WiP Wednesday: First Day of Kindergarten

My WiP is out for its first beta read with my old critique group friend, Florence. (A beta reader is a person, usually a friend or a critiqu...

A Story A Week: Escape

Pen came in from the barn for lunch. Today he had Wallace with him, even though I swear Wallace had been in and out the front door seven tim...

One More Wordle

I'm officially a Wordle addict. I've been working on a short story called The Tiffin Box (adult literary fiction) for months and mon...

Calling All Pitch Experts

Okay all you pitch experts, I know you're out there.... I don't usually do this type of thing, but I thought I would THIS ONCE. Firs...

The Food Post

I love food. My favorite food when I'm in Mainland China is Chinese food. Some of my favorites are stirfried eggplant (pictured), lamb k...

A Story A Week: The Demented King

I had never seen a ceiling so high, taller than five of my family’s huts stacked one atop another. The great hall was a cavern, with white p...

Genre Comfort Zones

I have written part of a story this week. I sat down on Thursday afternoon to write a short inspired by Christina's three words ... but ...

Humility

Humility.We all strive to be more humble. But just when we think we're being humble, we're being proud about being humble and that, ...

Last Minute Contest!

There's only a little time left to enter this contest, but I had to tell you about it anyway. Sarah LaPollo at Glass Cases is an associ...

Back Wordled

I was up kind of early this morning. (Thanks Sophie.) So I decided to do something I've wanted to do for awhile. I put my entire WiP in ...

One Year

June 13 was our one year anniversary of moving back to the US from China. That was last Sunday. And I spaced it. I was busy packing up the k...

A Story A Week: Endless

Spalding lay on the bleached deck of the groaning ship and watched trees. He wasn’t sure why he was bothering. They were all the same. They’...

Changelings and Other Stories

We're back. What a crazy time. But it was good. Tonight at dinner my eldest said, "It was fun just being with Mommy on our trip. An...

Busy, Happy, Sunny

Just wanted to say bye-bye for a few days. I'm heading out for a quick trip to Portland with my oldest daughter (but not my baby! -- fir...

WIP Wednesday: The Last Word

I did it! I did it! I finally wrote the epilogue for my WiP. This book needed an epilogue. It needed a happy ending, but not an instant-grat...

A Story A Week: Blessing

Jan scrubbed out Toby’s soiled underwear in a tub of bleach next to the sink. Through the window, she watched her husband comb through Toby’...

First Day of Summer

It's officially summer in the Sonnichsen house. The first Monday of NO SCHOOL. And, as if to confirm it, the weather is scorching hot. T...

Dancin' on the Train

This video made me happy, but also homesick for China! Not only is it hilarious, but you get a great feel for what modern China is like. Tra...

Were-llamas vs. Sleep

Even if you don't enter this contest   (though, seriously now, why wouldn't you? Literary Agent Barbara Poelle will critique 10 of y...

Sleep Patterns

Four a.m. comes too early. But my body clock is set to wake. No matter what time I go to sleep. Thanks, Sophie. Either I hear her cry or, if...

A Story A Week: Day Fifty-three

There was no light to wake them naturally. Low gray clouds hung over the valley. From her window she could see sheets of rain falling miles ...

WIP Wednesday on Tuesday: In the Mail

I'm doing a little switch-a-roo this week. Usually I post my Story A Week today and my WIP update tomorrow, BUT... I've been busy ge...