My Author’s Page

My Blog Spot

I am working hard to publish my first novel this year. This is where you can find excerpts of my work in progress, updates on publication, and even some musings on the creative writing process. I also will be starting a newsletter, so if you would rather get my posts by email, be sure to sign up!

• When Writing Doesn’t Bloom Yet
  I’ve developed the habit of buying orchids from Lowes or Kroger when they hit the discount section. This means they are done blooming and look rough with wilting leaves that are torn or yellow. Most importantly it means they’re cheap and fall within my spending limits. A one to two dollar plant fits into my… Read more: When Writing Doesn’t Bloom Yet
• Winter Walks and Novelcrafter
  The past few weeks have been characterized by snow and cold. My kids have had three days of school so far this year, and those days had two hours shaved off. Anyone who is familiar with being snowed in knows that cabin fever is real. So to keep myself and my kids from climbing the… Read more: Winter Walks and Novelcrafter

Links to my Publications

The first publication an author gets can feel like magic. The first recognition that, yes, the writing is good enough and, yes, other people will read, can be a defining moment for a writer. However, my first publication felt a little like cheating. I was on staff at Everyday Fiction, and our submission system went down just before the holidays. The editor-in-chief made the call to publish stories from the editorial staff to buy some time to get the system up and running again. I know it isn’t really cheating, and despite how it may sound, I will always be grateful to Everyday Fiction. They gave me a shot as a slush reader, acknowledged my capabilities, promoted me, and published my first story, Storm. They are a huge part of my writing journey!

Ugly Words with Blaze Vox and Child’s Play, Trembling With Fear’s first post, and Grey with Calliope (which isn’t online but can be downloaded through WVU’s research repository) followed my first publication. I was still in college so I moved slowly when submitting my work and only have these three to show for that time period. I went to college to be a better writer (and editor), but the workload also meant that my own writing took a backseat.

And then came my internship with the Metaworker. I can’t sing too many praises as I am currently on staff and it’ll just sound like I have a big ego, but the Metaworker was amazing and supportive of all my wild ideas, such as “let’s be on Discord” and “How about a podcast?” They published Tree Song, and when I needed somewhere to intern for my senior editing project, I instantly thought of them. I have Nettle Fringed Earth and On The Backs of Roaches with the Metaworker.

North/South Appalachia has supported my attempts of poetry. They published Alban Eiler, Otherworld, Miracle, Memory, Anyways, Broken Flip Flops, This Summer, The Day the Aurora High School Burned Down, Writing the Body, How Much Do Tired Eyes Really See?, and The Elliott Reivers. Miracle, Memory, and Anyways were included in the second volume of their anthology and Writing the Body, The Elliott Reivers, and How Much do Tired Eyes Really See? were in volume three. North/South is incredibly supportive and quick to respond. Without them, I doubt I would think of myself as capable of writing poetry.

Another milestone in an author’s career is receiving payment for a story. Finding “L” with The First Line magazine is mine. The editors there worked closely with me to make Finding “L” the best story it could be and I couldn’t be happier with the results.

Lastly and most recently, I curated an anthology for the Morgantown Writers Group titled River and Stone. I edited the stories, designed the cover, formatted everything for upload… and had two of my stories, River and Stone and Family Business, in the anthology. MWG’s former leader, George Lies, started the project, and I was lucky enough to bring it to completion. I’m proud of it, both as editor and writer.