Winters’ Day In
Conversations on life, faith, stories, and creativity from author Talena Winters.
Pour a cuppa and stay awhile.
Big Week Ahead
I’m not sure I’m cramming enough exciting things into my week. What do you think?
New Leaf and Two Announcements
My mission to get my weight under control, plus the release of the Just Plain Gloves Knitting Pattern and an announcement about some of my short fiction.
New Title & Cover Reveal for my WIP!
I’m so excited to share my new cover and title with you! It blows me away! :-)
Work Afraid
Here’s a secret: We’re all afraid. Every person who succeeds at something has had to confront fear at some point to get to where they are. The trick is to start anyway.
The Benefits of "Escapist Fiction"
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
I’ve always had a semi-structured writing style, but recently discovered that I’d been running my business like a writing pantser. (As in, “flying-by-the-seat-of-your-pants.”) But times, they are a-changing. How a little “plotsing” will (hopefully) make a big difference.
Adventures in Authoring
Being an author, I have discovered, is nothing like anyone ever expects it to be. And today, I made a decision to go down a road in my career that surprised even me.
Insanely Optimistic
Some days, writing fiction for a living feels like walking through sludge in a mudstorm. I'm going to be honest—I 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 Writer’s Edition
Obligatory blog update. Mostly about writing. But also with a motivational Facebook Live video and guest post mention, in case you missed it. ;-)
The Story of the 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.
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.
When You Just Can't Do It All
Lately, I've been getting that too-familiar "overwhelmed" feeling. Looking back over the first six months of this year, I am coming to a difficult conclusion: I still can't do it all. So it's time to reset some priorities.