Snippets

(Art credit goes to my wonderful sister-in-law Kate Chapman, thanks so much for this!) I hope I picked the right spot. It’s a nice sunny day out, a little chilly at the moment. The moon is waning, hopefully it’s been long enough since it was full. There are a few college students milling around the campus, but they’re staying away from the little park I selected. The grass is still lush, and benches are a damp. I’m off to the side, so hopefully we won’t be interrupted.  I’ve somehow managed to juggled two travel mugs of tea, and my lap top (please God, don’t let my battery die). A tall, striking Latina woman is headed my way. She must have parked her car down the street. I set everything to the side, and stand, wiping my palms against my jeans before extending one in greeting. “Hi, I’m Jen. Gretchen, right?” “Yes.” She shakes my hand with a firm grip. “I brought tea. Chamomile lavender, with a little lemon and honey.” I pick up blue UMF mug and handed it to...

I wanted to tell you all about the event I'm participating in February 11th-15th. A kind of "getting to know you" for Indi authors of all genres. You can attend here: https://www.facebook.com/events/206705409792190/?ti=as A writer I very much admire and look up to, has expressed her disappointment in the Indi author world. The problem? Writers are giving their blood, sweat, and tears away for free. "Now what's wrong with that?" you might ask. "Everyone likes free stuff!" Well, yes, of course we like free stuff, the problem is readers now feel entitled to free stuff, even going so far as to demand free books from their favorite writers. Maybe because they can't afford them. Maybe because "that's just how things are done." But it's not. You pay for your coffee. You pay to see a movie. You pay for your music. Why one Earth should writers be expected to give away their work for free? They have to pay for cover artists, ...