Talena sitting in front of bookshelves among tropical plants.

Let me tell you a story…

Hi! I’m Talena.

For as long as I remember, I’ve been telling stories through my art. Whether it’s through music, personal essays, or novels, I hope the stories I tell connect with you by sharing the heart of what makes us human.

I believe in God’s saving grace, I believe in the magic in small things, and I believe stories can change the world. Thank you for taking the time to hear mine.

If you’d like to stay connected, please check out my newsletter. You can also contact me.

For press and event organizers (and to read my back story): Visit my Media Kit.

β€œWe’re all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?”
— The Eleventh Doctor

Life Lessons,

Stories, and Tea

You don’t get this far without learning a few things.

  • Life’s too short for monochromatic beige, bad books, and lukewarm coffee.

  • Most tasteless dishes can be fixed with salt, garlic, or thyme.

  • There are very few mistakes you can’t recover from. It’s okay to figure things out as you go along.

  • You can accomplish a lot more than you think you can if you just keep at it.

  • God’s dining table has room for all kinds of people.

  • Kindness can change the world.

  • The perfect cup of tea only comes along once in a while, so take time to stop and enjoy it while it lasts.

I was thirty-eight years old when I finally realized I wanted to be an author when I grew up.

By then, I’d already written a full-length musical, won some songwriting awards, started my own knitwear design label, and owned several other businesses. I’d birthed three sons and adopted a fourth. I’d also had to kiss our youngest son goodbye when heaven took him home in 2015 at the age of three.

I grew up wanting to be a professional songwriter, so writing in some form has always been part of my life. And ever since this dream of writing for a living got hold of me, I haven’t looked back.

I’m now a multi-genre author with published titles in genres including young adult epic fantasy, romantic women’s fiction, clean and sweet small-town romance, and more.

Along the way, I’ve helped many other authors publish their work through developmental editing, ghostwriting, copywriting, and assisting.

And recently, God has brought music back into my life in a big way. I’m now writing music again, and I’ve started releasing my original songs.

I can’t believe I get to do this beautiful creative work every day. Has it been easy? Nope. You don’t learn bits of wisdom like I shared above without struggle. But as my tagline says, I get to save the world, one story at a time. And so do you.

Thank you for adding my words to your story.

Now, time to go make a hot cuppa…

Talena Winters

Where Stories Grow

Author

Dive into heartfelt, gripping, and action-filled stories of love, faith, redemption, and hope against all odds.

Get two free stories when you join the Books & Inspiration newsletter list! Get bonus content when you join my Books and Tea League reader community!

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Artist

Explore my original, award-winning music in a wide range of genres, including Christian and mainstream pop, rock, country, praise and worship, musical theatre, and more.

Explore Music

Blogger

Since 2006, I’ve been blogging about life, faith, books, music, and a lot more on my Winters’ Day In blog. You can also check out my favourite recipes, photography, and other adventures. I’m always trying new things!

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Read Media Kit for More
Talena, a blond Caucasian woman, wears a fabric newsboy cap and a teal plaid shirt and leans her cheek against her hand in a car while smiling at the camera.
DSC_0174+crpd1+web.jpg
Talena Winters wears knitted items and crouches in the snow next to a golden retriever.
Talena Winters, a blond Caucasian woman in a blue-striped shirt, leans against a beige rock and smiles at the camera.
Talena sits in a bright living room full of bookshelves and plants, laughing.
A fantasy scene of a mermaid with long, wavy blonde hair, wearing a flower crown, sitting on a wooden chair, reading a book. She has a shimmering blue-green tail and is surrounded by floating fish, books, and lit candles in a lush, magical garden with stone columns and lanterns.

β€œYou can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”

– C. S. LEWIS

Recent Blog Posts

Winters' Day In Blog
Bringing my characters to life in song
Bringing my characters to life in song

β€œThe Storm in Me,” my latest single, is a blues-rock song that gives voice to Zale, the tortured merman hero of the Rise of the Grigori series, and his journey toward love and peace. Watch the new music video featuring Zale and siren cadet Damaris, and read the story behind the song's creation.

Read more →
All Art Is Human Art, Part 2: The Consumer Decides the Value
All Art Is Human Art, Part 2: The Consumer Decides the Value

A piece of art is worth exactly what someone will pay for itβ€”no matter how much effort went into making it. Part two of a three-part series on why all art is human art, and why the β€œAI” label puts a thumb on the scale before buyers can decide.

Read more →
All Art is Human Art, Part 1: The Human In the Loop is Responsible
All Art is Human Art, Part 1: The Human In the Loop is Responsible

There’s no such thing as an AI artist, only humans using AI as a toolβ€”and those humans are responsible for what they make. Part one of a three-part series on why all art is human art, from a career novelist and songwriter.

Read more →
Feathers, Chocolates, and the Life Story You’re Writing: Lessons from Forrest Gump
Feathers, Chocolates, and the Life Story You’re Writing: Lessons from Forrest Gump

A floating feather, a box of chocolates, and one big question: what story do you want your life to tell? Forrest Gump got me thinking about intentionalityβ€”and why deciding what defines your story might be the most important thing you ever do.

Read more →
Why I Joined Substack (But Won’t Be Moving My Blog There)
Why I Joined Substack (But Won’t Be Moving My Blog There)

After a year and a half of successfully stepping back from social media, I've been searching for better ways to grow this blog and find readers who love long-form content as much as I doβ€”and I think I've found one. Here's why I'm experimenting with Substack without abandoning my own corner of the internet.

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Mistaken Assumptions: My Accidental Signature Move
Mistaken Assumptions: My Accidental Signature Move

Six weeks stuck on one chapter led to a trope epiphany, a series expansion, and some unexpected truths about writing pining heroes who aren’t simps.

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No Man is an Island: How Our Community Shapes Us
No Man is an Island: How Our Community Shapes Us

What shapes your worldviewβ€”and what blinds you to it? Explore how our community helps us see the bigger picture, why isolation distorts our perspective, and why no one thrives as an island.

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When God Gives Back a Lost Dream
When God Gives Back a Lost Dream

Sometimes God gives back a dream you thought was gone foreverβ€”and then asks you to do something terrifying with it. A spring update on new books, new music, and stepping back onto a stage after nearly ten years.

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Living Our Calling (and an announcement)
Living Our Calling (and an announcement)

How β€œgood” can derail us from β€œright”, and other lessons learned from a rocker/evangelist. Plus, an exciting announcement about Rise of the Grigori audiobooks.

Read more →
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