writing
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Being a Traveling Pantser
I will always be a pantser, no matter where in the world I’m writing. I had a loose outline for the third book of my series. I even made index cards by taking a notebook and cutting its pages into rectangles – I guess it’s easier for me to use index cards that aren’t real…
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Story: The Fisherman’s Boat
It was one of the last warm days before fall kicked in with all its chill. School had just ended for the day, and two children walked through the woods, a sister and her younger brother. To the boy, this was a new route home. However, his sister had been here before; she was taking…
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The Late Serenade Announcement
My second book, Serenade, has been available on Kindle for a few weeks now, but I didn’t want to write a blog post about it until you could get it on paperback. Now it’s all set up (get your paper copy here!) and I can finally gush about it. This is the second book following…
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Into the Enchanted Forest
You’ve lost yourself in a daydream again. The paths of your wondering have led to the greenest forest you’ve ever seen – even colors appear bolder in this place. There is a breeze but it’s not unpleasant; branches are thick, yet you don’t fear what you will find here. You’ve been walking for quite a…
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Am I Lost?
Am I lost? the young girl wondered, peering up a tree. She clutched at her teddy bear, frowning with confusion; what she knew in her mind contradicted how she felt in her heart. If she was lost, then she preferred it this way. The forest felt like home. She’d been wandering for hours among ancient…
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The Melody of Moving On
In the past, the ocean’s cry had never filled my heart with sorrow; everything had changed. My heart felt heavy as I approached the lighthouse one last time. Without her hand to hold, the place was bleak, haunted by years of shared laughter. Our favorite spot at the cliff’s edge had seen good memories, all…
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The Enchantment of Spring
Inspired by this photo on Pinterest! It was a pleasant, bright afternoon. Not a trace of frost remained from the colder months, and the world was coming back to life. In the village, children played, singing songs and shouting. Windows were flung open so that laughter could be heard, sounds of joy because beauty had…
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On Finishing Serenade & Old Clichés
There is a curious emptiness many writers feel when a project is finally done. I’ve finished editing Serenade, and find myself searching for ways to pass the time—plotting a new novel, or working on my TBR pile. It’s tempting to keep searching the document for things to edit, but I’ve already made all the changes…
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The Blue Lady, Conclusion
The city was struck by a plague. The old man spoke these words in such a matter-of-fact tone, and little Abigail accepted them without so much as a question. They made no sense to the ghost listening in, though. Evelyn couldn’t remember a plague. “You probably visited the hospital they built to treat the illness,”…
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The Blue Lady, Part II
The wind appeared to whisper words as Lady Evelyn walked up a familiar cobblestone road. Her destination was in sight, the home where she’d grown up. Light spilled through one of the windows; she remembered it had been the parlor where her father used to sit and read. It had been years since she came…
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The Blue Lady, Part I
It was that time of the night when insect voices rose in chorus over branches in the breeze. Some said the sighs of a miserable woman could be heard, always a little heavier than the wind. Few came to this part of the forest—only those with hearts of steel dared to camp here. If only…
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The Hopelessness of a Firefly
Crickets sang in chorus, a merry song dancing around like freedom. Fireflies drifted from bush to bush, their light bringing sparkle to the hollow. They couldn’t outshine the moon, a familiar face in the sky; some believed it saw and knew all. In the light of the moon, I caught a firefly in a my…
Mariella Hunt & the Tearoom 