Happy IWSG Day and Favorite Stories!

 

Happy IWSG Day!

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

The awesome co-hosts for the October 1 posting of the IWSG are Beth Camp, Crystal Collier, and Cathrina Constantine! 

Our Fearless Leader is Alex J. Cavanaugh!

Our optional question this month is about our favorite stories we've written... 

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My Favorite Things I’ve Written (So Far)

It’s always hard to choose a favorite piece of writing — usually, it’s the last book I’ve published. But looking back, here are a few that hold a special place in my heart:

• Dark Blade Forged (2024) — My latest fantasy novel, and the first in the Dark Blade Trilogy. It’s a story about a cursed sword, justice, and the power of light against shadow.

• “The Top Hat” (3rd Grade) — One of my earliest stories, and the first time I received real compliments on my writing in school. 

• Champion in the Darkness (2013) — My debut novel, and the start of the Champion Trilogy. Publishing this book taught me courage in stepping into the world as an author.

• “Dragonfold” (2009) — My first published short story. Dragons have always inspired my imagination, and this story opened the door to being published.

• “Seedling” — Another short story close to my heart, about growth, hope, and finding friendship in unexpected places.

• To Speak (coming 2026) — A forthcoming poetry collection in a newly expanded edition. 

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New Podcast Mini-Series

I’ve just launched a new podcast mini-series about the writing life, blending travel, caregiving, and creativity. This week is all about “Cacti, Camels, and Writing.” I share about the last few days in Mongolia and what these experiences taught me about resilience, faith, and the creative journey. Each week, I'll also air two shorter episodes with writing prompts. If you get my newsletter, you'll hear a few stories about riding camels and sitting accidentally on cacti as a kid. 

Here's a picture of me on a camel, along with the core mission team:

And the cactus part, well, it's a metaphor for some stuff (see below), and it came from finding this anonymous quote in my dad's calendar:

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You may be given a cactus, but you don't have to sit on it.

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What I'm Writing Right Now:

Dark Blade 2 (Title may be changing) is finished as a main draft. 

But I am not ready to release it yet due to some life circumstances. 

I came home from Mongolia to find that I needed to step into a caregiving role for my parents. I am getting help, and I am finding ways to manage this, but I am going to take a beat to figure out how and when to release my next books. They are coming, but not immediately.

Mainly, I am journal writing and writing bits and pieces of Dark Blade 3.

I will let you know as soon as I can work on the release dates, and I may be asking for help. 

How can I keep on podcasting with this? Well, podcasting has been fun. 

And, I'm honestly winging a lot of episodes. Joy + grace = restful enough to do.