company. When she was in her early thirties she and my dad worked as caretakers at a campground for six months to change things up, have fun, and work a job where they could spend time together, and during that time she attempted stitching and sewing handmade cards. While she loved the creative part, it was too labor intensive, and nothing came of it. She showed me her original designs when the . . .
Holiday Book Recommendations to Read During Christmas
This holiday season, with travel plans put on hold and cancelled family gatherings, most of us have a little extra time on our hands to read. Books have always been a comfort to me, and this year more than ever before, I’ve been grateful for stories. While beach reads will always be my favorite to pick up, holiday books are a close second. You can count on most to deliver a bit of Christmas magic, wonderful wintry descriptions, romance, and a good dose of laughter—which I know we all could . . .
Beach Read Book Recommendations for Summer 2020
Summer 2020 might look different than we all expected, but one thing remains the same, beach read books are back and in my opinion, this year, they're better than ever. At the top of my list is, The Lies that Bind, the latest from Emily Giffin. Emily has always been one of favorite authors. I love her writing style, how real her characters are, and the way she explores complicated matters of the heart. The Lies that Bind is now my favorite of hers to date and is a page-turning love story . . .
How to Choose a Title for Your Book
Choosing a title for your book is one of the most important parts of the publishing process. Your book title is a large part of what attracts readers to your story and gets them to pick it up. I thought I'd write about this topic today because I've just changed the title of my current work in progress and thought walking you through why I did this might help anyone else playing around with title ideas. My book primarily takes place during one weekend at a hotel on the marsh in Charleston, . . .
Five Feel-Good Books To Read Right Now
One thing that’s always helped me during periods of uncertainty has been taking time out of my day to get lost in a feel-good story. During the past few weeks sometimes that’s meant reading--and I’ve included a great list of books that I hope will lift your spirits below. Other times, this has involved writing and working on my next love story. And sometimes this has meant “scripting”—which is the practice of writing the story of your own life. With more time at home than ever, it might be . . .
The Power of Asking ‘What If?’ Questions To Help Bring Your Dreams To Life
As an author, I’ve spent a lot of time asking myself 'what if?' questions. What if you met the love of your life before you were ready to settle down? What if you were ready to settle down but hadn’t met the love of your life? Those two questions led to the idea for my first novel, Waiting at Hayden’s. The book I’m working on now called The Influencer started with this what if question: What if each chapter of a novel opened with a photo from a woman’s Instagram—that told one side of . . .
