The Insecure Writer’s Support Group and Homemade Food

It’s time for another edition of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group, founded by Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh.


August 5 question - As a writer/author what is something you regret? Or something that you wish you'd done differently in your writing process?

I wish I’d honed my craft better before the release of my first series of books. I did great with my two non-fiction but I feel more experience, better editing, and more practice would’ve helped my first fiction titles. My second set of fiction titles are worlds better and I am so proud of them, but that first set will forever taint me and keep readers from finding my paranormal romance series.

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Garden still growing and I am attacking homemade versions of all the highly-processed foods we no longer want to consume. I make my own pancake mix, sun dried tomatoes, salad dressings, tortillas, bagels, croutons, etc. We use Stevia, honey, and maple syrup only. Organic peanut butter. Even homemade crackers. And with the garden exploding, I am drying so many herbs and such now.

I also have my own catnip tree. Yes, that plant to the left is catnip. Over twelve feet tall!

I still enjoy doing charcuterie boards. Here are some from the past couple months: 

 

 

 

 

 

What do you regret? What do you make in your kitchen or from your garden?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group and Book Industry Changes

I have A LOT going on this week, including house guests Thursday and Friday, so I will not be posting here today.

However, I am over at the IWSG site with my answer regarding book industry changes as well as giving you a list of things about publishing that you might want to change. (Or blog about today!)

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group, 5K, and Getting Old

It’s time for another edition of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group, founded by Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh.

June 3 question - Do most of your story ideas come from one place (the news, dreams, etc.) or do they hit from all over the place?

99% of my story ideas come from dreams. I will dream a scene, and if it is powerful and emotional enough, I will expand upon it during the day. Once I have a solid idea, I write it down. Some become stories, some are just too convoluted. (It took me several tries to make The Alien make sense, but I did!) But every published fiction books/story from me originated from a dream.

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Life notes...

My father-in-law was in the hospital last month and my husband spent a week in Arkansas with him. It’s just very frustrating. Hospitals and doctors suck. Their view of the elderly is “You are old and going to die soon so we don’t really care.”

On a more positive note, my garden is growing great.

And…I smashed my 5k time! 32:06. When I ran the Senior Game 5k on April 10th, I was at 36:06. Four minutes off in just six weeks! I am now in an elite group for my age. My ultimate goal is to do it in thirty minutes. (And the guys I ran against in the Senior Game 5k – I would’ve smoked them like a Christmas turkey as their time was over 33:00!!)


Where do your story ideas come from?

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group and Chimney Rock & Biltmore

It’s time for another edition of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group, founded by Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh.

May 6 question - What was the most inspiring feedback you received from readers, including agents, editors, and beta readers?

I have one special young woman in mind. She came to an appearance in South Carolina and got Book I of my series. She came back and got Book II. Then, when I was in Ohio for some appearances, she came to get the third book (she lived there) and told me my books had so inspired her she had made some big changes to her life and was happier than she’d ever been.
The real icing on the cake – I posted a picture of her with one of my books on my website, and a man contacted me saying he’d known her in college and could he get in contact with her. She said yes to sharing her email with him. The following year she let me know – they’d rekindled a lost love and were getting married! Such an incredible journey for her and an inspiring story!

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With airline tickets through the roof, we did not make it to The House on the Rock for our anniversary. We did visit Chimney Rock (which suffered severe damage from Hurricane Helene in 2024) and The Biltmore, America's largest private residence at 178,000 square feet. We’d never been to either and knew that area needed our dollars.

The Biltmore and gardens are a bit overrated (especially since I have seen the mind-blowing Windsor Castle in England and Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island) but it was cool to see.

Chimney Rock was excellent and we parked in the lower parking lot and hiked the trail and then stairs-stairs-stairs all the way to the top. Glad I’d trained for that 5k!

Enjoy some photos, including one of the devastation in Chimney Rock – but they are recovering and rebuilding!

The view from our stay – The Lodge on Lake Lure:

Chimney Rock:

Wine tasting at Parker-Bimms Vineyard:

The Biltmore:

What’s the most inspiring feedback you’ve ever received? Ever been to Chimney Rock or The Biltmore?