I recently had a conversation with someone about fulfillment. I was challenged to think about what makes me fulfilled. It sounded like an easy question, one I should probably be able to recite the answer to as easy as my own name. But it wasn’t. In fact, it was easier to determine what wasn’t fulfilling me rather than what is. After much reflection, I’ve found myself at a point in my life where my days and evenings are filled with to-do’s and meetings, yet I’m left wondering what it is that is fulfilling me. What do I really want out of life? I’m writing this blog post as I’m sitting on yet ..read more

4 years ago today, I wore a white dress, killer Badgley Mischka heels (that I refuse to get rid of), stood before a handful of my family & friends, and spoke wedding vows. If you’re reading this, you can probably sense that I’m a writer, so it may shock you to learn that I did not write a word of those wedding vows. (Don’t worry - it still shocks me, too) 4 years ago today, I vowed to love a man for the rest of my life, in sickness and in health. This man had been a part of my life since I was 17, and we were finally ready to add a wedding shot next to your senior prom photo. 4 years ag ..read more

What It Is: This humorous, honest non-fiction book is an inside look into the world of editing, getting published, and all the chaos that happens after. Lerner is an established editor with stories to tell. Why I Liked It: See above- humorous and honest. My two favorite characteristics for books (and men). I came away with an increased knowledge (see, there’s the educator in me talking…) about the do’s and don’ts of seeking an agent/editor, what the publishing process looks like, and the real truth about “making it” as a writer. I felt like Lerner hits the mark on the various types of writers ..read more

Disclosure: Please be aware I do professional reviews on this blog, which means I get compensated for the products reviewed by the companies who produce them. All of the products are used and tested thoroughly and I provide honest, real, and informed reviews. I am an independent blogger and the reviews are done based on my own opinions. As much as I love colorful pens and fancy notebooks, when my writing goals included 1,000 words/day, I had to switch to a more efficient method. For the longest time, I was content using good ole Word. I played around with OneNote (great for school) and EverNot ..read more

So you may have noticed a little re-branding going on with my website lately. I’m super excited to do this little makeover and slowly start the process of moving away from my hard-to-spell, hard-to-pronounce, silent-consonant last name that belonged to my ex-husband.That’s right. Ex-husband.You see, we couldn’t have got a divorce before I started my freelance business, filed with the IRS, created a website, the whole nine yards. No, that would have been too easy. And who likes easy?!Apparently the process to change the name of your business OR file a doing-business-as is a little complicated ..read more

Literary mastermind and the person I’d give my left kidney to have a beer with, Stephen King once said, “If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”As with most things, I’m inclined to agree with the master of horror. I probably spend more time reading than I do writing, because reading is the thing I can do just about anywhere. In the dentist’s waiting room, in bed when I can’t sleep, on the couch when my boyfriend is cooking (the scene in my apartment just minutes ago…). Lately, however, I’ve noticed that I am reading more ‘like a writer ..read more

Goals. Plans. Dreams. Resolutions. Whatever you want to call them, we’ve all had ‘em. We’ve all started the year out with enthusiasm and hope, only to be left disappointed every December. (that good old dream of fitting in that one pair of jeans that haven’t fit since high school, am I right, ladies?)In the beginning of 2018, I was in the midst of the most confusing and difficult time in my entire life. I was faced with challenges I could’ve never dreamed of, I had no idea who I was, what I wanted, or what my future held. My goals and resolutions for 2018 were quite different from previous ye ..read more

As a side-hustle freelancer, the word “no” isn’t a big part of my vocabulary. But I’m here to tell you, if you want to be sane enough to enjoy your successes - learn how to say no. So many of us are people-pleasers, right? By day, I’m a Registered Nurse. My entire career is based on helping others and people-pleasing. In my freelance business, I want to please all of my client’s. I want to find out what they want and deliver even more than they asked for. In my job, I want to take on every project and I want to kill it in everything I do. I’m going to share something here that my boyfriend tol ..read more

Literary mastermind and the person I’d give my left kidney to have a beer with, Stephen King once said, “If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”As with most things, I’m inclined to agree with the master of horror. I probably spend more time reading than I do writing, because reading is the thing I can do just about anywhere. In the dentist’s waiting room, in bed when I can’t sleep, on the couch when my boyfriend is cooking (the scene in my apartment just minutes ago…). Lately, however, I’ve noticed that I am reading more ‘like a writer ..read more

I’ve talked a lot on this blog about going for your dreams and how to stop making excuses.Well, it’s about time I start practicing what I preach. School’s done, I got promoted, life is good. I have no excuse not to put all my efforts into my manuscript and finish this first draft. It’s all well and good to imagine success, to envision the feeling of finally completing something, of receiving a publication offer, (or really, just hearing from someone that you don’t suck), but none of those things will happen if I don’t actually finish the damn thing. And last time I checked, thinking about it d ..read more