• Illustration of a professionally dressed young woman wearing glasses.
    Novels (my writing updates)

    Summer 2025 Writing Update and Sixth Novel First Chapter Teaser

    The first draft of novel number six is… Guess what? About a week ago, I finished the first draft of my sixth novel, tentatively titled Four Hearts. It’s been a long process since I took some time off for personal reasons during the summer of 2024. The draft is with my four amazing beta readers as I type this. What now? I’m taking a well-deserved break from novel writing and editing (personally). I write and edit every weekday for my day job. I need the break to get away from my story so I can edit it with fresher eyes. I’ll take notes from my betas and begin the editing…

  • Man looking at goals checklist
    Essays,  General Thoughts

    Can High Goals Get in the Way of Contentment?

    Having hopes and dreams for ourselves is healthy. But at what point can high goals get in the way of happiness? Dreams vs. goals It’s natural for humans to have dreams. They start when we’re little kids, dreaming of being a ballerina, a pro athlete, or just like Mom or Dad. It’s good to have dreams because they’re one of the things that set us apart as a species. Later in my childhood and early teen years, I dreamed of someday being a writer—an author of published novels. Goals are a bit different and less easily forgotten. As a child, I wanted to be all sorts of different things, but…

  • Illustrated race track scene with children driving cars at a starting line
    Essays,  General Thoughts

    How Many Times Can You Start Over?

    Several times in my life, I’ve had to hit the reset button and start from scratch. It can get exhausting, but it’s also a chance to change or improve the outcome by making different choices. Starting over can be difficult On January 18, 2024, I started over on a better health journey. I had planned my “start over” to coincide with the first of the year, but life and some health issues got in the way. So, that Saturday morning, I stepped on the scale. And I cried. I didn’t like the number staring back at me and knew I had to change my habits to be healthier. Since that…