Money can be tight with the holidays, let me help you make your publishing dreams come true with my Black Friday/Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday special! Anyone who hires me to work on their manuscript and puts down a 50% deposit from November 23rd - December 1st will receive 15% off their total project cost. This...
Monday, November 23, 2020
Friday, November 20, 2020
The hilarious and loving sequel to a hilarious and loving classic of travel writing: Notes from a Small Island, Bill Bryson’s valentine to his adopted country of EnglandIn 1995 Bill Bryson got into his car and took a weeks-long farewell motoring trip about England before moving his family back to the United States. The...
Wednesday, November 11, 2020
Hi, all! I've been working hard on finishing Apo's Army! In fact, as of right now, I only have one story left to write and then it will be finished! I've sent all of the photos off to Eric so that he can start turning them into art for the book. After that, it will be writing the book blurb and things like that. The book...
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
Signed Copies
Katie
11:40 AM
0 Comments
Guys, I have some exciting news! For the first time ever, I have some copies of Tales from the Toy Store here at the house and I'd love to be able to send out some signed copies to all of you! Supplies are very limited and I don't know that I'll be able to do this again before the holidays, so if you'd like a signed copy,...
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Greeting Card Giveaway
Katie
8:00 AM
0 Comments
Some of you may know that I was raised by my grandparents. My grandfather died when I was still in high school, but my grandmother only passed away about eight years ago. When she died, somehow I inherited a whole bunch of unused greeting cards. All this time they've been sitting in a box in my studio, just collecting...
Thursday, September 24, 2020
I Disappeared!
Katie
11:23 AM
0 Comments
Wow, it has been far, far too long since I posted anything here. I won't lie. It wasn't intentional. I had planned on keeping everyone in the loop as to what was happening with the various projects that I've been working on, but the truth is that Covid depression swallowed me up. With kids in college and friends scattered...
Friday, August 28, 2020
Unwanted at home, Molly goes to work for the king of Westria as a humble scullery maid. She arrives at the castle with no education, no manners, and a very disturbing secret: She sees visions, and those visions always come true.
One day, while she's working in the king's great hall, young Prince Alaric passes by. Molly...
Thursday, June 11, 2020
If you were to teach as a career, what would you teach?
Wow...this is a tough one. It'd be nice to say that I'd teach editing or writing, but I don't know that I would. As much as I'm a professional in both, a lot of what I do is based on instinct. Yep, I'm stumped. I have no idea what I'd teach. My gut instinct is...
Monday, June 8, 2020
Crockpot Monday: Red Ribs
Katie
8:00 AM
0 Comments
Red Ribs:
Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless beef short ribs
2 teaspoons ground ginger
4 cloves smashed and chopped garlic
1/2 cup cooking sherry
3/4 cup beef broth
6 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (depending on personal heat preference)
1 (8oz) can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
1...
Friday, June 5, 2020
When an Old Order Amish woman takes a job at a small-town pharmacy struggling to survive in a world of "big box" stores, her motive is to help her Plain community. But the advent of the holiday season brings an unusual mystery to the surface--and possibly love.
Twenty-four-year-old Holly Zook lives a unique life for...
Thursday, June 4, 2020
When I saw this week's question, out loud I said, "Oooh...I like this one."
What color are you today?
I don't know why I love this question so much. Perhaps because it's more of a creative question than a dull about me question. Not that you guys weren't fascinated by what I do each morning. I know that one was particularly...
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
I am so excited to tell you that as of June 1st, Tales from the Toy Store is officially available for pre-order in ebook format! Unfortunately, Amazon doesn't have a way for me to do the same with print copies so you'll just have to wait until July 14th to place those orders. The ebook is selling for $4.99 and I promise...
Monday, June 1, 2020
Italian Beef Sandwiches:
Ingredients:
3 to 4 pound beef rump roast
1 onion, sliced in rings
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon anise
1 (14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes (undrained)
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
8 hoagie rolls
8 slices of mozzarella...
Friday, May 29, 2020
It’s the year 2236, and humanity can’t catch a break.
While we’re licking our wounds from a bloody civil war, two alien armadas stumble into the Solar System fighting one of their own. At odds are the fearsome Boxti Horde and their ancient enemies, the Nangolani.
Naturally, we can’t resist picking sides and joining...
Thursday, May 28, 2020
Today's question has me doing some thinking...
Write about something that you bought used.
What do I choose? My cars? My couch? Books? Books! Yes!
Most people know that I own an insane number of books. What they don't know is that I've had a dream of owning one series of books since I was a child. The series is Cherry...
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
It's time! I finally get to reveal to all of you our release date for Tales from the Toy Store! After working on this book for so long, everything is suddenly coming together. Eric did an amazing job on not only the interior art, but also the cover for the book. I couldn't have asked for anything better. I've done my...
Monday, May 25, 2020
Old Fashioned Pot Roast:
Ingredients:
4 pounds beef roast (chuck or rump)
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced in rings
2 large Russet potatoes, cut in 2-inch chunks
1 cup baby carrots
1 cup sliced celery
3 tablespoons...
Thursday, May 21, 2020
This week's question is definitely going to give you some insight into my personal life!
What is the first thing that you do when you wake up every morning? Why?
I could give you the silly answer and tell you that I open my eyes, which would be true. Of course, the serious answer would be that I reach for my phone....
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
So I said I'd write about what I know about humor. But then I realized I couldn't just write
down the word nothing a thousand times or so.
So I feel I should come with a disclaimer. This is how I work humor.
Some of these tricks are universal. But the real challenge of humor is that
it's a matter of taste....
Tomorrow, on Facebook, I'll be doing a live reading of one of the stories from my brand new book! If you'd like to tune in, just click on my profile on Facebook at 7 pm Eastern and you should find it. I'm so excited to be sharing more of this book with all of you and I really hope that you can join me!
If...
Monday, May 18, 2020
Lemon Pepper Ribs:
Ingredients:
4 pounds of ribs
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
2 Tablespoons kosher salt
2 Tablespoons black pepper
3 lemons, juiced
Directions:
Cut the ribs to fit your crockpot. In a small bowl, combine the dry spices.
Rub the ribs with the dry mixture, covering all sides of the ribs. Put them...
Thursday, May 14, 2020
This week's question made me stop and think...Have I? Or was it more of an extended vacation?
Have you ever lived in another country besides your country of birth? Would you want to?
In 2006, I flew to England and stayed there for 4 months. I was recently divorced and really just needed a break from my ex-husband and...
Monday, May 11, 2020
Thai Beef:
Ingredients:
2 pounds beef chuck roast
1 (8-ounce) bottle peanut satay sauce
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk (full fat is best)
1 (16-ounce) package baby carrots
*cooked basmati rice for serving
1/4 cup chopped peanuts for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the beef into the bottom...
Thursday, May 7, 2020
This week's question got me right in my emotional center:
Have you ever had the rotten experience of having to put a pet down?
More than once. The last and perhaps the hardest one ever was about 18 months ago. I had to put my cat, Byron, to sleep after him being pretty much my best friend for 12 years. It's been so...
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Squeal! It's here! I can finally reveal to you the cover of my newest (and first solo) book! It was done by Eric Cockrell and I am totally in love with it. Somehow we managed to have the exact same image in our head and I think, with his skill, it came out perfectly!
What do you think? Isn't it fabulous? Stay tuned...
Monday, May 4, 2020
I know that it isn't really harvest time, but I can't resist a yummy stew!
Harvest Stew:
Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground turkey or chicken
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 chopped garlic cloves
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
3 red potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 acorn squash, peeled and chopped
1...