The last corner of the writer's cottage is my writing area, when I opt for a desk. Auntie M stopped to see how the writer's cottage was coming along and said she had the perfect table/desk, "It's just the right size, it will fit perfect." .She was right. In addition to the table, she had a small desk lamp not being used. The combination dressed up the last part of the cottage.

The pencil/paper organizer at the end I've had for a few years and found it at a thrift store for $2. The drawers hold my paperclips, allowing all my essentials at my fingertips yet look neat at all times The chair is from my grandmothers, with a cushion made for my daughter many moons ago.

The last item added was a new dog bed for Faith. Faith wasn't a fan, she prefers my chair when I'm sitting on the floor BUT my dad's dog enjoys it. The cottage isn't big yet the two dogs and I fit nicely and the first day I worked in my new space I banged out over 3,000 words. 

The days when I stopped at the lake or the library after working out, I only wrote between 700 - 1,000. Now I can leave out the notes and such when I'm done for the day and pick up where I left off. No more packing it all into a notebook and binder, and then my bag before driving home. The time saved from not driving to and from my writing spot, setting up to write, and then having to clean up when I'm done so I can drive home equaled about 2,000 words. Woot Woot!

The added bonus is the company I have while working, two dogs and my Dad. Life is good and the writing is even better. Mom is smiling and my daughter likes my writer's cottage, she couldn't believe the transformation. A little insulation board, contact paper, and a lot of love.

This summer I didn't work summer school. Instead I invested time, energy, and money into my writing and speaking. The biggest part was attending the 2019 Montrose Writers' Conference in Montrose, Pennsylvania. The drive was uneventful, beautiful, and quiet. This was a great feat and a fear-facing experience in itself.

​Since 1994, the farthest I've traveled solo is to Clay, New York which is only twenty-five minutes away. I did a happy dance upon my arrival when I got out of the car. It was a good that I was early because other attendees may have avoided the weirdo dancing outside her car. 

After a week of reading, writing, learning, networking, and relaxing I returned home with a renewed energy and spirit. I reconnected with God and myself. This was a much needed time. My family noted the difference before I shared verbally and encouraged me to attend every year. I hadn't realized how much I needed to stop doing and to just chill.

Hubby and I spend a few days traveling locally on his days off and experiencing New York. He had extra days off due to an unexpected lay off. Instead of stressing about this, we prayed and God was faithful. His new job offers more potential for advancement and his mood has been better. God knows more than we do and could see what we couldn't. Hubby and I both needed a change and time of rest and renewal We wouldn't have chosen a job lay off to reconnect with each other and focus on trusting God yet God knows what we need, and gives us this. Needs versus wishes and wants is a good thing. 

The biggest adventure and news all summer is that our baby turned twenty-one years old and starts her senior year of college. I'm not sure how this happened because I still feel like I'm in my twenties but it has. She is a strong and determined young woman with goals and the determination to see it through to completion. We couldn't be prouder of her and we look forward to watching her continue to grow and succeed. 

While wrapping up this final year of her Bachelor's Degree, the hunt for the right Master's Degree program and school is underway. Application submissions open on September 1st, and she is working hard to narrow her choices down to afford the application fees while also ensuring acceptance in at least one. I have a feeling she'll have at least a couple and will have to weigh the pros and cons to choose the Assistanceship best fitting her career goals. Go get em' girl!

A week from today I'll be back in school with a new group of cherubs to educate, inspire, motivate, and encourage. I love my career and look forward to meeting this next generation. I'm glad I took the summer to relax, recharge, and write. The family visits in August wore me out and lifted me up at the same time. We are saving to make the trip to Florida and Indiana next year, and to help our girl move to her final higher education destination. Let the saving begin.

When my Mom was young she won this encyclopedia set. I can't remember exactly how, maybe writing something? I bet my aunt or uncle will remember and be able to tell us but until then this old set of encyclopedias is special to me for a few reasons:
*My mom won them
*My mom valued them and never wanted to get rid of them
*You don't see encyclopedias much anymore since the introduction the Internet

I took this set off my bookshelf at home a couple years ago to make room for more books. I reorganized my shelves and needed the space yet couldn't part with the encyclopedias so I boxed and stored them in Mary's playhouse. As we cleaned out the playhouse and I saw the boxes I told my father I was going to keep the in the writer's cottage. His response, "Of course you are." We both laughed. He asked, "How or what are you doing to do with them? You don't have much space." I shook my head because I had no clue.

Fast forward a week. As I put the contact paper on the walls and ceiling, moving the books from side to side, Dad came in and shared an idea. I needed a bookshelf to store my writing resources and Bibles on yet the monies for shelving would need to wait until fall when school started. Dad's creativity solved these problems. The encyclopedias became the bookshelf, with a little help from Dad.

Dad went to the New Haven Building Supply and purchased a pine board. He cut them to the length of the wall, routered & rounded the edges, and sanded them. I rearranged the books until I had even piles. My Auntie M called to check in and I told her what we were doing, she added her creativity to the mix. She suggested spelling something on the side. I liked the idea and went back to work to make new stacks that would spell a word or two. This took a bit but now the outside spells "Lisa_Wrter" So cool!

Who knew two boxes of encyclopedias would end up making this beautiful and special bookcase. Many minds make light work and creative uses of old and cherished items.

My husband and I visited the Salmon River Falls early in July and were amazed to see a Bald Eagle's Nest. We saw a couple heads pop up on our way by the first time and on our return home. I know my father enjoys birds too so one day, Dad and I went for a drive.

The nest is huge. I took this first picture to show the size of the nest in comparison to the pole it's stationed on, on Route 13 outside of Pulaski, New York. Once Dad and I arrived, we parked on a side road and kept our distance after reading a few facts on the Bald Eagle, if you'd like to learn more, click here.

While watching the nest, I visited the Internet via my phone and read some of the information on the DEC Fact Sheet and about New York State's Bald Eagle Program. One of the first things we realized, we didn't choose a prime movement time to see the parents bring food yet we still sat for about thirty minutes watching the babies. It was a nice time spent visiting with my Dad and learning about the birds we were watching at the same time.

I used my zoom to capture some closer pictures, keeping a safe distance. We didn't want to spook the babies or their mother. The amount of traffic speeding by just below them didn't seem to bother them until a larger dump truck revved its engine, this made their feathers flutter.

​An article on LIVESCIENCE tells, "Bald eagles are large birds of prey native to North America. Since 1782, the bald eagle has been the United States' national emblem and mascot. The bald eagle isn't actually bald; it gets its name because its white head against its dark brown body makes it seem bald from a distance." Read Entire Article Here It's an interesting read.

I've always wondered why the Bald Eagle was our national emblem and mascot, I found an informative article on the American Bald Eagle:
"The bald eagle was chosen June 20, 1782 as the emblem of the United States of America, because of its long life, great strength and majestic looks, and also because it was then believed to exist only on this continent.
   On the backs of our gold coins, the silver dollar, the half dollar and the quarter, we see an eagle with outspread wings. 
   On the Great Seal of the United States and in many places which are exponents of our nation's authority we see the same emblem.
   The eagle represents freedom. Living as he does on the tops of lofty mountains, amid the solitary grandeur of Nature, he has unlimited freedom, whether with strong pinions he sweeps into the valleys below, or upward into the boundless spaces beyond."
To read the entire article, click here.

The author of the first article debates if the Bald Eagle is the correct bird for our mascot yet the second article offers the reasons it was selected in 1782. Regardless of where you stand on the appropriateness of its selection, I find it to be a beautiful bird and feel blessed to have experienced watching these four babies for a time. I also was twice blessed by the conversation with my Dad as we sat, watched, and took pictures (from a safe distance using the zoom lense).

Today's photo is the way I learned to stay organized during and after attending a writers' conference. The first conference I attended I used a pad of legal paper and over the years have lost multiple pages or they become worn. This time I invested in a moleskin style notebook, a nice cover and binding so it will stay in tack for years to come as I flip through. 

I have removed the handouts from the notebook and they are organized in my registration folder so the notebook doesn't receive unnecessary wear and tear a I revisit the many things I learned this past July. My plan is to re-read all my notes on Columbus Day Weekend to refresh my memory of all I learned. 

For now, I've only opened it to look up something as I'm writing. As I write this next book, I am using my notes as a reference for the structure and style elements. My morning class all week was with author, Gayle Roper. Her knowledge of writing, especially fictional writing, is amazing and I'm blessed to have selected her workshop. The notes taken during her sessions have become invaluable as I move organizing my first fictional book, or novella. Time will tell. Who knows, it may end up a short story, lol.

I'm not a desk sitter for the most part. When I'm writing then I prefer a comfy chair or to sit on the floor. One of my friends, Ethel, passed down this chair a few years back and it is awesome. When you sit down, you sink. It's great.

Since this picture, I brought down a stool to put my feet on. The stool was a retirement gift for my Great-Aunt Judy many years ago. I've also covered the chair with a blanket we had made a few years ago with pictures from my wedding. When I open the door and walk in I see the picture of my parents, Heidi, and I from my wedding day...instant smile and joy. Memories hold power.

On the floor is a gallon of water so I don't have to make multiple trips inside when my water bottle is empty. It also fills Faith's water dish when she goes to work with me. 

On top of the chair are two Minions. Each remind me of some special people. The one on the right with two different colored eyes was given to me when I was caring for my Mom after she came home on hospice. Friends went to Build-a-Bear to make it and then delivered it to brighten my days. My Mom had two different colored eyes, just like this Minion. I feel like Mom is looking down on me as I write.

The Peace Minion was a gift from my daughter and her friend while out to dinner one evening. Heidi loved the peace sign and tye-dye so when they saw this Minion they played games until earning enough tickets to win it for me. Heidi and my mom looking watching over me as I write the next best seller. 

Did you notice the quilt the Minions are sitting on? This is an assortment of bird and flower fabrics turned into a beautiful blanket of hope and love for my Mom in 2015. Dear friends teamed together to create this quilt, even embroidering a quote in one corner. This reminds me of more than my Mom, it reminds me that friends are priceless gifts. When it gets chilly later in the year, the same blanket that warmed my Mom on chilly nights will warm me. Family and friends inspire me in ways no object can, they are God's angels in disguise.

Kaely Quinn's talents as an FBI behavior analyst are impossible to ignore, no matter how unorthodox her methods. But when a reporter outs her as the daughter of an infamous serial killer, she's demoted to field agent and transferred to St. Louis.
When the same reporter who ruined her career claims to have received an anonymous poem predicting a string of murders, ending with Kaely's, the reporter's ulterior motives bring his claim into question. But when a body is found that fits the poem's predictions, the threat is undeniable, and the FBI sends Special Agent Noah Hunter to St. Louis.
Initially resentful of the assignment, Noah is surprised at how quickly his respect for Kaely grows, despite her oddities. But with a brazen serial killer who breaks all the normal patterns on the loose, Noah and Kaely are tested to their limits to catch the murderer before anyone else–including Kaely herself–is killed.

While working at the Writer's Cottage I could hear buzzing. I didn't pay much attention since the garden is ​my neighbor yet my mind wandered so I went to sit on the stoop of the cottage and noticed a bee busy at work with our eggplants. 

I could have returned to work and ignored this yet I was fascinated. The bee didn't care I was there and taking pictures. Hubby reminded me, "Remember you are allergic, you are getting kind of close, don't you think?" then smirked. He was right on all accounts yet it was a photo opportunity and a reason to take a break. A win-win!

Some fun Bee Facts:
"The most important thing that bees do is pollinate. Pollination is needed for plants to reproduce, and so many plants depend on bees or other insects as pollinators...Flowers that are visited more often by bees will produce larger and more uniform fruit than those visited less often..." READ MORE HERE

I didn't realize the more a flower is visited by a bee, the larger and more uniform its fruit. Writers are like bees, the more we visit writers' conferences, read in our genre, join a critique group, and write...the more uniform and successful are writing is I'm glad I took a few minutes to stop and watch this busy bee.

​Two weeks later as I worked on this blog and researched the bee, I learned more than to slow down, I learned that the more we do to hone our craft, the better we will be. Cool concept when you think about it. It's available to all of us when we follow through and take time to visit all the different flowers in our field to make us the best ____ we hope to be.

If you've followed by blog for any stretch of time you know I'm a "list girl". I like to create lists and cross things off after I complete the task. I've been known to add something to the list after I do it, because it wasn't on the original list but I feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day seeing the items completed.

Twenty five years later and my husband still laughs when I add something to the list after doing it, just to cross it off. Oh well, I keep him smiling. I don't have lists on the walls but I do have four week-at-a-glance posters. They are dated and are the first thing I see when I walk in. I'm reminded of my priority items and it keeps me focused. On the opposite wall is one poster with short and long-term writing goals, on y way out I'm reminded of what needs to be done in the near and not-so-near future.

In addition to the weeks-at-a-glance, there is a year-at-a-glance calendar on the ceiling. Since this picture, the days have been added with events, deadlines, and goals color-coded. The calendar is strategically placed so if I'm sitting at the desk or in the chair, the calendar isn't a focus point. I know myself too well and I'd get distracted if I was working and looked up to think and caught sight of upcoming events or deadlines. The key to setting up your work space is to know your strengths and weaknesses. This allows you to set yourself up for success.

Since my last visit to the writer's cottage, I have a few vendor and craft shows to add. Yup, to keep myself motivated and on schedule, I plan to start doing craft and vendor fairs again. As of today, I've committed to five: Rome, Utica, Fulton, Oswego, and Mexico. I'll have my books and hope to do something called "Writing on Demand at each.

At a couple, I'll also have my PURE products and share how people can utilize PURE products for a healthier lifestyle. I hope to ENROLL NEW MEMBERS at these events, I now get all my supplements, drinks, and such from PURE instead of a couple different places. One stop shopping and with their auto ship program, I earn free products too. If you want more information about this, email me at lbuskewriter@aol.com. 

I'll share more on the "Writing on Demand" in a future blog. I learned about it after reading "Writing Down the Bones" by Natalie Goldberg. I'm going to try it at at least a couple shows. Who knows, I might earn enough to pay for my table space. 

For the next few weeks I plan to share some of the items in my new writer's cottage and why they were selected. The space is small and perfect for writing and once the ceilings and walls were done, it was time to bring in items to inspire me and remind me of the people who encourage and uplift me. Each item was selected for a reason and speaks to my heart. Let me share some of them with you and others I treasure in my heart, knowing why it's special. Not everything belongs, or needs to be, on the blog and social media.

This is the left-hand corner of my "work" table. Under the table are magazines for collages and the top is clear for WIPs (Works in Progress). I'm excited to have a large enough table to leave out projects so I can start working exactly where I left off without having to set it up again the next day.

Let me share the specialness (yes, it's not a word but I like it anyway) of a few of these items:
1) The Vase of Roses: A gift from my Mom on the eighteenth anniversary of Heidi's kidnapping, with one red rose of hope for the next year
2) The Red Roses: My bouquet from Montrose Writers' Conference 2019, received at The Torreys
3) The Lion: A gift tossed to me, reminding me to be a lion when I write
4) The Duck: A reminder I'm now a part of the odd ducks, a GREAT honor
5) The Coffee Mug behind the red roses & Lion: A gift reminding me to be BRAVE

This is only a snip-it of inspiration within my little space yet they provide MUCH inspiration. Be sure to come back next Tuesday to learn more about the little tidbits within my writing space.

Well hello everyone! How are you on this fine Saturday EVENING! Yup, evening. My new logo is "One Sister's Journey - Keeping it Real". You'd think with this phrase, I'd be more diligent about setting good examples BUT instead I keep exhibiting REAL ones. 

Here's the deal, I shared a goal to blog Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday each week, with a new podcast each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If you are a regular follower here on the blog or listener to the podcast then you know this goal has not been reached since returning from the Montrose Writers Conference in July. I could give you a list of reasons (excuses) of why I've let you down and haven't kept on the schedule I hoped to yet I can sum it all up in one sentence.

So this is the reality, instead of sacrificing sleep or time with family, I chose to spend time making memories and "sharpening my saw". 

I might be slipping when it comes to my writing, podcasting, and blogging goal yet the gift of time and memory making are priceless.

If you've listened to the podcast the past couple weeks I highlighted a few different things:
*Goal Check In - click here to listen
*A Year of Renewal Requires on to be...- click here to listen
*Take a Sabbath, not a Vacation - click here to listen
*Life Lessons You Need - click here to listen
*Remember Your Family as you are Being Selfish - click here to listen

Anyway, I took my own advice and Let it Go, as Elsa and Anna will sing. Instead of increasing my stress level in trying to squeeze everything in, I prioritized. School starts in a little over three weeks so there was, and are, school preparation commitments also.

​It's' a busy and fun time of year and as much as I enjoy podcasting, blogging, and writing, I've learned to enjoy the gift of time with my family and friends first then work because tomorrow, or even five minutes from now are not guaranteed but if I'm called home tomorrow, I can close my eyes with no regrets because I've made choices to prioritize people and not lists. I pray you can do the same and do it without guilt. 

This is the sad truth, we will almost always let someone down by the choices we make yet the only one you need to satisfy is yourself and God. As you look at your schedule, to-do-lists, goals, and dreams...take time to reflect and pray about what needs to be above the line. What is important if you aren't gifted tomorrow? Will your family and friends remember you as someone that put people first or things?

I feel bad for letting you down yet I'm thankful for not letting my daughter, husband, father, family, and friends down more...Life is about choices. As much as I enjoy writing and podcasting, I choose to make memories when God opens the door for these moments. Moments become the memories that hold us together later down the road. Memories are a loved one's legacy. 

A week later and the "Writer's Cottage" is complete and might have a solid name, might being the key word. It's the "cottage", "little house", or "whatever". I've charged my daughter to come up with a name but she hasn't even thought of one yet. Dad said "The Little House" and he can be "The Big House". This makes us laugh so it will probably stick unless Mary comes up with something better soon.

The insulation is complete and caulking is done also. Once the men finished the hard work, I started the fun of adding the wall and ceiling decor. Contact paper is en inexpensive way to add style to things and a new writing space. I picked two different distressed woods. The one on the ceiling has a touch of blue and the walls are just the distressed white. 

Once the walls and ceiling were complete I added four blackboard "week-at-a-glance" schedules to keep me on task from week to week. To the right on the ceiling is a whiteboard yearly calendar, with no dates so I can reuse it each year. Above the door is a blackboard with short and long term goals. 

The placement of these was strategic so I am reminded each time I enter and exit of my immediate, upcoming, and long-range tasks/goals. I function better with lists and my things-to-do and goals written down and in my sight at all times.

The floor was swept out before adding some carpeting. Our budget didn't support a carpet to fit so we picked up a couple remnant pieces for less than $40 for both.

We found some blue carpeting and it pulls the blue from the ceiling out, it looks great, if I don't say so myself. In the window is a roll of paper I found in Mary's playhouse, so I saved it and to the left of that is a small Bluetooth speaker. It looks like an antique radio, the same blue as the ceiling. The carpet is three inches shy on one side and overlaps in the center but I'm the only one in there and I adore it as is.

The furniture has been added: tables, chairs, a stool, bookshelves, and all the supplies necessary to enter the cottage in the morning and not leave until the day's goals have been met. The first day I worked in the cottage I banged out over 3,000 words. 

In case you are like my hubby, Dad and other non-writers...I usually wrote 700 - 1,000 words when I went to the lake or library in one sitting. In one afternoon I tripled word count. Woot woot! The time saved in packing everything up, driving to and from was spent writing. An added bonus, as I write, I can make notes on the walls and ceiling to keep track of characters, settings, and other story elements to keep the story flowing. In the car, I had so many different places, I'd lose track of where I saved it the last time I wrote. Now, it's one stop writing and creativity.

There hasn't been much writing this week because our daughter is home from her summer job and preparing to move back into college and we've had the added bonus of company with us too. It's wonderful! It's a vacation from the writing cottage but next week, when I'm not at school, I'll be putting serious hours  and words in. I have a book to get written before school starts so I can be working on edits during the school year. (This is a BIG goal, one I'm striving to reach)

With this, it's time to get some work done. Happy reading, writing, and more reading!

Earlier in the month I attended the Montrose Christian Writers' Conference in beautiful hils of Montrose, Pennsylvania. It was a busy, exciting, and educational week. I came home more inspired to write and with a renewed drive to publish again. An answer to prayer.

At the conclusion of the conference we, the attendees were challenged to prioritize what we would do first. To write being the number one priority. I took time before leaving and made a preliminary to-do-list One of the first things on my list was to create a place to write.

I'll still write on my deck, in the living room, or at a local eatery from time to time yet in a dream world there were I few things I hoped to achieve by having my own writing space:
1) A place where I can leave my WIP (Work In Progress) in organized chaos on the table rather than setting it back up each time I start to write
2) A place without television and distraction but with Internet access
3) A place I can bring my own water and snacks with me (to save money) and not have to spend money for the atmosphere
4) A place outside of my house so I don't focus on the never-ending-to-do-lists at home
5) FREE because I'm a writer, we don't have money. 

My husband I brainstormed and he suggested waiting until August. After our daughter goes back to college, instead of her room becoming a sewing room, it could be a "multi-purpose creative space". I agreed yet want out daughter to have a place to sleep when she comes home and don't want to wait until mid-August to set up shop.

As with most my ideas, I woke up in the middle of the night with an idea. I told hubby and my dad, "You know my writer's space, I have an idea." They looked at each other, and their first hesitant question was the same..."Okay, what?" I'm known for getting this "ideas" and somehow Dad and Ed make them happen. I shared my idea, "Why don't I clean out Mary's playhouse and transform it into a writer's cottage?" They liked the idea and Dad suggested adding insulation so I'd be warm in the winter, I hadn't thought about this. 

I text and asked Mary permission to use her playhouse, her response was priceless, "Of course, BUT don't get rid of my toys, Barbies, Polly Pockets, Horses, and Barn, well anything. I'm saving them for my kids." Easy enough. I cleaned out a back corner of Dad's shed and moved my future grandchildren's goodies into a new storage location. Next, I hoed out all the JUNK we've been tossing in there over the years. Each time we tossed something in we'd say, "If we have a lawn sale..." Yeah, right! All that stuff was donated or tossed, it felt pretty good to purge it all.

Yes, I didn't think to take a before picture and decided it's for the better because then you'd all have a detailed visual of my hoarding tendencies, or emotional attachment issues. Each item in there, I remembered who gave it to me or where it came from. I am an emotional "keeper", I keep stuff I don't really want because of the memory it holds. I took a big step and let it go, holding onto the memories, not the stuff.

Instead of clutter to cottage, you can enjoy the renovation itself. My Dad joked, "I know why these little house cost so much money." I looked and bit, "Why?" After wiping the sweat from his forehead and ducking out the 4 foot door, with a smile on his face, "Because it's a pain and tough work. Easy work made challenging due to space." We all laughed and kept working until after Noon when the sun peaked at 92 degrees, we took the rest of the day off.

I didn't get to the cottage today for a final picture of the inside but it's all insulated and caulked. Tomorrow my wall covering arrives. I had fun using my creativity in ordering this. I plan to use the walls and ceiling and story boards and note paper so the walls will be done with contact paper. Yes, you heard me, contact paper. It reminds me of the scene from Johnny Dangerously when they are running from the cops and they peel contact paper off the car as part of their disguise. I looked for a clip but didn't find one, sorry.

Sorry, got distracted. LOL

Anyway, you can write on contact paper with dry erase markers and erase it. I can't wait. Once it arrives, with my daughter's help, I'll be doing "wallpaper" and "ceilings". For now, I write sitting in my living room but the pile of goodies heading to my writer's cottage is exciting and motivating. Within the week I'll be able to leave hubby a note, "At the cottage writing, see you after work."

Thanks for coming back to the blog to find out if I faced my fear on the TRX. Mid-June I posted about my TRX fear, click here to read the blog associated with this one. As my trainer, Brandon, demonstrated this exercise the first time I watched and shook my head. My daughter volunteered me to go first. I put on my "I can do this" face but when it came to leaning back, I didn't trust the TRX or myself. Brandon assured me that if it could him, it would hold me.

I did my set and tried a couple times before my next training session so I wouldn't look like such a ninny. This past week I asked my husband to take my picture doing the exercise that used to cause a touch of anxiety. I still close my eyes as I lean back. I'm not sure what closing my eyes will do but it makes me feel better. I started with one set of six mid-June. As of now, I'm doing three sets of ten! Woot Woot! 

​I'm learning a lot and enjoy the way I feel, sleep, and the way my clothes are fitting since starting a journey to a healthier way of living this past January. I need to let Dr. Jack Kunkel know about my change in attitude towards the gym, exercise, and working out. I went from resisting three times a week to at least three times a week and hiring a personal trainer. Life is good! 

I don't LOVE going to the gym. There are days I dread it BUT I enjoy the benefits of going. My daughter said I have potential to be a "gym rat". I don't think so. These people are motivated and anticipate the gym, me, I understand the health benefits and like the way I feel after a good workout. I may end up liking it but for now, I'm happy to WANT to go and enjoy myself while I'm there. Did I confuse you or is this making sense?

An honor some authors receive is the invitation to participate in an anthology. An anthology is a collection of stories written by various authors. These are the four anthologies I've had the privilege to join. I receive no royalties from any of these books yet the benefits of each is unique and a collection of stories written from the heart to help others.

The fourth book I participated in releases in August of this year, 2019. Each book offered me the  opportunity to expand and go deeper yet I took the easy way out for three of them. Instead of writing a new submission for each, I used the same writing piece. The audience for each book was different and my emotional state didn't allow creative freedom. This is the life of a writer sometimes, sometimes the words and emotions role onto paper easier than others, the goal when invited to participate, if called to do it, is to have a submission to submit. 

If you are grieving a cold case or homicide, then you'll experience stories written by people who have, or are, living the pain you are. The newest book, releasing in August,  will offer comfort to an array of "survivors". More information about this book will be released in a future blog.

For parents, families, and caregivers of children with disabilities, then Sometimes the Wind Blows Sideways will encourage you with a variety of stories to instill hope and remind you of how special these kiddos are. Happy reading!