Between a rock and a hard place: making peace with your stuckness

Noun. stuckness (uncountable) (informal) The state of being stuck (in all senses)

When I recently found myself experiencing a state of stuckness, my type A personality jumped in to invent a solution. Did I need a change of scenery? To take a hike? To…[read more]

When life throws you lemons: ‘squeezing’ the most out of it

Our neighbors own a second home in the Phoenix Valley. This past winter, they transported bags to the mountain teeming with sunshine-yellow lemons from their backyard. It gave me a pang of homesickness and the four citrus trees we once had. But when they offered me a share of their haul, it was like accepting a small taste from our former life. I squeezed…[read more]

The only gift I want or need: a momma’s thoughts

This latest Mother’s Day has consumed my thoughts, my heart overflowing with gratitude as I smile at the memories. Although we’d seen our daughter two months earlier and we visit almost daily, she made the…[read more]

5 favorites: cutting out the ‘fluff’

While scrolling through my Twitter feed one afternoon, an author I follow posted her five favorite things. Several years ago, I challenged myself to share an image on Facebook of a simple pleasure I saw or experienced daily. It turned out to be a fun but oftentimes tricky exercise to discover something new for 365 consecutive days. But I think it was even more challenging to pick “only” five…[read more]

Getting real: ‘I got the call’ Q&A with Harlequin is live!

I was excited when my editor invited me to participate in the ‘I got the call’ Q&A series with my new publisher. But even though I’ve conducted interviews in the industry from the driver’s seat for years, the view from the passenger seat looked a bit scarier! So after drafting my responses, I asked my husband for feedback. Honestly, I thought he’d be wowed…[read more]

What you see is what you get: standing by your word

Photo by alise storsul on Unsplash.

During the past year, I’ve encountered a startling number of people who say one thing to me, while their actions speak something entirely different. On a recent podcast, the presenter shared insights about what integrity means to her…[read more]

Rootbound vs. adventure-bound: selecting your course

Photo by Zach Reiner on Unsplash.

I’ve discovered I can’t sit still for long anymore. Oh, I’m able to stay put for 45-minute writing sprints that often morph into an hour and a half until I force myself to take a break. But when it comes to where I’m planted—whether in a particular home, vocation or season—my roots seem to need more space…[read more]

Work-life balance: streamlining our time ‎

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash.

“Something’s going to give…” While that’s a line mined from my debut Harlequin Love Inspired novel releasing in 2024, it had been mirroring real-life. Although I can sit at my laptop for 8½ hours while on deadline…[read more]

When you’re ill-prepared: speaking of backups

Photo by Hugo Clément on Unsplash.

Funny story: a couple weeks ago, my husband and I packed for an overnight trip to the “big city” for various appointments. I was rather proud of how quickly we were on the road. All went well, until…[read more]

Contingency mindset: backing up your best laid plans

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash.

When my husband and I moved to Northern Arizona’s Rim Country a year ago, we already had an unlimited data plan for our phones, so reliable Wi-Fi was our biggest concern for internet usage. We received provider suggestions from others…[read more]