Winters’ Day In

Time to spill the tea. Wanna cuppa?

Writing, Book Review, Journal Talena Winters Writing, Book Review, Journal Talena Winters

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.

Read More
Journal, Writing Talena Winters Journal, Writing Talena Winters

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?

Read More
Writing Talena Winters Writing Talena Winters

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.

Read More
Book Review, Writing, Life Hacks Talena Winters Book Review, Writing, Life Hacks Talena Winters

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.

Read More