Tag: fiction
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From the Archives: Them’s fightin’ words. Now what did you say again?
Written in 2012, when my oldest daughter Hannah was a teenager and our home was full of both drama and laughter. The moment felt enormous then—now it’s a tender memory, one of many that shaped us both. We survived. We became friends. This is a snapshot of that journey, from a time when the nest…
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Finding the Light: A Scene from Radiant
Here’s a glimpse into the world of Radiant. In this excerpt, Andy—a lawyer five years sober—tackles the mountain roads of home, and the long climb back to hope. From A Hundred Ways to Say I Love You. THE HILL CLIMBS up and up, but Andy, on his bicycle, falls further and further behind. He pushes…
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From the Writer’s Desk: Ruby’s House
From A Thousand Ways to Say I’m Sorry, my second novel (currently seeking a home in the world): In Radiant, Virginia, storms aren’t just weather—they’re omens, and sometimes, invitations to start again. RUBY’S SOUND ASLEEP on the couch when the giant oak tree in the front yard crashes through the upstairs bedroom. Storms have a…
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Voices of Radiant
Radiant isn’t just a setting in my novels—it’s a place that lives in my daily life. Lately, I’ve been capturing small scenes, both in words and images, to fill out the world that exists in my stories and in my own backyard. Below is a slide show of moments and characters—some imagined, some very real.…
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The Power of Letting Go—How Cutting 20,000 Words Brought My Novel Home
A year ago, I thought my novel was finished. This week, I cut nearly 20,000 words—and for the first time, the story feels alive. What Changed What I Learned How I Feel Now If you’re a writer stuck in the weeds, take a deep breath and start trimming. The story you want might be hiding…
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Time with Joe
Joe wraps up in a thick wool sweater for his evening rounds outside, but even that doesn’t keep him warm tonight. Winter barreled in with dramatic fashion during the afternoon, winds gusting through the mountains and relieving the branches of their last stubborn leaves. He looks up and sees stars peeking through the skeletal trees,…
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The Quiet Between Queries
Querying is a strange season. You pour your heart into a letter, polish those first ten pages until they gleam, and then—silence. Days stretch. You check your inbox too often. You tell yourself not to hope too much, but you do anyway. It’s vulnerable work, sending your story into the world. Some days, it feels…