It’s been five years since Miracle in a Dry Season first hit store shelves. Giddy days, those! And while I’ve been fortunate to see more stories published (and others yet to come), that first novel is the one that will always hold a dear place in my heart. And somehow, even after five years, readers keep falling in love with […]
I was joking around with a librarian friend about how working a day job really cuts into my readerly and writerly activities. A regular job means I have less time to read, write, go to conferences, and just hang out with friends talking about books! She offered to write me a note to give to my boss if I need […]
I’ve written before about how hard it can be to let go of a manuscript. It can be agonizing when I send that first draft to my editor. And the rewrites? Oh, how I want to keep shaping and polishing! But releasing the final read through of designed pages? That can be easier. At this point I’ve read and re-read […]
I don’t often flat out promote my books on this blog. I always have some links and refer to my stories with some regularity, but I’m rarely so blunt as to remind you that, well, you can buy my books. Yesterday was the start of the six-month countdown to the release of my next story–When Silence Sings. So, I’m taking […]
My older brother and his family came to the mountains from their home on the coast of South Carolina for spring break. Of course, dogwood winter showed up to greet them with a blast of cold air that pretty well froze their thin, southern blood! Nevertheless, we got out to enjoy a hike with some spectacular views. Then, having earned […]
I’m SO excited to be presenting at this year’s WV Writers Summer Conference! I so enjoy talking writing and sharing what I’ve learned thus far, but to do it back home in West Virginia . . . well, you can’t beat that with a stick! PLUS, I’m hoping I can sit in on sessions being led by some of the […]
The Appalachian Studies Association held their annual conference in Asheville this past weekend. Can you believe it? An entire association dedicated to the study of Appalachia. While I didn’t have a chance to go to the full conference, I was able to attend the keynote event. It featured Appalachian author Wiley Cash interviewing fellow authors Lee Smith and Ron Rash. […]
