New Frappe

This is a new frappe I’ve been working on. It’s good for friends who don’t like the bitterness of coffee but need a bit of a pick me up. Here is the recipe:

1 shot espresso
1/2 cup milk
1 tbs sweetened condensed milk
1 cup ice

Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth. For a richer coffee flavor add another shot of espresso. Add whip cream or soft top if desired.

A clear glass mug filled with a creamy beverage topped with whipped cream, placed on a textured countertop.

I know it’s a little early in our relationship to ask this, but if you can think of a good name for my new frappe, please post it in the comments!

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Productive?

I’ve heard there is a whole genre of influencers who do productivity videos. They have every second of their day timed to get the most done. I have not watched them because just thinking about it exhausts me. Don’t get me wrong; I’m a hard worker. Two days a week I work 12 hours, and I only have one day that is truly a non-work day…unless a concert gets scheduled that day. What turns me off about the productivity videos is the optimization. I understand the importance of efficiency, but there is also…importance in…drifting.

A few years ago there was a push to get Maladaptive Daydreaming categorized as a mental illness. I don’t know if it happened or not, but I think most writers must have it. Maladaptive Daydream is when you get lost in imaginary worlds sometimes to the detriment of daily life. Of course it’s not a detriment if you can turn it into big bucks. Otherwise, maybe you have a mental illness. I embrace it though. Sometimes bedtime is the best time because I can just let my mind wander. I’ve decided it’s my brain’s way of sorting events, even if I’m not thinking directly about the events.

Today was a half-day of work for me, and then I was productive by getting bills paid and emails sent and the kitchen cleaned. I had planned more ways to be productive like sketching out a week’s worth of blogs and rewriting some chapters. Instead, my brain needed to drift and daydream. And I’m okay with that.

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Book of the Week: Vampire Slayer

Jazz is one of my favorite characters that I’ve created. In his words:

You see, my real job is vampire slayer. Yeah, yeah it’s also not normal for satyrs to hunt vamps. We’re easily distracted by beer, boobs and bands, but beneath our three in the afternoon hang-overs, we’re good guys who can be pushed to our limit like everyone else.

Jazz is actually one of the first characters I created way back when I was taking writing classes. In the first story, the surprise reveal at the end was Jazz being a satyr. My teacher told me that audiences did not like “gotcha endings.” So then I tried to write it from the perspective of the love interest. The hope was audiences would be surprised in a good way along with Kyra when Jazz revealed himself as a Satyr. But I didn’t like that version. Several years later, I was invited to enter a story in an anthology (an “achievement unlocked” moment for me) and I decided to make one more attempt with Jazz. I did it in first person POV with him being straight-up with the audience about being a satyr. I love this version.

Vampire Slayer is a humorous, adventurous, and romantic way to start your week! Download today from Amazon for only $.99!

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Reading Habit

Today when I was waiting in the drive through for my daily coffee, I was looking for new books on my phone. When I got to the window, the guy asked me what I was reading next. Clearly, I had not had my coffee yet because the question startled me. But I was excited to hear that he was trying to get back into the reading habit. Of course, I was sad when my name was not listed as one of the author’s he was reading 🙂

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Winter Bonfires

The beach was spotted with groups of locals and various sizes of bonfires. The surf pounded the beach under a clear night sky, but most stars were hidden by the bright moonlight. A few high school girls ran by us while they giggled and looked at their phone.

“Kids these days are too stuck in their phones,” said Addy.

“Oh, like we were any better,” I said.

“We were!” exclaimed Addy. “Remember that New Year’s Eve party our junior year?”

“How could I forget,” said Carla. “We played quarters till we puked.”

“Except for Liz. She disappeared.”

“I didn’t want to drink,” I said, glad it was dark because I could feel the blush on my cheeks. A wave crashed on the beach as my insides swelled like they did whenever that night was mentioned.

Find out what Her New Year’s Eve Secret is Free on Amazon.

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Celebration Romance

Hello! I’m so happy you stopped by!

If you take a look at my bibliography, I have four stories centered around holidays. I like celebrations. They can be messy, tense and frustrating. But when the preparations are done and everyone has gathered, the time and emotional cost are worth it.

To encourage myself to write more this year, I spent all of December 31, 2025 writing a romantic short story and published it on New Year’s Day. I would categorize Her New Year’s Eve Secret as a slice of life romance, except I made the male lead a billionaire. So it’s a Billionaire Slice of Life Romance 🙂

In any case, I know it’s March, but if you’re looking for a very short read that will give a boost to your day, download Her New Year’s Eve Secret! It’s always free on Kindle Unlimited, and starting March 2 it will be free for everyone else until March 5.

I’d love to hear from you in the comments…tell me your favorite holiday!

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