I attended my favorite writers' retreat last weekend. While I have a myriad of projects I need to be finishing, I decided to give my paranormal romantic suspense priority. I've been working on this book for three years, and several of my readers have been waiting patiently. When I arrived at the retreat Thursday afternoon, my book was a mess. I had random chapters and scenes that weren't in their happy homes yet. I was also struggling with making my protagonist's love interes

Happy Labor Day! I hope you are all having a great holiday. If you are one of those essential workers who don't get today off, I hope your workday is easy and pleasant. I have worked many holidays and am extremely grateful my current employer recognizes Labor Day and closes all locations for the day. My husband is not so fortunate. He is working his normal ten-hour shift today. While I slept until 7:30 a.m. today, he was up before 5:00 a.m., like always. I have stayed home a

I posted this article last summer, but I feel it is worth repeating considering every day this week is going to be 100 degrees or over in my area. Stay hydrated, my friends. As summer bakes us with soaring temperatures, our health and safety are important concerns. When the heat index climbs above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, we need to take care while outside. One of the most effective ways to combat heat risks is through proper hydration and regular breaks in the shade. Understa

School is back in session or starting very soon at area schools. Please be on the lookout for buses and kids making their way to class. Seeing all of those buses on the road this morning took me on a trip down memory lane to a time when I was starting school after summer break. Thinking about how things have changed over the years made me think about my grandchildren. Kids grow up so fast. My grandma used to tell me she was going to put a brick on my head if I didn’t slow dow

My world has been turned upside down by a pint-sized pooch. My husband brought home a puppy last Monday. I knew she was coming to live with us, but I was woefully unprepared for how much work a puppy is. I had a puppy for a very short time when I was little, but he was an outside dog. He was also hyper aggressive and went to live at a salvage yard as their guard dog. I'm sure he was a great one because he terrified me. That small experience in no way prepared me for the furry

Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to an extremely talented friend of mine. Kelly Reddin is an accomplished children's author and pillar of our community who I met through our group, Joplin Writers' Guild. She is also an award-winning adult short story author. Spending time with her is always fun, inspiring, and usually educational. Kelly is a former elementary, middle grade and college educator. For twenty years she worked at Lego Education where she worked in a variety of

It's canning season here in the Ozarks. I didn't plant a big garden, but what I did plant is going great guns. I have a plethora of tomatoes and scads of cucumbers. In true Ozarks fashion, I'm canning what I can to save for another day. I've made three batches of salsa and a batch of bread & butter pickles. Far from finished, I am worn out. This task used to be much easier. I guess I'm showing my age and slowing down. The important thing is that I keep going. I have nearly en

We are honored with another great post from Sasha Moody today. As always, she shares some insightful ideas. For freelance designers, photographers, writers, illustrators, and other creative professionals, the opportunity is real: creative business opportunities are everywhere when artistic expertise can solve problems people will pay for. The tension is just as real, turning creative talents into sustainable businesses means facing creative entrepreneurship challenges like in

It's hot here in Missouri! Our heat index reached 106 degrees in my neck of the woods today. Our local meteorologist forecasts it will be 90 degrees by 8:00 a.m. tomorrow. I'm fortunate to work in an air-conditioned office, but I have worked, lived, and gone to school in non-air-conditioned buildings in the past. I'm not cut out for the heat or physical demands of factory work anymore, which is why I will continue to work in my cool office. Not everyone has the luxury of air-

When I was a little girl, my mom used to take me to visit Aunt Bonnie quite often. She was actually my mom’s aunt, making her my great-aunt. I have so many cherished memories from her house. She was classy, loving, and shrewd. I always aspired to be a career woman, and Aunt Bonnie encouraged me in every possible way. She had the best high heels I’d ever seen in my young life. They were elegant and strappy. Best of all, she let me walk around in them for hours. Sometimes, she

My grandson is an avid soccer fan. He plays on a local youth team and follows the professional teams. He'll talk your ear off about his favorite players if you let him. The World Cup being here in the United States this year thrills him to no end. I'm happy it's here for another reason entirely. I consider myself patriotic, but I'm as guilty as the next person about taking what we have for granted. That's why I love watching the videos on social media being made by our foreig

I'm on vacation this week to help a loved one with some medical things. In preparation for my busy week ahead, I decided to visit the grocery store this morning. While the selection was great and the fruit was ripe, the prices were troubling. I realize I've been buying my own groceries for over thirty years, and mentally, I'm still looking for the price points I enjoyed in the nineties. I understand times have changed, and prices naturally increase with inflation. However, it

I married a city boy. He's become more countrified as the years have passed, but I don't think he truly understands who I am and where I came from sometimes. My husband and I have been taking care of chickens for a loved one who is out of town. To my husband, this is a new adventure. To me, this is a pleasant trip down memory lane to my childhood. Our first day of chicken sitting was exciting for my hubby. After I persuaded a hen off her nest so I could gather her egg, she be

Last weekend was amazing. I attended the Between the Pages Writers Conference in Springfield, Missouri. It's a three-day conference held at the Double Tree by Hilton. I love that conference, and it didn't disappoint this year. Bestselling Author Steven James was our keynote speaker. This was the fourth time I've heard him speak, and he was as interesting and engaging as the first time I heard him. He told stories about his kids, his past experiences, and how he finds his idea

Kids have the funniest notions. I spent some time with my older grandson last Friday, and he kept me thoroughly entertained and on my toes. My husband and I agreed to split the time with him because we each had separate things we needed to do that day. I took the morning shift. My grandson and I began our day with breakfast. I was just beginning to cook mine when his mommy dropped him off at my house. When I asked if he was hungry, he assured me that he was not because he had

Last Saturday, I participated in a three-author book signing with my good friends, Author Susan Keene and Author Jen Kenning at Tech N Tales in Ava, Missouri. The signing was a lot of fun. In addition to spending time with my friends, I sold several books, including two to Tech N Tales' owner who will sell them in her shop. If they sell quickly, she'll contact me for more. How cool is that? Tech N Tales is an adorable shop that not only sells books, games, and handmade jewel

I have to brag on Webb City, Missouri, for a moment. While it's no utopia, Webb City seems to actually care about its citizens. They aren't just saying that, either. When their senior citizens were faced with losing their senior center, Webb City stepped in to save it. To locals, this is old news, but I was inspired to write about this when I drove by the Webb City Senior Citizens Center a few days ago and noticed the full parking lot. Knowing how close the community came to

Our friend, Sasha Moody, has written another great article of wisdom and joy for us. I plan to try some of these great calming techniques this week. Thanks, Sasha! Busy parents juggling work and wellness often carry stress all day without being able to name what’s driving it. The tension usually isn’t one big crisis, it’s a steady mix of everyday stress triggers like work-related stress, financial stress sources, and health and wellness stressors that pile up until everything

There is an elderly man who lives on a corner I pass by every morning on my way to work. Most mornings, I see him sitting in his lawn chair with his loyal dog by his side. While his pooch pal soaks up the early morning sun, the gent waves at every car that passes. I don’t know this man, but he makes me smile every time I see him. Yes, I wave back. I look forward to waving at him. Monday mornings are especially rough for me, as they are for most people. Both my husband and I

Last weekend was the 2026 Ozarks Writers League (OWL) Spring Conference. I enjoy our OWL conferences so much because they give me a chance to network and socialize with other authors as well as learn new skills to improve my writing, marketing, and editing. We enjoyed words of wisdom from great professionals in their fields. David Harrison, Greg Stout, and Lia Wu offered insights into marketing and the publication process. They are all accomplished in their fields and shared