At the Spinal Dread event, I'm delighted to sign my award-winning book, Born of Dirt & Dust, a collection of speculative fiction filled with psychological horror, urban dread, dark fantasy, and a bitter taste of sci-fi. Bite-sized stories you can sink your teeth into again and again.

I gain tremendous pleasure capturing memorable moments chatting with new friends who stop by my booth, ask about my books, my writing process, and me. But most of all, the gift I receive is their friendship and hearing more about their creative spirit, the joys and challenges in their life, and their journey achieving their wildest dreams.

With one foot in the past and one foot in the future, I straddle decisions about beneficial ways to increase visibility of my recent book, Born of Dirt & Dust. Keep in mind I'm an independent author who isn't backed by a corporate publishing house. This means, I'm challenged with distribution limitations. However ...

I've always believed that Indie authors bring a special magic to the world of book publishing, especially when it comes to writing niche, unfiltered, authentic stories that shed light and truth about our humanity and the world we live in.

Live events can be a surprisingly powerful lever for indie authors—not just for selling books, but for building a sustainable career.

Yesterday, I met Jason Reynolds at an author event hosted by the OC Library. Yes! It was an absolute pleasure. I took notes, listening as Jason spoke about words and rhythm and the power of sound; layers of subtext as meaningful ideas that don't have to be shouted in the dialogue or paragraphs of his stories; and his passion for the heartbeat of language, his love of Shakespeare, and his fascination with all creatures living on the land or oceans of our earth.

Love to receive a book with a personalized message signed by the author? You've come to the right place!

I read and I write and I read throughout the days and nights, because books and their authors have a special way of revealing truths about our humanity, our potential, our weaknesses, our vulnerabilities, yet our courage and resilience to survive. These are the reasons why I won’t let go. Why I have to keep going. It’s my writing journey, and there is no end.

One of my top-tier favorite pastimes is attending OC Library's hosted literary events featuring best-selling authors. A few days ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Kaira Rouda, an award-winning USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author of contemporary fiction that explores what goes on beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives. Yeah! Bring it on, Kaira!! "Let's talk murder. The fictional kind, of course." That's her tagline. And I love it.