Giving My ARC Readers My Book Was Harder Than Writing
Sending my novel to ARC readers after years of keeping it private brought excitement, fear, vulnerability, self-doubt, and a strange emotional emptiness I wasn’t fully prepared for.
Her Birthday, My Why
A tribute to my mom, the pain of losing a parent, and the strength she gave me to finally face my fears. Today is my mom’s birthday. And I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out how to put into words what she meant to me… and honestly, I don’t think that’s something I’ll […]
When Effort Isn’t Enough: Trying to Control What You Can’t
When Effort Still Mattered I didn’t start writing because I thought I had something important to say. […]
Small Acts of Kindness That Change Lives (Ripple Effect)
The Small Acts of Kindness That Stay With Us The world doesn’t always change in loud, dramatic moments.Sometimes, it shifts quietly , through a few small acts of kindness at the right time. And if you’re not paying attention, you might miss just how powerful those moments really are. I used to think real change […]
Breaking Cycles: How Facing My Past Changed My Life
The Weight of Our Past and Breaking Cycles I didn’t grow up thinking about “breaking cycles.” I grew up just trying to survive them. In a place like Youngstown, Ohio, conflict wasn’t something you avoided—it was something you learned to live with. Fighting, reacting, proving yourself… it wasn’t rare. It was normal. It often felt […]
How Empathy Kept Me Alive Through Depression and Darkness
How Empathy Kept Me Alive This is a real story about depression, emotional struggle, and how empathy became the one thing that kept me going when I didn’t think I could anymore. I didn’t know it at the time, but empathy is what kept me alive. Not strength. Not discipline. Not having everything figured out. […]