Years ago, when I first ventured into freelance writing, I thought my experience as a newspaper reporter would mean that the assignments would just come to me. I put the word out that I was looking for freelance work, pitched a few ideas and … nothing. I struggled through the…
While the prospect of living somewhere fresh and new can be exhilarating, the process of moving isn’t fun. Cleaning out closets and drawers, packing boxes, having your bad habits (like, ahem, not throwing away junk mail in a timely manner) laid bare as you pack … There is an almost-universal…
Sometimes I stare at the screen as the minutes tick by, willing the words to come. There are columns to write and deadlines to meet and … when the words aren’t flowing freely, it’s hard. Much like athletes need to stretch before a race, writers sometimes need a little warming…
Are you suffering from writer burnout? You aren’t alone. Lots of writers deal with burnout. These three steps will help you refresh and move ahead. Sometimes it seems like everything — writing, meeting deadlines, meetings, to-do lists — swirls around at lightning speed leaving little room to breathe. It’s suffocating.…
As a single mom, I make the rules in our house — and they are rules I have created to encourage my kids to be thoughtful, considerate, responsible people. But even good rules have to be broken sometimes with good reason. That’s what this essay was about. I wrote it…
There’s a fresh cookbook in town and it’s designed to make entertaining easier. Introducing The Easy Appetizer Cookbook, the latest in my series of quick and easy cooking cookbooks. Published in late October by Rockridge Press, this book is filled with reliable, easy, flavorful recipes for appetizers. I wrote this…
I am so excited to announce the release of my third cookbook, One-Pot Pasta, by Rockridge Press. This book — made for pasta-lovers like me — features 50 recipes for one-and-done pasta meals. No special equipment needed. These really are the easiest of easy recipes. For about half the recipes,…
I am so excited to announce the publication of my second cookbook, The Super Easy 5-Ingredient Cookbook, by Rockridge Press. It will be released on Tuesday, September 18, 2018. When I was asked to write this book, I was thrilled. This is how I cook most days at home. Simple,…
My son discovered James Dashner’s series, The Maze Runner, a year or two ago. He’s been reading the books — interspersed with his other favorites, like anything by Rick Riordan and a few manga series — ever since. And I supported this, as I’ve supported his other literary interests since…
When I started blogging more than 11 years ago, it wasn’t a career path, though I hoped it would lead to food writing as a career. So much has changed since then. Bloggers all over the country and the world have learned how to create family-supporting entrepreneurial endeavors from their…