His name was Red Eagle. I remember looking at him in askance at first. I was eight years old and this was to be my first real horseback riding lesson. In my horse daydreams, I’d imagined a magnificent white horse to carry me across fields and over fences. Never did I imagine riding something so …speckled. He was an Appaloosa, I was told, and that’s what they looked like. My sister’s horse was much prettier: a creamy Palomino with a white mane and tail. But horses, like books, should never be judged by their appearance. A less than pleasing exterior does not necessarily mean a less than pleasing interior. Such...
My distorted, honest version of a pep talk.
Today marks 28 days of change for me. – I’ve woken up early 6 days/week to work out – I’ve cut out all soda and drank a ton of water – I’ve focused on healthier eating and more nutritional snacks – I’ve stopped letting things pile up and addressed them as they come – I’ve realigned some priorities to make room for what really matters I didn’t plan for most of this. I just acted. That is the pep talk for today: Quit waiting for the right moment. The right moment will never come. All we have is right now. – Click to tweet this. Make life changes now...
Time to get real.
“It is easier to sound inspired and clever than it is to be real.” – Cecil Murphey at the 2012 OCW Summer Conference For years, I’d fallen victim to what happens to many artists, writers and musicians: I let naysayers and critics get to me. I let the opinions of other shape and influence my writing rather than being true to my calling and to my interests. Writing “romance” has long been associated with frivolity and sub-par writing. So when I described my genre of choice to others, I’d label it simply as “Historical fiction.” Though most of my plots do defy the traditional romance elements, love is at the...
Guest Post: Owning Horses Helped Me Become a Better Writer
I had loved horses for as long as I can remember. I grew up watching the westerns of the 1960s with my Dad, and my affection for horses and cowboys has never waivered. When I was young, I read every horse book I could get my hands on, from Misty of Chincoteague to the thick books in the Black Stallion series. Here’s a tidbit that might make you smile. I grew up in a Christian home, so when I read Son of the Black Stallion and discovered the horse’s name was Satan, I changed it to Satin. I just didn’t want to keep reading the other word over and over....