In the summertime I live in dresses. They’re easy to throw on so I’m out the door and at a coffee shop to write in no time. I also like to be comfortable when I’m working, but still look put together and dresses are the perfect way to pull that off. Come fall, I’ll switch to wearing jeans and button down shirts more, but if I find a sweater dress I love, I’d almost always rather reach for it. This green wrap dress by LPA is both cozy and flattering and can be dressed up with heels for . . .
My Most Anticipated Fall Reads
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 . . .
A Writing Workshop and Reading from Waiting at Hayden’s at The Soul Project
This Wednesday June 26 from 6:00-8:00pm I’ll be leading a workshop at The Soul Project in Laguna Beach about how to get started writing a novel! The event is free, open to the public, and great for readers and writers alike. Since Waiting at Hayden's is the first shopfiction novel, I'm excited to be holding the class at one of my favorite local clothing boutiques. (Address is: 1516 South Coast Highway Laguna Beach, CA 92651) In addition to explaining my writing process and answering questions . . .
10 Beach Towns to Visit This Summer That Are Perfect For Beach Reading
Beach reading has always been my favorite summer activity. Come late May and early June stories by all my favorite authors hit shelves and I love throwing them in a beach bag and finding a spot to read them in the sand. This year I'm most excited about Jane Green's latest book, The Friends we Keep, which was just released yesterday. I've been a huge fan of her stories for as long as I can remember. Along with Emily Giffin and Elin Hilderbrand, she was one of the authors that inspired me to . . .
My Favorite Character Looks For Summer From Waiting at Hayden’s
As soon as I finished writing Waiting at Hayden's I couldn't wait to see the story come to life visually! I had such a clear idea in my head of what the characters looked like and also what their homes looked like and even the restaurant where the book primarily takes place. On a creative impulse I hired a videographer to help me create a video trailer for promotion and found actors, styled everything the way I'd imagined it while I was writing, and filmed a short video clip. It was during . . .
Two Piece Workout Sets and My May Dance Fitness Playlist
My most popular blog post to date has been this one here on how to support your dream job when your dream job doesn’t pay. It’s a topic that I feel isn’t discussed much on social media and should be so people looking to pursue a dream have an idea of all that goes into it. While watching someone follow a dream can look glamorous (and often feels glamorous—I love nothing more than writing books!) the reality is pursuing something you love often requires double the work because in addition to . . .
