I've written plenty of posts over the years on gratitude. I've even authored a book called Finding Peace Through Gratitude: The Secret to Healing From Trauma and Discovering Joy in Every Moment, written under pen name Alexandra Benn. It's in large part because of gratitude that I have the life I have today. It's gotten… Continue reading Gratitude
Tag: Books
Holiday Spirit
Last weekend I participated in the Harvest Craft Fair in my hometown. I look forward to it months in advance and am usually a bit bummed when it's over. Anticipation hangover. The craft fair signals the start of the holiday season with lights, music, and community. My favorite parts of the holidays. Each year I… Continue reading Holiday Spirit
Vacation in Birch Haven
I've been spending November in Birch Haven, MN. And it's in the dead of winter there. Never heard of Birch Haven? There's a very good reason for that. It's fictional. November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), where literally millions of people commit to writing 50,000 words of a novel in 30 days. I'm happy… Continue reading Vacation in Birch Haven
Writer’s Joy
November is shaping up to be a busy month in my writing life. And I couldn't be more thrilled. There's something about fall (and November is still fall, although late stages) and the holidays that follow, that brings renewed energy and enthusiasm. And when anything having to do with writing gets thrown in the mix...well,… Continue reading Writer’s Joy
Cover Reveal!
Coming in November! When beauty salon owner Melanie Hogan joins six of her pals from beauty college for a reunion in Pinewood Village, Minnesota, one of the gang turns up dead the morning after the party. With Melanie’s shears as the murder weapon, she’s the prime suspect in the investigation. As Melanie launches an investigation… Continue reading Cover Reveal!
All Things Gratitude
Gratitude fills my heart, my home, my life. And I'm so grateful for that. But I also realize that it's all too easy to get busy with living and default, as human beings often do, to feelings other than gratitude, forgetting to be grateful. Especially for the small, simple things in life that make a… Continue reading All Things Gratitude
Calling for Recipes
With Camp NaNoWriMo over today, it's time to get moving on my work in progress. A portion of each book in the Melanie Hogan cozy mystery series includes some time spent in Nana's kitchen. There, not only does she teach Melanie how to cook, but they make lasting memories with time spent together and connecting… Continue reading Calling for Recipes
Writing Lessons
This past weekend I attended a writing workshop hosted by Sisters in Crime, presented by Nancy Pickard. Nancy is one of the founding members and former president of the International level of Sisters in Crime, an organization that supports women mystery writers. She's also a past board member of Mystery Writers of America. Impressive, right?… Continue reading Writing Lessons
Coming January 1st!
Daily life can take you on a wild rollercoaster of twists, turns, thrills and disappointments. And sometimes trauma hits home, washing away the very foundation on which you’ve built your life. Finding Peace Through Gratitude will help you navigate the waters of uncertainty. Rather than life controlling you and your emotions, you can control the… Continue reading Coming January 1st!
How do You Define Success?
Writers are generally an insecure group of people. We have something we want to say and feel compelled to write, and yet fear lies beneath the surface every time we put our words out there for the world to read. Not every writer, maybe, but all I’ve spoken with. Even those I’ve read about, those… Continue reading How do You Define Success?