Giving Back

I've talked a lot about gratitude in my posts over the years, I've noticed. Maybe because that's when I feel inclined to write. After all, it wouldn't be right to write about the times when I'm angry and frustrated and want to scream at the world. Rest assured, those times do exist. Like everyone else, [...]

Temper the Dark release day!

Release days are always a big occasion in this house. Mostly because I insist on it. So happy birthday to Temper the Dark!!! There will be large, decadent cookies later today. Would you like to know a secret? (There are so many in publishing...) The original title of Temper the Dark for years was Witchling. [...]

Smooth Sailing

The problem with the type of cancer that can be managed-but-not-cured is that you never quite know when to update the masses that the patient is on an upswing and doing well. It's occurred to me recently that I'm always quick to let everyone know when we're riding that cancer train, but not always quick [...]

The Train

I wrote this essay months ago, just as schools across the country opened amidst a worldwide pandemic, and we faced yet another unique set of challenges in the Storms household. Months later, as 2021 comes to a close and the schools plan to open on schedule starting January 3, 2022 regardless of the dramatic spike [...]

Do It Anyway

Dear friends, As this last day of the year fast draws to an end (and my kiddos would be the first to remind me that it’s ALSO the end of a *decade*), I want to talk about something that I’ve been thinking about for a while. Which is weird… …because I can’t think of the [...]

Who’s Who? Volume IV

Twitter is a blessing and a curse in one, but following the right people makes all the difference. Here’s a list of some of my favorites to follow. Get them on your list, too! Maria Stout (@MariaStout) - I’m a writer, so I really enjoy following other writers, especially upbeat ones who give their all, [...]

Who’s Who? Volume III

It's time for another Who's Who! Here's a list of people I love to follow on Twitter, and if you're a writer, a reader, or just enjoy ramblings by intelligent, fun people, you should follow them, too! T.S. Bazelli (@tsbazelli) - She's super fun, great at tweeting and quote-tweeting, and posts the best literary advice! [...]

The Never Expected and Always Unthinkable

If you’ve been following me for a while, odds are good that you know the health crisis we’ve been through over the last year as my husband faced a scary pancreatic cancer diagnosis last spring. The kind of diagnosis you’re not supposed to get at 43. It was awful. It was traumatic. And until this [...]

Writers Level Up

Have you ever stopped to think about how your favorite author got to where they are, how they wrote and published so many books, how your most loved novels ended up on your bookshelf? Probably not. Most people don’t. At least, most people who aren’t writers don’t. But for those of us who write, contemplating [...]