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Brandi Easterling Collins, independent author

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Essays, General Thoughts

And They Didn’t Even Buy Us Dinner First: Property Insurance Woes

Property insurance is necessary if you own a car or a home, especially if you have a loan or mortgage. But it’s also a flawed system that punishes you for…

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March 24, 2024
High School Poetry

The Night

I wrote this one when I was 15. “The Night” 11-22-96 Deep in the night I had a dream, and in it everything was okay. I was thoroughly happy, and nothing could…

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July 24, 2016
Essays, General Thoughts

Apologies and hurt feelings

If you’re reading this post, you’re a human being who’s been hurt before. It’s part of life. Also, it’s guaranteed that you’ve hurt someone else, whether intentionally or not. The…

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September 16, 2021
  • Author read 75 books in 2025
    General Thoughts,  Pop Culture

    2025 in Book Reviews

    January 4, 2026 /

    I met my goal of reading 75 books in 2025 while I also finished writing and editing my sixth novel, Four Hearts, which was released on December 16. Here are my best reads: Top 10 best reads for 2025 (traditionally published) Apostle’s Cove (Cork O’Connor, #20) by William Kent Krueger Flight Patterns by Karen White If Tomorrow Never Comes by Allison Ashley All Our Beautiful Goodbyes by Julianne MacLean Misery by Stephen King The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5) Broiler by Eli Cranor Best nonfiction reads for 2025…

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    "Why shouldn't truth be stranger than fiction? Fiction, after all, has to make sense." Mark Twain

    How much truth is in my fiction?

    December 2, 2023

    Television Nostalgia and Other Things

    March 12, 2019

    Traveling, publishing, and writing

    November 5, 2016
  • Illustration of animals, presents and a snowman with text reading Happy Holidays
    Essays,  General Thoughts

    Embracing the Holidays

    November 28, 2025 /

    I’ve written before that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s still true, and I keep the season pure in my home. I decorate for the seasons, which is a more recent development, but since I’ve lived outside my parents’ home, I’ve always waited to decorate for Christmas on the day after Thanksgiving. Some people prefer to decorate earlier, and I pass no judgment on what they choose to do in their own homes. When did autumn start to disappear? Maybe it’s my age, but it feels like autumn (or fall) gets shorter every year. When retailers have Christmas decor out before Halloween, it can feel like harvest or the season…

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    Illustration of family photos on a wall

    Weddings and Funerals: Changing Relationships with Family and Friends

    October 27, 2024

    When I grow up

    October 8, 2017

    Bah! Humbug: What’s Christmas all about?

    December 17, 2016
  • Novel cover for Four Hearts by Brandi Easterling Collins
    Novels (my writing updates)

    Four Hearts: Coming soon

    November 19, 2025 /

    After many years in the making (technically), Four Hearts is finally out for preorder on Amazon. The publication date through Luminesce Publishing is December 16, 2025. My sixth novel I’m so excited to share Four Hearts with everyone. I love these characters, Noelle, Austin, and Ashton (as well as all the supporting ones). Here’s the blurb: With Y2K one month away, everyone’s on edge… High school guidance counselor Ashton Spriggs wants nothing more than to support her students. From the overachiever, Noelle, who’s hiding a problem at home, to Austin, the smart, yet failing, boy with a shiner, Ashton is torn between being their friend and the adult they need.…

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    Illustration of a professionally dressed young woman wearing glasses.

    Summer 2025 Writing Update and Sixth Novel First Chapter Teaser

    June 19, 2025

    Nine months in: Writing Updates and Jordan’s Sister info

    April 29, 2017

    How I became a novelist in twelve (easy) steps

    April 7, 2019
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Recent Posts

  • 2025 in Book Reviews
  • Embracing the Holidays
  • Four Hearts: Coming soon
  • My Favorite Holiday Movies and TV Specials (Even the Guilty Pleasures)
  • A Family Road Trip: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

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