A Troll and an Author Update

 Last weekend, we went looking for a troll for our 30th Anniversary.

Not an internet troll. A very large, much more charming, wooden one.

Pia the Peacekeeper by recycle artist Thomas Dambo.

We visited Pia the Peacekeeper, one of Thomas Dambo's Northwest Trolls, and along the way my husband unexpectedly pulled out a Professor Quirrell impersonation/callback that made the whole adventure even better. 

"Troll! There's a troll in the dungeon! I thought you ought to know."

It was exactly the kind of outing I love: a little walking, a little exploring, something unusual to discover, and plenty to laugh about.

And it turned out to be particularly good timing.

LIFE UPDATE

The days afterward became much more serious. My dad had a significant health decline, and our family has now brought in hospice care.

That's about all I want to say about that here, except that it means I'm giving myself a little more breathing room for the next couple of weeks.

I'm taking a brief break from my usual podcast schedule, and when Growing Our Gifts returns, I'm going to change the order of the next few episodes. I had planned to talk about nourishing our creativity next, but first I want to talk about support—the people who help us keep growing when we don't have the capacity to do everything ourselves.

Because something I've noticed over the past week is that my creativity hasn't disappeared.

I've walked.

I've journaled.

I've listened to podcasts.

I've rested.

I've spent time with people I love.

I've laughed at unexpected Professor Quirrell impersonations and visited giant trolls.

And, in the middle of several very difficult days, I found twenty minutes to sit down with my book again.

It wasn't a full writing day. It wasn't supposed to be.

It was just twenty minutes of revising, remembering the story, and finding my way back into that creative space.

Sometimes growing our gifts means putting in the hours.

Sometimes it means learning, practicing, revising, and stretching ourselves.

And sometimes, I think, it means keeping a tiny bit of space open for creativity while the rest of our lives need our attention.

The gift doesn't disappear because we're resting.

It doesn't disappear because we're grieving or caregiving or simply tired.

Sometimes it's still there, growing quietly.

And sometimes you find it again while walking through the woods looking for a troll.

Pia the Peacekeeper and me

IWSG Writing Regrets AND Rest is Part of the Trellis

 

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Many thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh, all of the IWSG, and this month's blog hop volunteers for August 2026.

The awesome co-hosts for the August 5 posting of the IWSG are Shannon Lawrence, Diedre Knight, Liza, and Pat Garcia! 

The IWSG has been a part of my writing journey for over a decade and I am thankful for all the encouragement and support I have received, but more importantly, I am thankful for the community.

This month's optional question is: As a writer/author what is something you regret? Or something that you wish you'd done differently in your writing process?

My biggest regret is giving into fear and doubt at various times in my writing life, following the "wrong for me" advice that I knew was "wrong" deep in my gut, and not pivoting at times when I knew a pivot was needed - again, not trusting my instincts.

Some of this is that I didn't know what I know now: my strengths (based on the Clifton Strengths test) are ideation, strategic thinking, connectedness, achiever, and learner. There are weaknesses alongside those, but honestly, I process and draw conclusions on data points and ideas that I've taken in from a variety of places without necessarily walking through the "A to Z" logic of it step by step.

Trusting my own "intuition" that isn't really intuition but a lot of ideas coming together has been a huge step forward for me, but I'm still learning how to do that, and learning how to take what I "know" and create systems that rely on those strengths. So, my doubt in my own process is what I think has held me back the most, and discovering how to play to my strengths is both helping me as an author and healing me as a person.

Perhaps that's one of the reasons I've been thinking so much lately about trellises, gardens, and growth.

On my podcast, The Truth About Storytelling, I've started a short series called Growing the Gifts We've Been Given. In the first episode, I talked about how our strengths need trellises like healthy structures and rhythms that support the gifts we've been given instead of leaving them tangled. This week, I've been wondering about something else.

What if rest isn't the opposite of growth?

What if it's part of the trellis?

The more I think about my own writing journey, the more I realize that growth hasn't come simply from writing more words or working harder. It's also come from learning to notice, to listen, to take long walks, to read widely, to pray, and to give myself enough space for ideas to connect.

In other words, I've been learning to trust both the way I grow and the One who grows me.

Rest is a Part of the Trellis

We often think growth comes from doing more.

Working harder.

Producing more.

Trying longer.

But gardens tell a different story.

Healthy growth includes seasons of rest, renewal, and quiet preparation.

This week, I found myself asking a simple question:

What if rest isn't the opposite of growth?

What if it's part of the support that helps us flourish?

Walking, reading, prayer, creativity, listening for birds, or simply sitting quietly for a few moments may not look productive, but they often refill the well we draw from every day.

As you go through your week, I'd encourage you to consider a few questions:

• What truly restores you?
• What helps you notice beauty?
• What leaves you with more hope than when you began?
• Where might God be inviting you to receive instead of striving?

Rest isn't stepping away from growth.

Rest is one of the ways we grow.

IWSG: Publishing and Joyful Reading

 

Thank you Alex J. Cavanaugh for this blog hop!
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
The Awesome co-hosts for

July 1 posting of the IWSG are Rebecca Douglass, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Cathrina Constantine, and Jacqui Murray!

Joyful Invitations to Read

This month's IWSG question asks:

Is there anything you'd like to see changed, added, and/or rearranged about the book publishing industry?

My answer is simple.

We Are the Publishing Industry

It's easy to think of "the publishing industry" as traditional publishers, but I don't think that's the whole picture.

Authors, indie publishers, booksellers, librarians, teachers, bloggers, reviewers, and readers all help shape the culture around books. We all have a role in inviting people to read.

A Reminder from Realm Makers

Last week I attended Realm Makers, a conference for Christian writers, where I spent several days talking with readers, writers, editors, publishers, and fellow creatives.

One thing stood out over and over again.

People still love stories.

Kids want adventures. Adults want books that leave them with hope, wonder, courage, and memorable characters. They aren't just looking for another product—they're looking for an experience.

My Hope

If I could change one thing, I'd love to see all of us help make reading joyful and invitational again.

Let's recommend books because they delighted us. Let's welcome new readers instead of assuming everyone already knows the language of publishing. Let's celebrate imagination as much as marketing.

As authors, we don't simply create books.

We invite people into stories.

That's something worth celebrating.

---

Now that I'm home, I'm back to revising Dark Blade Unchained, the third book in my Dark Blade Trilogy, and I'm sharing more writing thoughts on The Truth About Storytelling podcast. Thanks for following along on the journey!

What about you? What would you like to see changed in the publishing industry?

Dark Blade Unbroken Proof Copy Arrives

 I'm excited to share that the proof copy of Dark Blade Unbroken, Book Two of The Dark Blade Trilogy, has officially arrived.

After months of writing, editing, formatting, and production work, it's always a special moment to hold a new book in print for the first time. I'm especially pleased with how this edition turned out, from the hardcover presentation to the interior chapter artwork.

The next step is a final proofread and quality review to ensure everything is ready for publication. Once that process is complete, work will continue toward the release and fulfillment schedule for the trilogy.

At the same time, revisions on Dark Blade Unchained, the concluding volume of the trilogy, are underway.

Thank you to everyone who has supported this series and journey through Aramatir. More updates will be coming soon.

Dark Blade Unbroken

The Dark Blade Trilogy, Volume 2

New alliances. An unbroken blade. A battle drawing ever closer.

IWSG June: Ideas Everywhere

 

Thank you to Alex J. Cavanaugh and this month's round of volunteers who make this blog hop possible and fun! Victoria Marie Lees, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, and C. Lee McKenzie!

This month’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group question asks whether story ideas tend to come from one place or from many different sources. For me, ideas seem to come from everywhere — dreams, reflections, conversations, music, walking, and simply noticing the world around me.

Sometimes a story idea begins with a single image while I’m out walking. Sometimes it begins with a question, a conversation, or a piece of music that sparks an emotion or atmosphere. Other times, an idea grows out of noticing acts of courage, or small moments of beauty in everyday life. I think that’s part of why I’m so drawn to storytelling in the first place: stories help us process the world around us while also imagining worlds beyond it.

Lately, I’ve been balancing podcasting, revisions, and ongoing work in the world of Aramatir.

I’m currently participating in a BookFunnel promotion featuring my sci-fi novel Lift Off, and I’ve released several recent episodes of The Truth About Storytelling, including conversations about film, mythic heroes, cozy storytelling, and why stories like The Mandalorian and Grogu resonate so strongly with audiences and families.

I’ve also continued reading chapters from Dark Blade Forged on the podcast.

Meanwhile, revisions continue steadily on Book 2 of the Dark Blade Trilogy. During the process, I realized I needed to make some major changes to several events in the story, but I feel it will be stronger for those changes.

Thank you for continuing to support my stories, podcast, and creative journey. I hope your own creative projects are growing in meaningful ways this season as well.