The Women Behind the Words: My Knuckles Critique Group

Every writer needs people who believe in the story before anyone else gets to read it.

For me, those people are my Knuckles.

This amazing group of women came alongside me while I was writing my latest book, the one that has now gone from a half-formed idea in my head to a published book sitting in readers’ hands. 

They read the messy drafts, asked the hard questions, caught the little things I missed, and helped shape the story into something stronger.

But they did more than improve my manuscript.

They improved me.

Each woman in Knuckles brings something different to the table. They are smart, creative, thoughtful, and caring. They challenge me when a scene needs more heart (or kissing). They celebrate the wins and gently nudge me when I need to dig deeper.

Writing can be a lonely road, but having a critique group means you don’t have to walk it alone. These women reminded me that stories are built not only with words, but with connection, encouragement, and a whole lot of support.

To my Knuckles: thank you for your honesty, your wisdom, your laughter, and your friendship. Thank you for making my book better.

Thank you for making me better.

❤️📚

Brekke Felt

Jaime Theiler

Jessica Guernsey

Erin Stewart

Crystal Leicthy 

Small-Town Crushes and Other Humiliations Part 2

 A normal person might have accepted this obvious gift from the universe.

In what remains one of the most awkward moments of my teenage years, I suggested that all three of us hold hands.

All three.

I still cringe thinking about it.

To this day, I have no idea what possessed me to say that. Panic, probably. My brain saw romance approaching and immediately pulled the emergency brake.

Needless to say, it did not have the smooth, swoony effect I was hoping for.

The older I get, the more I realize that those awkward moments are exactly why I write small-town romance.

Real crushes aren’t polished. They’re sweaty palms and nervous laughter. They’re saying the wrong thing at exactly the wrong moment.

They’re accidentally making a situation ten times more embarrassing because you’re trying so hard not to be embarrassed.

It’s those the memories that stick with us.

The sweet, quiet country boy from that truck ride may never know it, but pieces of him will probably live forever in my stories. Not exactly as he was, of course. Characters have a way of borrowing traits from a dozen different people before becoming someone entirely new.

The same goes for the friend sitting on the other side of me.

(Part 3 next week!)

Please tell me I’m not the only one with embarrassing and innocent memories! Please share!

Small-Town Crushes and Other Humiliations Part 1

 One of the reasons I love writing small-town romance is because small towns don’t let you forget your crushes.

Ever.

I was reminded of that recently while thinking about high school and some of the stories that eventually find their way into my books.

One memory stands out.

It was my senior year. I was squeezed into the front seat of a pickup truck between two country boys who were a year or two younger than me. (If you grew up in a small town, you already know exactly what kind of truck I’m talking about). Dust on the floorboards. Country music on the radio. The kind of vehicle that had probably seen more dirt roads than paved ones.

I had a crush on one of them.

Naturally, I thought I was hiding it brilliantly.

I was not.

At some point, he figured it out. Maybe someone told him. Maybe I turned bright red every time he talked to me. Whatever happened, he knew.

And I was mortified.

The funny thing is that he was probably one of the sweetest boys I’ve ever known. Quiet. Kind. The type who listened more than he talked. Looking back, I realize I always had a weakness for the quiet ones.

In fact, I eventually married one.

But at seventeen, all I knew was that my crush knew I liked him, and I wanted the earth to swallow me whole.

Then he tried to hold my hand.

(Cliffhanger, I know! Hopefully you'll be back for the next installation!).