Welcome!

Nothing is more fun and challenging than adventures of the mind. Writing in Florida definitely has its benefits - beautiful scenery and temperatures high enough to addle your brain into creating some really crazy ideas!

What's New

Maitland Neighbors Feature - My family was ecstatic to be chosen as the feature family for the May 2018 issue of Maitland Neighbors Magazine. The story, written by Lindsay Gigler-Huff, shared about our love of laughter and stories. I had the chance to talk about my writing and upcoming books with Orange Blossom Publishing. We had a wonderful time taking pictures at Lake Lily for the cover with Studio T photography. We love how the feature turned out and feel honored to be showcased!

Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Literary Awards - I am thrilled to share that two of my short stories, "Halloween for Aiden" and "Growing Warm," have been selected as semifinalists for the 2018 Royal Palm Literary Awards. I am hoping to hear they make it on to finals! The awards banquet is in October at the FWA annual conference and I would be honored to participate once again.

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​Thrill of the Hunt 4: Urban Legends Re-Imagined - Coming this August! I join in on the fun again for the next volume in the Thrill of the Hunt anthology series. This time the authors get a chance to take a favorite urban legend and create their own version. I'd always been fascinated by the changeling legends...

Changelings are babies or very young children secretly swapped by fairies or other mythical creatures. The creatures run off with the sweet, human baby leaving behind an evil or cursed infant in its place. This was often used as an explanation for babies born with disfigurements or other maladies in earlier times. Beautiful babies were said to be especially in danger of being swapped and were diligently watched over. One legend tells that trolls aspired to have their children raised by humans so they would have the best upbringing. Other tales tell how changelings may forget they are not human and live among us and the human child ends up staying with the creatures forever.

I thought it would be interesting to follow the story of both babies, instead of just focusing on the strange one with the humans. Here is my version...

Deadly Exchange: A Changeling Story

Edretta of the magical swamp people has lost two babies to an evil group bent on massacre of her kind. She will not lose another. Swapping her infant son with a human baby is the only way to keep her baby hidden and safe.

At 42, Montgomery never thought his dreams of being a father would ever come true. He couldn’t be more excited about his new son and is determined to love his...unusual...baby—sharp teeth and all.

But both babies come to mortal danger when the swamp baby is exposed in the human world and the evil group kidnap the human child.

Will the babies survive in their strange, dangerous worlds?

 Florida Writers Association Collection Volume Ten: Where Does Your Muse Live - Coming October 2018! My story, "The Darkness in the Stream," has been chosen as a winning story to be published in this year's annual FWA collection. This will be my first story published that is written in second person. Ten of the sixty stories will be selected as the top ten winners and will be published first in the book with all other stories following alphabetically. I would love to be in the top ten and hope to find out my story's place soon! The book will be released at the FWA annual conference in the fall when a book signing will also take place. More information to come!

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