The Summer Song Excerpt They always say you can’t go home again, but let me add to that advice. If you do return home to live with your stoic, lawyer father and meddling mother, make sure you’re not thirty with a bankrupt business and a failed romance. These were the TED Talk-like thoughts running through my mind as I hunched over boxes in the mildewy basement of Tino’s Italian restaurant, thankful there wasn’t a mirror for me to peruse the assuredly disastrous state of my hair. I rolled my eyes at my senseless inner monologue as the wind howled outside, threatening to send the ancient boardw ..read more

We hear so many things about how if you keep dreaming, good things happen–and I really do believe that. However, sometimes you find yourself in a season of life where you’re just stuck. Where it feels like the dream is so far away. Where you just keep getting rejected. That was the inspiration for my book “The Summer Song.” Tillie Ashby isn’t your typical stars-in-her-eyes romance character at the beginning. She’s really struggling–with a failed business, a failed financial situation, a failed relationship, and a lost best friend. When she moves back to her hometown of Ocean City, Maryland ..read more

​To the little girl still inside so many of us who was taught she had to be small, To be the quiet one, The kind one, The never ruffle feathers one.   To the little girl who was taught she shouldn’t chase butterflies Or stare at the stars too long because Life was on the ground.   To the little girl who was taught The worst thing of all was to not fit in, To not belong, To not be seen as sweet.   To the little girl who quickly became afraid of being Too bossy, Too mean, Too rude, Too loud, Too boisterous, Too different, Too weird, Too much.   To that little girl that sits ..read more

What if I make the wrong choice? It’s a paralyzing question so many have faced in our lives.  We ask it when we’re considering new jobs, new houses, new states. The question plagues us when we’re deciding on life partners, on what’s best for our kids, on which puppy to pick. We ask it when deciding what outfit to wear to the Eras Tour, when thinking about what haircut to get, and all sorts of other smaller decisions. The truth is, most of us are paralyzed by the fear of making the wrong choice. But I think if you switch your perspective just a hair, you realize an earth-shattering real ..read more

You can do it all. Variants of this inspirational quote adorn throw pillows, Instagram graphics, and T-shirts. At first glance, the sentiment is admirable and even motivational. As a big dreamer, I think it’s healthy to remove mental blocks and limitations. I hope everyone can find the courage to strive for their wildest dreams. Nonetheless, I also think if we do a deep dive, this sentiment can be dangerous to your overall dreams and fulfillment. I do believe you can do it all…but you shouldn’t. The problem with this quote is that without us realizing, it seeps into our daily lives and poi ..read more

When I was really young, I would sit in the grass for long periods of time, combing through the stalks for four-leaf clovers. My brown eyes would study inch after inch of grass, searching for the elusive, seemingly mythical magic that could be found in the four-leaf shape. I don’t think at five or six I really knew why I needed the magic of the lucky clover. I’ve long since lost touch with the wild imagination of that girl, but I’m guessing she probably would have thought the four-leaf clover would allow her to talk to cats or change her Barbies’ hair to pink with one touch or reveal the rea ..read more

​You stare at the photograph from ten years ago and realize with frustration you don't look the same. Your skin is looser, your stomach is bigger, your legs are chunkier. Your arms are thicker now, and you wouldn't dare squeeze into an outfit like that. Maybe the scale says you're heavier. Maybe you can't fit in those jeans anymore. You are not the same, and it irks you to the core. So you do what the media has taught us to do. You say no to the birthday cake when you want to say yes. You cut calories so you go to bed hungry. You make yourself dizzy, all in the sake of calorie deficit. You ..read more

As a business, it is crucial to connect with your customers and communicate in meaningful ways. However, with the ever-changing business landscapes, it can be difficult to efficiently and authentically send written notes. Over the past few years in my own business journey as an author and a boutique owner, I've learned this: personal connection is crucial to building brand loyalty. Plus, it's always important on a human level to actually make meaningful relationships. I don't want my readers or customers to just be a number to me. I want them to feel connected. For a small business like me ..read more

I before E except after C. Tying shoes. How to be polite Math. Reading. How to write a thank-you. Growing up, they taught us a lot of things--but they didn't teach us this one thing: Adult life is hard. Really hard. I think somewhere in our 20s, most of us realize that keeping up with all of the responsibilities, worries, and finances of adult life is exhausting. Add to that the pandemic we have been handling these last few years and the constant changes, most of us are facing anxious, stressful times. There are, of course, many ways you can try to alleviate these stressors, for better or w ..read more

I am so excited to have received an ARC of The Sound of Violet by Allen Wolf. This book is going to be a movie in 2022, so you'll want to check it out now. It's great for anyone who loves young adult reads and romance. Check out more info below, including the first chapter! About the Book: Desperate to find a soulmate, Shawn goes on one awkward date after another until he encounters the alluring Violet. He starts dating her, but his autism keeps him from realizing that she’s actually a prostitute. Shawn thinks he’s found a potential wife while Violet thinks she’s found her ticket to a bran ..read more