I began my writing career, such as it is, in 2017. My brother, Jann Rowland, was doing well as an author, so why couldn’t I? How hard could it be? I had always been an avid reader, so why not treat the world to my unique humor and sarcastic wit? I won’t describe the rude awakening I had upon publishing my first literary masterpiece, but the reviews were unflattering, to put it mildly. Almost every part of my storytelling was…
I have been a self publisher my entire writing career. It started with my first release back in 2013, and snowballed from there, with a few releases here and there, what I could fit around my day job, until finally I decided to leave that job and become a full time writer. Only once did I submit to a publisher, and that was not accepted. The only things I have ever done that were not self published were audiobooks, which…
Today, I’m supposed to do a glimmer-of-gold post. Looking back, I have already done one on kids, so I had to search for a different topic. I decided to go with writing! Writing is like a moving target. When you write something that you think is pretty good, you feel proud, right? Well, then you come back years later to it with the intent to make a few touch-ups here and there, and you end up completely rewriting each paragraph….
I thought I’d do an AGOG (“A Glimmer of Gold”) post about children. First off, I must say that whoever thinks having children is easy must not be the one taking care of them. In addition to basics like cleaning laundry, changing diapers, and picking up toys, here are some things you have to worry about: Babies choking on anything from tiny doll shoes to overlarge sprinkles. Babies suffocating from blankets, toys, and overeager siblings. Toddlers jumping on and falling…
The New Year is upon us and I’m sure a lot of people indulged in the time honored tradition of coming up with, then announcing to the world what they resolved to change, improve, quit, etc. in 2023. I might be a little bit late exploring this subject, but there is a method to my madness. The practice of making promises at the beginning of the new year is not a recent invention, unless one considers four thousand years in…
Today is what’s up Wednesday, where I tell you what is up! Well, there’s not really anything going on with me. I have been listening to eBooks and cleaning my house of late. I just haven’t had much time for doing writing, but I keep hoping that might come sooner rather than later. Something else I have been enjoying is watching movie musicals (though I usually have to watch things in 20-minute spurts). If you didn’t see Spirited with Will Ferrell…
Christmas 2022 is a matter of history and with New Year’s celebrations coming in a few days, I decided not to tax anyone with anything that might be construed as thought provoking. If you’re like me, the post Christmas let-down has you in cruise control right now and you almost recoil at any task that requires more than a few brain cells to complete. In that vein I present an excerpt from book 5 of my Elizabeth Said, Darcy Said…
With Christmas mere days from now, I thought I’d mix the holiday with some trivia about the Rockefeller Christmas Tree in New York City. This might be the most recognizable Christmas tree in the world and, based on the time, effort, and money that goes into creating this magnificent display every year, the title is well deserved. Every one of these trees is massive, ranging in height from 69 to 100 feet. Decorating takes almost two weeks and the lighting…
I apologize for returning to Christmas music for yet another post, but I was trying to think of what I should post to fit the glimmer of gold theme when I heard the song “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” This song is one of my favorites, and it is a great illustration of how there is always a glimmer of gold beneath even the darkest of circumstances. If you aren’t familiar with the song or the poem, here…
The arrival of the Christmas season lifts my spirits every year. I love the smiles and good wishes we seem to exchange so freely and the peace I feel in my heart that honestly is not present in such quantity through much of the year. I especially love the Christmas carols that play in most stores and over the sound systems in shopping malls. There is something about them that affects me. Some of these songs are beautiful, with gorgeous…