[Kristen Hogrefe Parnell] The Secret to Anticipating Christmas

How do you anticipate a season if you’re dreading it? For some, this year has been full of blessings, but for many, it’s been one challenge after another. I feel you. This year has been a mixed bag for me.
The secret is that anticipating Christmas doesn’t depend on our circumstances.

[Alyssa Roat] Are You a Workaholic?

In our newest contemporary romance novel, Picture Imperfect, the female lead Caroline could be defined as a workaholic. But how can you tell if someone is a workaholic—including yourself? “Workaholism” doesn’t just mean that someone works a lot. We all have to work long hours sometimes. Instead, workaholism refers to a work addiction. Researchers from

[Alyssa Roat] Hold Fast to Dreams

I started my debut novel, Wraithwood, at sixteen. I finished the first draft at seventeen and brought that unpolished manuscript with me to college. I was pursuing a degree in Professional Writing. I’d been promised I’d be published within my first semester. I knew other graduates had gotten their books published in college. This was

[Alyssa Roat] Disabilities in Fiction

Picture Credit: Dysautonomia International I’ve always been a reader, and like anyone else, I love an inspirational story. And what’s more inspirational than miraculous healings, rising above disabilities and illnesses, or an able-bodied person learning lessons from someone who has it worse? There’s a place for that. Especially since fiction is just that, fictional. But