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November 2024 Musings Your Writing Friends Happy November, friends! I hope you have been enjoying your fall and this most wonderful time of the year! We’ve had some beautiful leaves here in North Carolina this season. Our house is decorated for Christmas already, and we’re all excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas! But the most exciting news of all is that…I’m going to be a grandma! My daughter Lacey and her husband Nathan are expecting their first child in June, so expect plenty of updates and pictures galore in the future! In bookish news, it’s time for Christmas shopping, and Free Sings the Sea would make a terrific gift for those special readers in your life! 
There is also beautiful FSTS merch for lovely presents or stocking stuffers!  Free was also featured on Christine Alemshah’s wonderful blog, and I enjoyed my interview with her very much! She is running a giveaway for a copy of Free Sings the Sea right now, so make sure you get your entry in before the 29th for a chance to win!! The winner will be announced on November 30th. In other news, I am grateful to have been published in Harpy Hybrid literary magazine with my flash fiction piece entitled MOONLIGHT AND COOKIES. And finally, I am thrilled to be working through developmental edits on my middle grade fantasy MONSTER MOUNTAIN releasing on February 4th! If you have young readers in your life who love fantasy, adventure, and giant monsters, then stay tuned for exciting updates for the next few months!  This month, I’m wrapping up a year of blog posts with a focus on being a writer as well as a single mom. For this post, I wanted to point out how beneficial it is to find and have friends in the writing community. Of course, this advice goes for all writers because even if you have a spouse, friends, or children who support your writing, only another writer can really understand the joys and hardships that go along with being a writer, as well as the challenges of dealing with the publishing industry. There are many places to connect with other writers both online and through writing conferences and retreats, but I found my tribe on Twitter (X). There is a thriving writing community on Twitter, and besides the fun of connecting with friends every day, there are a couple of benefits that truly enrich the life of writers! -SUPPORT. Where do you go when you’re discouraged because you’ve received another agent rejection? When you’re overjoyed because you’ve just been offered representation? When you’re promoting and marketing your book and could really use some back-up? The writing community of course! This is where you will find your friends who will be there for you through the ups and downs of the writing life and a publishing career! -BETA READERS. Another benefit of being a part of the writing community and making friends is that you will always have eager readers for your works in progress. From professional critiques to friends simply reading and offering first impressions and advice, it is always helpful to have another set of eyes on your work! Much love to you all, and as always, thank you for being with me on this journey! Love, Stac 
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September 2024 Musings Time To Write! Happy September, friends! And Happy Fall! I hope you have all had a lovely Autumn season so far with cooler temperatures and the excitement that comes from looking forward to the holidays. The scenery is already gorgeous here in North Carolina, with golden tipped leaves that seem to turn every forest with sunlight filtering through it into a fairy glen. Homeschooling is in full swing once again at my house, and there is much excitement over the release of FREE SINGS THE SEA into the world on September 3rd! 
I have been thrilled and thankful that FSTS received a 5 star review from Readers’ Favorite!  It was also this month’s book spotlight on Cozy Clean Romance Books! I was honored to be interviewed by Mariana Rios and Russell J. Fellows on their blogs, and featured in issue #36 of ‘Why I Wrote This Book’ on The Miramichi Reader. 
Finally, I was blessed to receive this lovely review on Carol Baldwin's wonderful blog.  Launching a new book into the world is an incredibly exciting time, but not without its challenges. With all of the hype, marketing, promo, interviews, and hard work, it is very difficult to find the time to simply sit down and write. For the busy mom, the difficulty can seem impossible to overcome. This month, I would like to continue my series by suggesting three helpful tips for finding the time to lock in and write!
1- A little goes a long way! Some mornings I only have time to write a couple of sentences in my current work in progress, but I will soon have two manuscripts in my Women's Fiction series, SEASIDE ready for professional edits and publication. Those marathon days of writing are few and far between when you’re a mom, and very short sprints often have to be our goal. But one word, one sentence, one chapter at a time, you will be meeting the goal of completing your next project! 2- Create a writing nook. A writer should have a special, cozy spot to create and dream, a place that brings joy, but also says to the mind, “Okay, time to work!” The place doesn’t have to be fancy. Under an afghan in the corner of the couch will do, or a sunny spot at the kitchen table. A thrift store desk with a vase of wildflowers on it under a bright window could also be a magical place to write. Once you have chosen your special place, it’s important to go there every day for even a few minutes to create and dream! 3- Include your children. Many moms feel guilty for taking time for their own writing, but including your children in your publishing world is a wonderful way to accomplish your goals and spend time together. A supply of notebooks and sketch pads pulled out only during Mom’s writing time will result in precious keepsakes for years to come, and might even inspire a future writer! Nap time for little ones or an afternoon quiet time for older children are also great times to sneak in some writing! These are only a few tips for encouragement, but the important point is to find what works for you! Writing the next project is an important priority for writers so we can take those stories coming to life in our heads and tell them, and somewhere a reader can pick up that work and find joy in the reading! Much love to you all, and as always, thank you for being with me on this journey! Love, Stac August 2024 Musings You Time! Happy August, friends! I hope you had a great month and a beautiful summer! It still feels like summer here in North Carolina where I live, but I have felt a hint of that magical fall breeze a couple of mornings! I have been busy school planning for our homeschool this year, and it is always a joy to settle into the comfort of a fall schedule with holidays to look forward to. I wish you all a safe and happy school year! In wonderfully exciting news, Free Sings the Sea is available for preorder and will officially be out in the world in a few days! September the 3rd is release day, and I will keep you posted on all of the book news and events in the coming months!  If you would like to learn more about FSTS and my writing life, I was happy to be featured in Authority Magazine here, and on the wonderful Books and Bevies Blog here! 
I am also thrilled to announce that Free Sings the Sea merch is now available for purchase! I hope you love it and have a little time to browse and shop. #FreeandFawn4Ever! In the midst of all of these wonderful happenings, there has been some hardship as well. At the beginning of the summer, due to difficult life circumstances, I had to increase my workload outside of writing considerably. I will finish up August’s newsletter by continuing my series on the blessings and hardships of being a single mom and a writer with a topic that is close to my heart right now, and one that I hope will help you as well. When life gets busy and crazy as it so often does, you must allow yourself the space to LIVE YOUR DREAM!
It is unbelievably easy for us to give up on our creative dreams and get lost in a sea of mundane real life tasks and responsibilities. Investing in you is easier said than done, I understand, but worth it. One practice that may help you accomplish this is to put yourself on your schedule! You time is important time. Not in a selfish way of course, and our children and families must come first. But even a few minutes a day invested in your dream or something you love can have tremendous benefits. Some mornings I only have time to work on one or two lines of the novel I am currently revising, but a little adds up to a lot in the end! Please don’t give up on you. Even if it’s only a few minutes a day of doing something you love, schedule it in. Do something every day that makes your soul sing! Love, Stac April 2024 Musings You Are Worth It! Happy April, friends! I hope you are all having a beautiful spring! North Carolina this time of year is unbelievably gorgeous. The Azaleas and Dogwoods are flowering, and the air is full of the sweet scent of blossoms blowing in the breeze. Old, cold winter tried to make a couple of last stands, but spring triumphed in the end as she always does!  This month I had the pleasure of attending a book birthday party for the lovely Lindsey Hobson and her spooky fun middle grade book THE GIRL IN THE WINDOW. I loved this book, and you can join in the fun by watching it on YouTube here! This month I also have some very exciting news about FREE SINGS THE SEA! Can you believe it will be out in the world with us in only four months? This weekend I was able to make final tweaks to the cover and choose some special interior art. That means cover reveal time will be very soon, and I can hardly wait for you all to see it! I am also planning my merch, and am so excited about having some amazing products for you to choose from in the near future. #FreeandFawn4Ever!  In the midst of all this excitement, I have had to make an intentional effort to invest time in writing my next project. I believe this is a balance all authors must eventually find, and one that requires a great deal of hard work and energy. With this in mind, I’ll finish up April’s newsletter by continuing my series on the blessings and hardships of being a single mom and a writer by giving you a magical secret that can help you find the time and energy to accomplish your goals. A bold statement, I know, but I’m confident because the secret is a simple one, and it is… EXERCISE! Yes, me, the person who has been encouraging you all year to simplify, is now suggesting that you add something else into your day! It sounds crazy, but slipping in a little time to exercise each day will actually give you the energy and strength to write and take care of your family that you need. I have exercised in different ways through the years, my favorites being walking each day with my baby in a sling and working out in my living room to videos with my kids laughing beside me. It doesn’t matter so much what you do, only that you are moving each day and enjoying it. A walk out in nature does wonders because listening to the birds sing and feeling the sun on your face is magic in and of itself. You might have to get up a few minutes earlier, or walk on your lunch break before you eat, or find some other way to tap into the magic of exercise, but if you are consistent, I can promise that the day will come when you wonder how you ever lived without it! One final thought…YOU ARE WORTH IT. You have to believe that you are valuable in order to invest time in yourself, and you are. If you are a single mom, you’re running yourself ragged taking care of everyone else, that is a given. Please don’t neglect yourself. And when you feel stronger and more energetic, everyone around you will benefit as well. Please join me next month when we will discuss another way you can prioritize your writing and your dreams! Much love to you all, and as always, thank you for being with me on this journey! Love, Stac  March 2024 Musings Housecleaning— Or Not Happy March, friends! And more importantly— Happy Spring! We made it through another cold winter, and that is something to celebrate! Here in North Carolina, we are living in a painting again, one painted by the Master’s hand. Everywhere I look, tiny baby green leaves adorn the trees and bushes, and color has returned to chase the drab browns and grays away. I hope all of this new growth and life inspires you and fills you with joy!  In bookish news this month, I have been busy creating a list of book reviewers, bloggers, and podcasts in anticipation of FREE SINGS THE SEA arriving in September! Please let me know if you would like to be added to my list, or if you would like to be an ARC reader in the very near future! You can always find me here or through my socials via my LinkTree. #FreeandFawn4Ever! This month, I am continuing my series on prioritizing and finding time to write. Always a challenge for any writer, it can seem insurmountable to a single mom. We’re going to continue looking at small tips and tweaks throughout the year that may help, and this month we are going to focus on housecleaning— or not! I’m going to leap right in here with a statement that will make some of you decide I am crazy! You may be right, but here it is anyway- HOUSECLEANING IS NOT THAT IMPORTANT. Still here? Yay! For some, this might be hard to accept as true. I understand. I grew up with my mom turning the kitchen chairs upside down on top of the table and mopping every single week! And she cleaned out the refrigerator almost as often. To this day, I love the smell of Pledge! But if you are trying to find more time to write, it will definitely have to be a priority, even above shiny clean floors and crisper drawers! Here are three ideas to consider when faced with the daunting task of housecleaning: -Organization is your friend! By now, you probably think that I’m not only crazy, but that my house is a big mess too! Actually, it usually has the appearance of neatness. Baskets are my favorite prop, and they will be your best allies! From the kitchen to the living room to kids’ rooms, almost everything can look neat and aesthetic tucked away in a basket. And focus on surfaces! If you keep the surfaces of tables and bars clean, the whole house will appear tidy. Mail can go in a basket, and backpacks on hooks by the door. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel when you step into a clutter free room! -Try your best to keep the actual cleaning casual and routine. Quickly take care of dishes right after a meal. Every few days, put on your favorite song and sweep or vacuum a room. Clean the bathroom one morning before you hop in the shower, but only when it really needs it. There are no strict rules on how often you have to clean your house— you make the rules! So instead of spending hours housecleaning, you can choose to sit down and write instead. And that’s much more fun than mopping! This final tip dips a little further beneath the surface because it has more to do with how you think of yourself and less to do with the actual logistics of cleaning. -It’s important not to base your self-worth on how clean your house is, or worse, what other people think about you or your housecleaning. You are only one person, and there are only so many hours in the day. You simply can not do it all. And creatives need time to dream and create. Never forget the magic you are making when you write— you are creating something out of nothing. You are bringing whole worlds and characters into existence from your imagination. And through your work, hearts may be touched and lives might be changed. So go ahead— put down that broom, make yourself a cup of tea, and sit down to write something that makes your soul sing! Much love to you all, and as always, thank you for being with me on this journey! Love, Stac   February 2024 Musings What’s for Dinner? Happy February, friends! I hope you are giving and receiving much love this month! Valentine's Day is fun, but my very favorite moment in February comes every year when the first Daffodils bravely push their way through the hard, frosty ground. The cheerful yellow flowers will open by the end of the month and seem to trumpet out the good news that we have indeed made it through another winter, and spring is on the horizon!  If romance is what you like best about February, then you may love the sweet romance between Shanna and Free in my debut YA contemporary novel FREE SINGS THE SEA, coming this September! A cover reveal, ARCs, and preorders are happening very soon. Please let me know in the comments if you would like to be an ARC reader and join Shanna on her journey to freedom before anyone else, or you can always reach me through my Linktree and socials. #FreeandFawn4Ever !  This month I also attended a YouTube Livestream YA Author Book Talk Q&A with my good friends and fellow Monarchs, Rebecca Wheeler and Sandy Green. We had a lot of fun talking all things books and our love of clean reads! You can find it along with many other inspiring videos for authors and readers such as our virtual book birthday for Diane Blue Brooks Britt’s precious picture book SIMON THE SNAKE on YouTube! You might remember from January that this year I am going to focus my monthly musings on tips and encouragement for writers who are also single moms. Our subject for this month is simplifying meal planning and preparation so you will have more time for, well…writing! Imagine for a moment you are lost in your story, living and breathing what your characters do, and real life has faded away. Perhaps the clash of battle rings in your ears as two armies face off in the final fight for good over evil, or your protagonist has just found her first love after years apart, and your heart beats faster as he pulls her into his arms for the embrace she has waited a lifetime to feel again. Suddenly a cry echoes through the house, wrenching you away from your other world… “Mom! What’s for dinner?”  Ugh. That pesky question that comes to pester you not once or twice, but every single day! But don’t despair, I have a couple of ideas that may help. We love our characters, but we love our children most of all. Here is a way to prioritize your family, while still finding time to write yourself back into your fictional world! I could write a book on all the tips that could be helpful here (and may do just that!), but for the sake of not letting this newsletter turn into a novel, I will mention three now. The bottom line is— organization is your friend. I can hear the groans from my friends who are more free-spirited and resist structure, but a little goes a long way, and it will help you be more free in the end to live your passions and dreams! 1: Take a few minutes each weekend to meal plan. I have a simple grid I make copies of and fill in with spaces for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for every day of the week.  It isn’t as daunting as it sounds, especially if you have set meals for certain nights, so you only have to be creative for a couple of meals each week. Children love knowing what to expect! Once you have filled in your meal plan, your mind will be at ease because you can always answer the what’s for dinner question quickly & slip right back into your writing world! You can also post it on the fridge, and even little ones will have fun looking to see what’s on the menu. It will also help you utilize your leftovers for lunches or for an easy dinner so you will have more time for writing! 2: Now you have your meal plan, and it will be easy to create your grocery list from it. This will help you with the second tip which is— minimize trips to the store! Only go once a week, or better yet, use instacart! Every second that you spend running to the store is a second you could be writing. And let’s be honest, would you rather spend that hour with canned goods and cranky fellow customers, or on a beach or in a fabulous fantasy world with your characters! 3: One last idea for writer moms to consider is morning prep. I know mornings are stressful. Many of my writer friends are teachers and have to be at school at the crack of dawn. This last tip might not be easy, but it will reward you at the end of the day when you are the most exhausted! Simply do everything you can for each night’s dinner in the morning. Chop all veggies, thaw all ingredients, set out any canned goods you will need on the stove and ready to go. And as a busy mom, the crockpot is your best friend! Imagine being weary at the end of a busy day and your whole house is full of the delicious smell of chili, soup or spaghetti sauce ready for you to simply scoop out and serve! Being a mom is hard work. Writing is hard work. But both are also joy-filled, meaningful callings that will enrich your life beyond measure! The trick is in the balancing. I hope these tips will be helpful to someone this month— please let me know in the comments if something works for you, or if you would like to share other ideas! Join me next month as we talk about finding time for our writing while still tackling that meddlesome little item on our to-do list called… housecleaning! Much love to you all, and as always, thank you for being with me on this journey! Love, Stac   January 2024 Musings Happy New Year Happy New Year, friends! I hope your holidays were happy and full of the fun and traditions you enjoy the most. Now that January is upon us, it’s time to rest up a little, then take a deep breath and look ahead to what this new year holds for us. I wish you all a joyful, healthy, blessed 2024! I’m excited about my monthly musings/newsletter this year, and I plan to niche down from general writing advice to a more specific twelve month series of posts. I am also looking forward to keeping you posted on all of my publishing news as well! For instance, with the ushering in of the new year, I’m thrilled to be able to say that my debut YA Contemporary/sweet romance FREE SINGS THE SEA will be out in the world THIS September! And my fun MG fantasy adventure MONSTER MOUNTAIN opens up a magical portal for kids in only a year!
Aside from exciting bookish news, this year I am going to focus each month on the hardships and blessings of being a single mom and a writer. I hope that some of you may find value in the monthly musings, and hopefully a few tips to help you on your writing journey. If you are not a single mom, much of the content this year will still apply to those of you who are creating new worlds from your imagination while caring for people in this one! I plan to look at the issue of being a single mom and a writer through an optimistic lens, partly because I tend to look on the bright side by nature, but mostly because I have learned to count my blessings and live in the moment as much as possible. But I will not lie— being a single mom is hard. It’s simple math. Everything is double for the single mom—all of the hardships, the physical exhaustion, the emotional and financial struggles— all of it.
I plan to start next month with some easy ideas to help simplify meal planning and preparation for the busy mom who is also trying to find time to write, then look in the months ahead at other useful ideas to help you throughout the creative process of planning, writing, editing, querying, and hopefully publishing a book!
Thank you all for being with me on this journey, and I count you among my most special blessings in this new year! Happy 2024! Love, Stac  December 2023 Musings Hope For Christmas Happy December, friends! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are looking forward to the rest of the holiday season ahead! At my house, we are busy reading our Christmas books, watching Christmas movies, and starting some holiday baking. In writing news, I am very excited that Grandad, a special CNF piece I wrote about my grandfather, was published in the latest issue of COUNTY LINES Literary Journal! 
In book news, I’m thrilled to let you know that we are a step closer to deciding on the final cover for FREE SINGS THE SEA. I’m so excited to share it with you soon, as we dash closer and closer to the September release! This month, I wanted to share a short story with you that I originally wrote and posted a couple of years ago. You will know by some of the details in the story that it was written during the pandemic, at a time when I thought we could all use a little extra hope. This is also the first time I will be sharing it with my subscribers, and as my first subscribers you will all always be very special to me. I hope you enjoy reading it, and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas! Love, Stac
The grocery store was crowded that Christmas Eve. Joanna had done everything she could to avoid being in the store that afternoon, but she had to finish cleaning one last house before she could buy any food for Christmas dinner. Her two-year-old little boy was starting to whine, and her girls trudged along beside her looking almost as exhausted as she felt. Joanna sighed. She instantly regretted it when her glasses fogged up from her mask. The pandemic had been going on for almost two years, and she was bone-weary. “Mommy, can we get grapes?” Lexi asked, looking up at her hopefully. “No, baby, we can’t afford it,” Joanna told her. “And keep your hands away from your face.” How many things had she already told them they couldn’t have? She’d lost track. Her kids were so used to her not being able to afford things that they didn’t even fuss about it like other children. “Mommy, out!” James said again. She started to sigh but stopped herself and pulled him out of the seat and onto her hip. They got in line six feet behind the man in front of them, and Joanna looked in her cart. Christmas dinner was going to be small and simple, but even so, she wasn’t sure she would have enough money to cover everything. She made a mental note of what she would leave behind if she had to eliminate something as James made a grab for the candy on the nearby rack. “No,” she told him, rocking him back and forth. Sarah, her oldest daughter, came to her rescue. “Peekaboo!” she said, hiding behind Joanna and then popping out in front of him. James giggled, and then mercifully it was their turn to check out. When the cashier told Joanna her total, it was a few more dollars than she had. Regretfully, she took the kids' Veggie Straws out of a bag and handed them back. They were the girls’ favorite snack that she could never afford, and she had been hoping they would be something fun for them to have on Christmas. “We’ll leave these,” she said, feeling like the worst mom in the world. The girls looked down, clearly disappointed, but they didn’t complain. Joanna pulled the cart behind her, still carrying James, and found their van. She buckled him into his car seat, then put hand sanitizer on all the little hands. “I’m going to deal with the groceries,” she said, “be right back.” She handed them baby wipes, then went around to the back of the beat up old van. It was while she was putting the heavy potatoes in that she heard a deep voice behind her. “Jo? Is that you?” Her heart stopped, it really did, just for a moment, and she turned slowly around. Ben stood there smiling at her. His hair a little silver at the temples, a mask dangling from one ear, but still, unmistakably, Ben, her high school sweetheart and first love. A smile lit up her face, and even though he couldn’t see it behind her mask, he must have seen it in her eyes because he put his own mask back on and hugged her, then twirled her around in a big circle. “It’s so good to see you!” he said, putting her back on her feet. “How’ve you been?” “Umm, okay,” Joanna said, trying to pull herself together. “Are you visiting for Christmas?” “Actually, the kids and I just moved back, and we’re living in Mama’s old house.” “Oh...I was sorry to hear about your Mama,” he said, gently. “And... your husband?” “We’re divorced,” she told him, “and he’s still up north.” “I’m sorry,” he said again. Joanna was sorry about her Mama too, she missed her every day. But she wasn’t sorry about her marriage. It had been a big mistake, and it had ended when her ex-husband cheated on her with another woman. It was hard making it on her own, exhausting being a single mom, but she was thankful to be free. She looked into Ben’s beautiful brown eyes. “And you? Do you have a family?” “Just my horses and my dogs,” he told her cheerfully. “I still live out at the ranch.” “Mommy!” James suddenly wailed from inside the van. “Oh, I’ve kept you too long,” Ben said. “I’ll let you go, but could I say hi to the kids first?” Joanna remembered that he had always loved children. “Of course, come on around.” She opened the door, and he leaned down, smiling. “Hi, guys!” “Hi!” the girls said in unison. James looked steadfastly the other way. “I’m Ben, an old friend of your Mom’s. Are you ready for Christmas?” “Yes, sir,” Lexi said. Sarah nodded silently. “Hey...” Ben said, straightening up and turning to Joanna. “I don’t know if you already have plans for tonight, but my church is having a Christmas Eve service, and you’re welcome to come. It’s at my old church, the same one that you used to go to with me. There will be some really fun activities for the kids and Christmas carols.” Joanna noticed the girls grinning and whispering to each other. “There’ll be some fun for the grown-ups, too,” Ben added, winking. She couldn’t see his dimples, but she knew they were there. “Thanks, I’ll think about it,” she promised. “Great, if you let me see your phone I’ll add myself to your contacts, and if you decide to come I’ll text you the time and details.” While she rummaged in her backpack for her cellphone, he jogged across to his big Ram truck and reached inside, then came back rubbing sanitizer on his hands. “There we go, okay…” He put his number in and handed her phone back to her. They stared at each other for a minute with silly grins on their faces until James started to fuss again. “Oh, right,” he said, “I have to let you go. I’m so glad that I ran into you.” “Me too,” she said, thinking what an understatement that was. “It was really good to see you, Ben.” “You too. Maybe I’ll see you tonight?” He gave her one last grin, then turned and headed back to his truck. She admired him as he went, from the top of his cowboy hat to the tips of his dusty cowboy boots. When she had climbed in the van and buckled up, Sarah said, “He was nice, Mommy.” “Yeah, he is,” Joanna agreed, digging through her backpack again for a baggie of Cheerios. “Here, open these and give them to James for me, please.” The whining stopped. It would only be temporary, but it was a relief. “Can we go to church tonight, Mommy?” Lexi asked. That was the question that Joanna had been asking herself. “I’m not sure yet; let me think on it.” “If we go, I’m wearing my red dress,” Lexi said, sounding pleased. “If we go, I’m wearing jeans and a hoodie,” Sarah told her. “You can’t wear jeans to church on Christmas Eve!” Lexi said. “Can too!” While they bickered, Joanna tried to decide what to do. She was still amazed that she had run into Ben, and she felt flushed with excitement. She glanced in the rearview mirror and touched her pink cheek. If only she would have taken a few minutes to tidy herself up before they ran to the store. Her coat was at least ten years old, and her long hair that was starting to be threaded with silver was slipping out of her ponytail. The truth was, she couldn’t remember the last time that she cared what she looked like. On that depressing thought, she started to contemplate how she had gotten to where she was in life. Part of it was her past mistakes, she acknowledged that, but part of it was also that she was trying to live a dream. Joanna was a writer who had always dreamed of writing a novel, and now she had done it. Juggling writing with her house cleaning business and her kids had been hard, but worth it. There was never enough money, but she had hoped that it would be easier when her book was out in the world. It turned out, though, that actually getting published was way harder than she thought it would be. The first step was finding an agent, and that was next to impossible. She had queried nearly a hundred agents with her manuscript, but when she checked her email there was always just another rejection. Maybe it was time to give up. “James is asleep, Mommy.” “Okay, thanks, honey.” She glanced back at her girls. The next day was Christmas and they were so excited, but she had only been able to buy them one gift each. She couldn’t even buy them their favorite snack. And now they wanted to go to church. It might be fun for them, but Joanna was nervous. She didn’t have anything decent to wear, and there would be so many new people to talk to. But it’s Christmas Eve, she told herself firmly, and surely she could find enough Christmas spirit to do it for her kids. She took a deep breath- and decided to go. ~ Joanna had made the right decision for once. The Christmas Eve service at Ben’s church had been perfect. They had kept it mostly outside for safety, everyone had worn their masks, and the people had been endlessly kind. The kids had fun and made new friends, and as a bonus they had played so hard that they might even sleep in until seven the next day on Christmas morning. Probably not, but a girl could dream. And then there was Ben. Joanna felt a smile on her face just thinking about him. During a quiet moment in between Christmas hymns, he had told her that he had missed her every day throughout the years. He had looked after her the whole evening so that she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable, and had even helped her chase after James. Joanna felt grateful. Grateful, but freezing cold. The temperature had dropped during the evening, and there was a heavy, damp feeling in the air. They were all four chilled to the bone. There wouldn’t be much relief when they got home, either. Her mom’s old house had an equally old furnace that barely worked. She needed to have a repair man come out and look at it, but there was never enough money for that. Her current plan was to get the kids home and into footie jammies and bed as quickly as possible so that she could pile all of the blankets in the house on top of them. It was a good plan, but like most of her plans it didn’t work out quite like she thought it would. She pulled her sleepy, cranky toddler out of his seat and hurried the girls to the door, then quickly opened it and went inside. It was icy. Something was wrong. She ran to the closest vent and held her hand over it and felt nothing at all, not even the lukewarm air that usually blew out of it. The old furnace had breathed its last. “I’m cold, Mommy!” Lexi said. “I know baby,” Joanna told her, rubbing her hands together and trying to think. It was Christmas Eve. No one would come to help them even if she had any money, which she didn’t. She sank down into a kitchen chair with her coat still on and let the black cloak of despair which had been following her around for weeks settle comfortably onto her shoulders. ~ “Mommy,” Joanna heard Sarah say, as if from far away. Slowly she became aware of her surroundings again, and the first thing she noticed was the hot tears on her cheeks. She tried so hard to never cry in front of the kids, she knew how unsettling it was for them, but somehow it almost didn’t seem to matter anymore. “Mommy!” This time Lexi yanked on her coat sleeve. Both of the girls were pressed up against her legs, and James was still in her lap, huddled as far into her coat as he could go. Lord, she prayed, give me strength- show me what to do. Then a plan began to form in her mind. There was only one heat source in the house, and that was the kitchen oven. Sometimes on cold mornings she would turn it on and leave the door cracked, and they would gather around it to keep warm while she made pancakes. They would just have to sleep in the kitchen close to the stove. It would be the only way to not freeze during the night. “Baby,” she said to Sarah, “run back to Grandma’s room where our moving boxes are and see if you can find me the blowup bed we brought from the old house.” Sarah took off through the house with her sister close behind, flipping lights on as she went. Joanna hoisted James up onto her hip, then went to preheat the oven. A half hour later, the bed was ready and sitting in the middle of the old farmhouse kitchen with every blanket they could find in the house piled on top of it. Teeth were brushed, jammies were on, and they were all cuddled in and ready for the bedtime story. Joanna propped herself up higher with a pillow and opened the book. “Wait!” Sarah said suddenly. “Did you check your email today to see if any agents got back to you?” Joanna sighed and set the book back down. She felt emotionally drained and exhausted, and she just wanted to go to sleep. “No, I didn’t,” she said wearily. Lexi knew that Joanna was writing a book, but she didn’t understand much more than that. Sarah was nine, however, and had more of a grasp of the situation. She knew that if Mommy got an agent, then the agent would help Mommy sell her book. And she knew that Mommy checked her email all of the time because that was the place where this agent magic would happen. “Check it now!” Sarah encouraged her. “Honey, listen,” Joanna said, “I appreciate you being on Mommy’s team for sure, but agents spend time with their families during Christmas break just like everyone else, and they don’t have much time to read. I probably won’t hear anything at all from any of the agents I queried until after the New Year.” “But Mommy,” Sarah said earnestly, “tonight at Ben’s church the kids had prayer request time before we played games, and I prayed for you to get good news from an agent.” “Awww, I appreciate that, baby, thank you.” Joanna picked the Christmas book back up. “Go and check, Mommy,” Lexi said, starting to pick up on her sister’s excitement. Joanna hated to disappoint them, but she realized that she would have to check her email if there was any hope of them listening to the story and going to sleep. She got up and winced when her feet touched the icy floor, then went to get her phone out of her backpack where she had left it hanging on a hook by the door. James tried to follow her, and Sarah held him on the bed, which made him wail. Joanna hurried back and climbed underneath the covers. Big eyes watched as she checked her email. As soon as it loaded, she was surprised to see that there was an agent reply, and she braced herself for that sinking feeling in her stomach and in her heart that always accompanied a rejection. She tapped on it, dreading telling the girls. And then she caught her breath. For the second time that day, her heart seemed to stop. It wasn’t a rejection after all! As a matter of fact, it was the exact opposite- it was an offer of representation, and an invitation to set up a call at her convenience after Christmas. “Mommy?” Sarah asked, sounding concerned. Joanna realized that she was just staring at her phone. She looked up. “You were right, I did hear back from an agent! She was one of my favorites, too. She wants me to call her after Christmas.” “That’s good, right?” Sarah asked. “That’s the best thing ever, baby!” Joanna told her, pulling all three of her kids into a big bear hug. “I told you!” Sarah said, all smiles now. “It’s a Christmas miracle!” “You know, I think it just might be,” Joanna told her. “Now, let’s get you to sleep so Christmas can come.” James was grabbing for her phone, so she went to put it back in her backpack before she tucked them in. This time she was glad to feel the icy floor because it meant that she wasn’t dreaming. As she slipped her phone in one of the front pockets, she noticed an envelope. “What’s this?” she wondered out loud. She opened it and was amazed to see money inside. “What in the world?” She pulled the money out and started counting it slowly, almost unable to believe her eyes. There was enough money in her hands to call someone to repair the furnace. There was enough to pay the electric bill which had been worrying her for days. And there was even enough for a big bag of Veggie Straws. Someone at the church must have snuck the envelope into her backpack before she left. Just then her phone dinged, and she pulled it out. It was a text from Ben. “Hey Jo! I hope you and the kids had fun tonight. Wondered if maybe you would like to bring them out to the ranch after lunch tomorrow? We could show them all the animals, and I have a little pony I think is just the right size for them to ride. Please? I would love to see you, Jo.” She grinned and didn’t even have to think about her reply. “I can’t think of anything I would love more,” she texted back. “And thank you.” In somewhat of a daze, she walked back into the kitchen with the kids and stopped just before she climbed into the bed. They all became quiet and listened. It was a Christmas carol. Ever so softly, they could hear the beautiful words of O Holy Night outside the window. The girls flew out of the bed and ran into the living room with Joanna and James right behind them. Joanna pulled back the curtain and wrapped them all up in an afghan from the back of the couch, and they looked out. There, in the middle of the front yard, illuminated by a beautiful moon, stood a group of people singing. “Christmas carolers!” Lexi whispered. But it can’t be, Joanna thought. Their old farmhouse was out in the middle of nowhere, and they had never had Christmas carolers before. And yet there they were. When the lovely song ended, the carolers began to sing Joy to the World. As Joanna watched, the first delicate snowflakes began to fall. “It’s snowing!” the girls shrieked. “Can we go out? Please, please?” Joanna decided that it was a night to throw caution to the wind, a night to make memories, and she really wanted to thank whoever had driven so far down the old country road to sing Christmas carols for them. “Okay, guys, but only for a few minutes, it’s getting really late.” The girls were already running for the back door. “Put your coats on!” Joanna slipped her own coat on and zipped James into his, then followed them out. The snow was getting thicker, and the ground was covered in a thin white layer like cake frosting. The front lawn was covered too when they walked around the side of the house- even the spot where the Christmas carolers had been only a few minutes before. It was as if no one had been there at all; even the snow in the driveway was untouched. “What on earth?” Joanna said. But the girls weren’t listening. They were running around with upturned faces trying to catch the falling flakes on their tongues. She laughed and ran to them, and they all danced in a circle together in the snow. Joanna felt something then that she hadn’t felt in a very long time. She felt hope. And hope, after all, was what Christmas was all about.  The End November 2023 Musings Thankful Happy November and Happy Thanksgiving my friends! What a beautiful fall we’ve had here in North Carolina. The leaves are exceptionally bright and beautiful, and the Red-tailed Hawks have been calling overhead from a clear blue sky. I watch from my kitchen window as leaves dance and twirl with each other in currents of air before landing on the yellow grass for their long winter sleep. I am always a little sad to see them go, and yet they are a reminder to live in the moment and soak in the beauty of each season before it is gone. I hope your fall has been beautiful as well, and you are looking forward to the holiday season! Before we say goodbye to this month, I wanted to take a few minutes to muse and reflect on the many blessings I am thankful for this year. Big blessings, small and simple pleasures, the magic in the mundane… I am thankful for: -You! If you are reading this, then I thank God for you daily. I know you are busy, and it takes time to read a blog post. I thank you for taking the time to read mine, and to journey through life with me and my monthly musings each month. You are special friends, and I am very thankful for you! -My children. My kids are my biggest blessing, always. My oldest son, Thomas, has been hard at work cleaning our wood stove, chopping wood, and getting us prepared for the long winter ahead. My oldest daughter, Lacey, just celebrated her one year wedding anniversary and came by to show us pictures from her trip and fill our house full of laughter. My youngest daughter, Georgie, is my best reading buddy and my very special author assistant. My youngest son, Jamie, is an enthusiastic birdwatcher. He would want me to tell you that Vultures are amazing and misunderstood. Check them out— they’re really cool!   
-My new Monarch family. For those who might be new to reading my blog, I had two manuscripts accepted for publication over the summer by the amazing Dr. Jennifer Lowry at Monarch Educational Services. Free Sings the Sea, my YA contemporary, and Monster Mountain, my MG fantasy, will be out in September 2024 and February 2025, respectively. I am so thankful for this blessing, not only because my dream of being published will come true, but because of my new Monarch family who love and support each other. If you want to check out some of the amazing books published by Monarch, you can do that right -Lollipops. Yes, lollipops! Because of severe food allergies in our family, we do not eat prepackaged candy around Halloween. Many years ago, I discovered a homemade lolly recipe, and now my kids look forward to it every year. Made out of only three ingredients, they are a fun fall treat for everyone to look forward to. I will put the recipe down below in case you would like to give them a try! Happy fall once again, and please return next month when I plan to share a Christmas short story. I hope your own list of things to be thankful for grows longer each day! Love, Stac     October 2023 Musings Spooky Month Happy October, friends! It’s hard to believe another month has flown by so quickly. Fall is my favorite time of year, and I always wish it could go on forever. I hope you will have a great October full of fall joy, and thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to read my newsletter and spend a little time with me!  Since October is known as the spooky month, I thought it would be fun to give you a sneak peek into some of the spooky monsters who live in my middle grade novel MONSTER MOUNTAIN, coming February 2025. Monster Mountain is seemingly only a normal mountain with a beautiful hiking trail when the children arrive there. It is only when my main character Nicky, her little brother Ben, and her bestie Winnie slip through a magical portal that they realize something is very wrong! The first monster the kids encounter is a giant, saw-mouth bird! They barely gather their courage and begin to make a plan before they meet the next monster. By the end of their adventure, they will have met a giant spider, a lava monster, a Wampus Cat, and many other fantastical creatures that they thought were only myths and legends! Will the brave trio make it off Monster Mountain and back to Gram and Gramps on the ordinary mountain? I hope you will read and see… October is also my oldest son’s birthday month. As a baby, he was diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies to milk, eggs and peanuts. It was a traumatic time, and I often felt scared and hopeless. We quickly transitioned to a vegan diet, and our lifestyle changed for the better. What was a challenge at first, ultimately became a blessing. My family is much healthier today than we would have been, and my son is a strong young man turning twenty-three! I’ll leave you with the happy thought this month that today’s challenge may be tomorrow’s blessing. If you’re reading this because you are a writer, this truth definitely applies! There were many times during my writing journey when rejection made me wonder if I should give up, but I’m so thankful I didn’t! My YA contemporary debut FREE SINGS THE SEA will be out in the world in less than a year now. Whatever is scaring you this month, please just know that I believe in you. People may tell you that you’re wasting your time, or that you’re lazy. People will doubt you. YOU don’t doubt you. Love, Stac  |
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