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 . . .
Storyline Reveal: Find Out What The Book I’m Currently Writing Is All About
The complete storyline for the book I've been working on throughout the past year is below! I spoke a bit about it last week, in this blog post here. In case you missed it, it's tentatively called The Influencer and is about an unexpected connection that develops between a fashion blogger struggling with finding her true self and a man with a secret who volunteers to take her pictures during a sponsored trip that goes terribly wrong. Each chapter opens with a photo from the woman's . . .
My Inspiration for the Next Novel I’m Working On (Tentatively Titled: The Influencer)
This past year what’s interested me more than what people have been sharing on social media and even in day-to-day conversations with co-workers, friends, and romantic partners, is all the things people aren’t saying. How often in our lives are we completely vulnerable and real? Who are we when we’re not putting on a front? It’s tentatively titled The Influencer and primarily takes place during one weekend at a hotel on the marsh in South Carolina. It's about an unexpected connection that . . .
How To Live Your Best Hallmark Christmas Movie Inspired Life This Holiday Season
The bakeries and coffee shops in my new neighborhood look straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie. We all know the plot. It goes something like: Big city girl is dumped right before the holidays, leaves her stressful corporate job, and hops on a plane to visit her grandmother in a snowy small town. Upon arrival girl stumbles into well-decorated bakery to ask for directions to Grandma’s because cell service (always shoddy) or phone (always breaks on plane). Bakery store owner is interested . . .
The Power and Importance of Trusting Your Gut Feelings
This past month I officially relocated back to the South! As most of you know, I wrote the first draft of Waiting at Hayden’s in Charleston, South Carolina during a gap year in college and moved here solely because I was a diehard Nicholas Sparks’ fan. (If you haven't checked out how being a diehard fan landed me in the hospital be sure to read that entertaining story here.) After that year, I went back and finished school at Santa Clara and have lived in California ever since. I’m a big . . .
