Wintersβ Day In
Spilling the tea since 2006. Wanna cuppa?
Conversations on life, faith, stories, music, and creativity from author and songwriter (and aspiring mermaid) Talena Winters.
Healing from Loss, One Bite at a Time
There is an old joke that goes, "How do you eat an elephant?"
"I don't know, how do you?"
"One bite at a time."
The not-so-hidden truth in here can be applied to so many thingsβprojects, goals, ginormous meals. But today, I'm going to talk about how I have found this true when tackling emotional hardship.*
*No elephants were harmed in the making of this blog post.
Through the Canadian Rockies to the Pacific Northwest
Photo recap of a whirlwind weekend road trip to Seattle, Washington, with a ton of natural beauty along the way.
Insanely Optimistic
Some days, writing fiction for a living feels like walking through sludge in a mudstorm. I'm going to be honestβI spend a little bit of every day wondering if I'm actually going to be able to pull this off. But no risk, no reward. Right?
Author Interview: About Me and "Finding Heaven"
On Sunday afternoon, I had the privilege of being interviewed on Facebook by author Joy Norstrom, one of the authors with whom I am co-hosting the Inspiring Women event at Audreys Books in Edmonton on Thursday. (The other is P.D. Workman.) For posterity's sake, and in case you missed it, I am copying the interview here.
A Conversation with Myself: Wherein I Give Myself a Solid Smack
I work alone, people. And usually, I love it. But on days like today, when all I wanna do is drink tea and read books, this is what conversations around my office sound like...
7 Things: The Busy Writerβs Edition
Obligatory blog update. Mostly about writing. But also with a motivational Facebook Live video and guest post mention, in case you missed it. ;-)
A Winterβs Day In βThrough the Lensβ
Today, I had a break from writing. So it was kind of a look-at-life-through-the-lens sort of day. Here are a few things my camera and I saw. Also, I was so honoured to be featured on Mary DeMuth's podcast the Restory Show.
Finding Heaven Book Launch Event
I hosted the book launch for Finding Heaven on November 16 at my local library, two days after the book was released. It was a great event. Here are some photos to prove it.
When the Mirror Lies
Over and over again, I have seen how what we believe to be true about ourselves, we make true about ourselves. And there's nothing that anyone else can say to change that self-image unless we want to change it.
Finding Heaven: A Story That Matters
Two years ago, when I began this journey, I was terrified. I was newly grieving. I didn't know why this was the story God gave me to write, but I did know that it was the one I was supposed to write. Here are some early reviews that confirmed that to me.
7 Moments: What's Been Keeping Me Busy
A photo essay of what's been filling up my blog silence.
Why God Didn't Stop the Shooting
So often in the aftermath of tragedy, Christians who have been raised to think of God as their protection charm turn away, and atheists mock the impotence of the God we declare to be firmly in control. But is it possible we have Godβand his view of human tragedyβall wrong?
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.
Melissa Keaster: Writing from the Ashes
"The Enemy came to steal, kill, and destroy my passion, but God flipped the switch on the devilβs own scheme. The thing that was meant to keep me down helped me to focus on the essentials." Read more of Melissa's amazing story in today's blog post.
2-Minute Tutorial: Write a Good Book Review
Writing reviews is probably one of the very best ways you can help your favourite authors (besides buying their books). On sites like Amazon, once a book has a certain number of reviews the platform "rewards" it by showing it in the "Also bought" lists. Some readers and book newsletters won't even consider reading a book until it has 25, 50, or even 100 reviews. But what makes a good review? Here are the "3 Rs" of writing a good book review.