It’s been a long, challenging week in the Benedicts’ little corner of So IL. The DH was gone, and the boy got his driver’s license. I finished the first draft of The Intruder and have begun reading/editing. Winter and spring are in an early battle–I haven’t seen any buds on trees, yet. Praying that …Read More

  I’ve been so touched by the wonderful support that’s come my way over the past six weeks or so since I started blogging every day. Thank you! Here’s a chance to win a special Valentine package from me: A copy of my latest novel, The Abandoned Heart, a custom-designed (by me!) mug and Valentine, plus …Read More

    If you do a Google search for the phrase “Do The Hard Thing First” you’ll find it’s a pretty common theme–and for a good reason. It’s very practical advice, but it’s also a radical suggestion for procrastinators. Procrastination is natural. No one likes pain (well, most of us don’t), and doing difficult things …Read More

  One is uncomplicated. One is doable. One is visible. One is easily contemplated. One is worthy of focus. One is satisfying. Multitasking takes away the satisfaction of accomplishment, the pleasure in the journey. What is one thing you could do, today?     February 8th Words Journal: 205 Words Long Fiction: 0 Words Short …Read More

  What does one do when one finishes an enormous, year-long project, like the first draft of a novel? On Monday, I finished the draft of The Intruder early in the day. I had some tummy trouble, so I arranged things so I could stay at home. I spent some time happy dancing (so restorative), and …Read More

  I have some good news to share today! The first draft of my next novel–tentatively titled The Intruder–is done. There’s lots and lots of work to come, but as the saying goes: you can’t edit a blank page. Now, none of the pages are blank, so I will be able to make them all work together. But …Read More

  What? I haven’t yet written about the show Supernatural on the blog? Color me stunned. (If you don’t know the show, or even don’t like it, we can still be friends, but you might want to read the Supernatural Wikipedia page to catch up.) Tonight my guys and I finished Season 11 of the …Read More

  A 41-inch bust and a lot of perseverance will get you more than a cup of coffee – a lot more. — Jayne Mansfield* *Jayne Mansfield, a tireless seeker of fame and self-improvement, also spoke 5 languages and a reported IQ of 163. February 4  Words Journal: 35  words Long fiction: 1824 words Short …Read More

  Self care, art, and audiobooks were all on my screens this week… Shakespeare was right, after all. Science now tells us that sleep does clean-up in our brains, and may help us to forget what we don’t need to remember. I’m a certified audiobook addict–just ask anyone who rides in my car with me. …Read More

    I’m at that point in the book. It’s one of two moments of intense doubt that show up for me in writing a novel–every single novel. The first moment happens at around twenty-four thousand words. That’s about a quarter of the way in, when the basics of the story are all on the page …Read More