Something nice to wake up to.......

 

On a cold, icy morning in the final days of 2020 - a year I'm sure most of us would like to forget - this was nice to wake up to.......

I finally stopped dragging my feet.....

 .....and now have a website featuring my books. I welcome your reactions!

Tina Leitzel designed it for me and I can't recommend her enough for not only her skill but her patience with all my questions and suggestions. She's designed it so it can expand as (hopefully) more of my books are published. 

I hope to add fresh material over time as well. This is both a culmination and a new beginning for me, and I'm excited about where it can lead......

https://stanfinger.com/

If hindsight is 2020....

 ....then I can't wait to put 2020 into our hindsight.

What a year.

As the finish line nears, I look back and can see how fortunate I have been in so many ways. I have managed to avoid getting COVID (or if those allergies were actually COVID, I escaped with a mild experience with it), loved ones who came down with it have survived (thus far) and for the most part I was able to keep busy with freelance work.

I even managed to fine-tune a couple of novels and nearly finish the sequel to FALLEN TREES.

The muse has much more it wants to do as well.

If nothing else, 2020 has reminded us to take absolutely nothing for granted. It's reminded us what really matters. I hope those two lessons stick with us as we move into 2021, realizing that we're not out of the woods yet and once we reach that clearing, the world will be forever a different place.

You never know when inspiration might strike

The other night as I was getting ready for bed, I found myself listening to rain drops slapping a gutter.

It was a distinct sound that cut through the urban noise clutter...and before I knew it this wonderful tale started spooling out in my imagination. Such moments are magical and I hope to turn it into a short story or novella soon.

I share this because it's a reminder that you never know when inspiration might strike: in the shower, on your daily commute, while walking the dog or watching your children sleep.

Whatever it might be - a string of musical notes, some song lyrics, a poem or a scene from a future book - find a way to remember it and respond. It's your creative side at work and the more you nurture it the more it will give you.

And, speaking from experience, there's something intangibly enriching about listening to those prompts.

So give those surprises room to blossom. You'll be amazed at what can happen.

Disappointed but not discouraged

I received word this week that an agent who expressed strong early interest in my next novel has decided not to move forward and represent me.

While disappointing, I am grateful for what I learned during their considerations and feedback and move forward. I'm still optimistic about the book's potential and hopefully I'll find an agent who wants to work with me. It's a process and this is all part of the journey.

In the meantime, the muse is still active and I'm happy about that.

And a new review on Goodreads for FALLEN TREES made me smile: "I honestly had to read more than once, it was that suspenseful." 

http:/