As a child raised on Mammy’s cooking in Gone with the Wind, Fannie Flagg’s Fried Green Tomatoes, and my grandmother’s pralines, it’s really no wonder once I started writing what came out was flavored with okra, squash casserole, and buttercream frosting. My debut novel, NO PLACE TO FALL, is set Read more…
I wrote this for you, Pitch Wars. Perhaps I have too much free time on my hands. Anywho, thank-you to everyone for your dedication to making aspiring novelists dreams come true. Enjoy! Ashley ‘Twas the night before #PitchWars, and all through the web, writers were stirring, not a lone one Read more…
TODAY’S BREW: Spikey Eggnog! Until my liver screams for Christmas to be over! By Julie I am a smelly person. WAIT! I don’t have an odor, I mean that I’m very scent-driven, as I’m sure most of us are. Scent is the most evocative of the senses, and Christmas is Read more…
The holidays mean drinking for the Fairholm Family in the New Adult book Elegantly Wasted. Actually, any day means drinking, but the holidays are no exception. I have crafted a few different drinks for special occasions – which can be viewed on the Wasted Blog. Give this bubbly cocktail Read more…
Today is December 12th. Which means that Christmas is super soon. I’m in a simultaneous state of YIKES (presents to buy!) and YAY (presents to get!) And in the spirit of Christmas, the Freshman Fifteens and I have a present for YOU. In case you didn’t know, the Freshman Fifteens Read more…
I know you couldn’t wait, but alas, all good things … So I won’t go into much detail. If you were the top pick of one of our fabulous mentors, you may not enter any contests until after the agent round. Alternates may enter contests. Not all mentors are sending Read more…
Well, it’s been a week of swimming in applications, Gmail headaches, and making connections with new friends and your mentors have finally chosen their mentees and alternates. Below you will find the golden Pitch Wars list of teams. But, wait! It’s never a contest until you throw in a surprise, Read more…
My favorite Christmas traditions go hand-in-hand: baking delicious treats and spending time with friends and family. For years, we hosted a Christmas Cookie Open House at our home every December. I’d bake approximately 300 dozen cookies (yes, I did say 300 DOZEN – I usually made between 12 and 20 Read more…
Once upon a time, in a land far away from sugar plums or even fairies of any kind, there was a little girl who asked Santa for a magic wand. She asked him in a crowded mall, shyly expressing this One Truest Wish to a man whose fake white beard Read more…
It starts not with a gun, but with a whistle. You won’t find a race with fewer frills than this one. No mile markers, regular water stops, pinned-on numbers, or electronic timing; one of my former track coaches holds a stopwatch at the finish time. There’s no tracking device Read more…