With crisp fall days just around the corner, I’ve been compiling my reading list for the cozy season ahead as I continue to work on my next novel. While I tend to gravitate towards reading books that are in my genre, I also like to be sure to read a handful of books each year that are outside of it. As a writer, I think there’s a lot to be learned from books that aren’t like yours. For instance, women’s fiction doesn’t typically have plot twists but I love psychological thrillers and after . . .
This App Allows You To Watch Scenes & Shop Characters’ Clothes in the PRINT Version of Waiting at Hayden’s
As most of you know, Waiting at Hayden’s is the first book to be published in the new reading experience format shopfiction™, which I coined and branded last year. Links in the digital version of the book and web addresses in the print take you to video highlights where you can watch key scenes come to life and shop the characters' clothes. There are also links the in the digital version each time an outfit is described. You can click on the link and see the character come to life in the . . .
10 Things to Do When Visiting Newport Beach
This time of year especially, I love hosting visitors in Newport Beach! The temperatures are pretty consistently in the seventies and there are so many fun things to do in town and just outside it. One of the jobs I’ve always had to support my dream job is teaching group fitness classes and for the last few years I’ve taught a couple mornings a week at the Marriott Newport Coast Villas, a popular spot to stay. I’m constantly giving guests advice about what to do when visiting this beautiful . . .
10 Incredible Love Stories To Read Before Valentine’s Day
This weekend it felt like summer in Orange County, so I was able to catch up on some reading poolside! While I’ll occasionally pick up a psychological thriller like The Woman Inside, or a self-help book like The Untethered Soul, you can almost always find me reading a love story. Since I was little and read my first Nicholas Sparks’ book, love stories have been all I’ve been drawn to. I’m constantly fascinated by the choices people make when it comes to matters of the heart. And while writing . . .
Book Arrangements That Make For Beautiful Displays
I never like to think of having too many books as a problem. But when you read one or two books a week they can quickly clutter up your space! If you're a big reader like me, try these easy tips for turning your favorite reads into beautiful displays so your books don't end up sitting in your garage or closet. In a Basket on Your Bedside Table: In my guest room, I like to leave a basket filled with my favorite books for anyone that comes to stay. The room has hints of blue from the bedspread . . .
My Favorite Reads of 2018
2018 was a big year for me as a writer. After ten years of writing, revising, and pitching my story, my first novel, Waiting at Hayden's, was finally published! I want to thank and every person who supported the book--whether by attending one of my launch parties, reading the story, sharing it with a friend, or offering words of encouragement during the journey to publication. A lot goes into releasing a book--way more than I could have EVER imagined when I first decided I wanted to write . . .