Books and Publications

 I'm currently shopping around a manuscript (middle grade historical fiction). Below are links and excerpts to some of my creative nonfiction pieces that have been published. 

Princess of Procrastination

Procrastination is something best put off until tomorrow.~Gerald Vaughan

       I had been sitting on my manuscript for several years. Dreaming of getting it published — but never acting on it — meant I could wallow in “what ifs.” Sitting on it was safe. Never submitting it meant that it would never get rejected. In my mind, it was more comfortable to speculate what response an editor would have, rather than knowing for sure via a rejection letter.

      A meaty picture book with just under 3,000 words, A Home for Always told the story of a stray dog looking for a forever home, and it had undergone many revisions. When I went to a writing retreat, I took the piece and got it critiqued, which led to yet another draft. I shared the story with my writer friends and got their feedback. After I had made the tale as good as I could, I fantasized about how incredible it would be to walk into a bookstore and find a book — written by me — on one of the shelves. But I continued to keep my words locked in a computer file, protected from any potential publisher. I was well aware that if I used my time to write and submit, instead of making excuses, I might actually get something published. But still I sent out nothing.

A story of mine titled, "Still Good" chronicles the journey my best friend went on when her son was shot... and paralyzed.