Wintersβ Day In
Spilling the tea since 2006. Wanna cuppa?
Conversations on life, faith, stories, and creativity from author and songwriter (and aspiring mermaid) Talena Winters.
Choose Joy
An update on some (mis)adventures and reflections from the holidays, and my 2026 Word of the Year.
Become the Hero: How to Rewrite the Stories We Tell Ourselves
Iβve been thinking a lot about the lies we tell ourselvesβthe stories that shape our lives, often without us realizing it. In this post, Iβm exploring how these stories work in fiction (and real life), how to spot the ones holding us back, and how we can choose to rewrite them. Itβs about becoming the hero of your own storyβon purpose.
Lots of bookish things⦠including my new title!
Update on my week, including the arrival of the hardbacks for Every Star that Shines! Woot!
Sweet Inspirational Stories to Beat the Heat
Iβm loving these sweet inspirational books and shows right nowβ¦
Knitting Book Review: Socks from the Toe Up by Wendy D. Johnson
Lovely photography and a variety of options in a clean, minimalist design as fresh as new snow.
Book Rec: Educated by Tara Westover
Quick update about my complicated schedule and a free desktop wallpaper.
The Secret to Breaking Writerβs Block: Do It Anyway; Also, an update.
Whether itβs fitness, professional, emotional, or spiritual goalsβthe only way to reach them is to do the work, whether you feel like it or not. The same is true for Writerβs Block. And, since itβs been a while, there are updates on multiple topics in this post.
New Leaf, New Pattern, and New Story
My mission to get my weight under control and the books that inspired me to do so, plus the release of the Just Plain Gloves Knitting Pattern and an announcement about some short fiction.
7 Favourite Fall Things
Sweaters on Pinterest and other knitting geekery, books, writing, simple comforts, and other joys of autumn. Hereβs whatβs been inspiring me.
The Benefits of βEscapist Fictionβ
Humans are made of stories. And, no matter the "world" that a story may be set in, at the heart of every good story is a character who is overcoming difficult situations that must be relatable to the reader in some way, or the story would not resonate with us. In this post, I talk about some ways that fantasy and other genres of fiction have benefited me, and why I think everyone should read or watch it.
I Saw This Going Differently in my Head
Iβve always had a semi-structured writing style, but recently discovered that Iβd been running my business like a writing pantser. (As in, βflying-by-the-seat-of-your-pants.β) But times, they are a-changing. How a little βplotsingβ will (hopefully) make a big difference.
7 Moments: What's Been Keeping Me Busy
A photo essay of what's been filling up my blog silence.
Drawing the Line: 5 Loving Reasons to Say βNoβ
Saying "no" to trying to control things which are impossible to control anyways means saying "yes" to peace, tranquility, and more time and energy doing things I love with people I love to be with.
7 Things: Books for Summer
Okay, so I know that summer is already almost half over. (What? I know, right?) But there are still six more weeks for summer reading--you've got plenty of time! (Six of the seven are indie authors or were published by small presses, and several are by Canadian authors. Can you guess which ones?)