As a writer of feel-good love stories, there’s a LOT I’ve learned that goes into creating a good feeling. I had to rewrite Waiting at Hayden’s ten times, not because there was a problem with the story, but because I hadn’t mastered the art of making my readers feel what I wanted them to feel when reading certain scenes. “Don’t tell me they’re happy,” an editor once told me. “Make me feel it.” How?! This can often feel like an impossible task—both on the written page, and in our . . .
The Importance of Dressing Up for Work (even if you work from home)
The other day I was working out of a coffee shop, and a sixty-something woman, dressed to the nines in a silk blouse, tailored pants, and black heels, sat at the table next to me talking to her friend. “I don’t get young people, today,” she said. “They’re always dressed for yoga, but none of them are ever at the gym.” “I know,” said her friend. “There’s this brand called Lululemon. Apparently it’s “in.”” I sunk into my chair, hoping they wouldn’t turn around and notice me dressed head . . .
How Being a Diehard Nicholas Sparks Fan Landed Me in the Hospital
To say I’m a Nicholas Sparks fan girl is an understatement. As most of you know, I up and moved across the country to the setting of his novels to write the first draft of Waiting at Hayden’s. So during my recent book tour, where I traveled through the South and then the East Coast introducing shopfiction™ to bookstores, I knew I had to stop in his hometown. The drive there was filled with excitement. And lots of missed exits and wrong turns (hence why I ended up having my sister’s friend, . . .
Do You Need a Routine Makeover: Is Your Routine Inspiring or Miring You?
When I was in the third grade my teacher gave us an assignment to come up with an invention. Mine was an innovative, practical, BRILLIANT way to quickly wake people up in the morning. I set an alarm to go off and had my sister, Casey, the “test subject”, lie in bed and pull a string when she heard the beep. The string released Tabasco sauce down a PVC pipe and into her mouth. “You asshole!” she said, popping right up and hitting me. (Casey routinely had her mouth washed out with soap when we . . .
Summer Date Night Outfits Guaranteed to Make Getting Ready for a Date Fun
It’s probably no surprise that as a love story writer, I love going on dates. For years I used to agree to go out with anyone who asked—even when I wasn’t interested. I think it takes guts to ask someone out and I never wanted to turn anyone away who put himself out there. Plus, I find it fascinating to meet new people and love experiencing great moments—even if these moments don’t ultimately lead to a relationship. Over the years, I’ve had to amend that rule slightly when I'm single. While . . .
Ghosting—a Dating Trend We Should Make Disappear
In my novel, Waiting at Hayden’s, one of my main characters is “ghosted” the day before her wedding by her fiancé. “Ghosting”, for those who aren’t familiar with the term, refers to a romantic partner disappearing suddenly and without an explanation. Excerpt: “She believed it was called ghosting, what he’d done. She’d heard friends at work use the term when describing what happened when men they’d been happily seeing suddenly disappeared from their lives without explanations. Kendall had . . .
