Ever times would change and tides alter, and o'er hills of morning hope come striding to awake the weary, while the world lasted.

Where did the idea for The Giant’s Blade come from? When I first drafted The Giant’s Blade in 2024, I’d recently read the book of 1 Samuel in the Bible. It contains the famous story of David and Goliath. But if you keep reading a few chapters, there is another reference to Goliath’s sword, once David is running for his life. Here’s the verse: David asked Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or sword? The king’s business was so urgent that I didn’t even have time to grab a weapon!” “I only have the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah,” the priest replied. “It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here.” “There is nothing like it!” David replied. “Give it to me!” So David escaped from Saul and went to King Achish of Gath. (1 Sam. 21:8-10, NLT) There are some historical theories about where the sword ultimately ended up, but no biblical verification on that point. So The Giant’s Blade was written, in part, to answer the question…what happened to that sword Goliath wielded, the one David used to cut off Goliath’s own head…and later reclaimed in a daring escape? When you read The Giant’s Blade, you can consider it biblically-inspired mythology, or you can consider it fictionalized history, or mere medieval fantasy. Most of all, I hope you consider it a good story that sparks your own imagination! God’s Word has always been, and is increasingly, my greatest source of inspiration. Makes sense, if you believe, as I do, that we are all made to reflect the original Creator himself. That is why The Giant’s Blade is dedicated “To the original Author, my source.” Want to read #thegiantsblade? Get your copy from @nightshadepublishing THIS Thursday, 2/26/26!

SWIPE FOR COVER ➡️ ⚔️To fail in her quest will mean death—and not just her own. Will you join Queen Francesca on her perilous journey? ⚔️ The Giant’s Blade, releasing 2/26/26, is a medieval fantasy short story that will be exclusively e-published with @nightshadepublishing! Be sure to get your copy on release day. And please give it up for @catarinabookdesigns, who designed this gorgeous cover art! 😍 #thegiantsblade #medievalfantasy #shortstory #indieauthor #indiepublisher

The Giant’s Blade is releasing in 8 days. Here’s what you should know… 🗡️ It is a short story, equal to about 21 book-length pages. You can probably read it in half an hour. This makes it the perfect quick escape, with plenty to spark your imagination and move your heart without the commitment of starting a whole new book. ❄️ It’s going to be published exclusively on digital platforms, meaning when you buy it on release day 😉 (2.26.26), you won’t have to wait to read it. It will be ready immediately to read on your favorite digital platform—kindle, phone, laptop, etc! Also, it will be easy to take on the go, for when you want to revisit it for a quick fantasy fix. We all need those, right?? 🗡️ It is serious enough for adults and safe enough for mature teen readers. There is violence on the page and evil deeds referenced. But no excessive gore, nothing NSFW. Protagonists are in their mid 20s. ❄️ This will be my first piece of published fiction. 🥹 I am so excited and so incredibly grateful to @nightshadepublishing for believing in this story! I pray it finds the right readers, and hope that includes you. 💙 🗡️ The cover, created by the talented @catarinabookdesigns, releases THIS weekend! If you’re excited about reading The Giant’s Blade or interested in supporting me as a brand new indie author, share the cover reveal with me when it’s posted! ❄️ Swipe for a cover teaser. (Images created with help from a Madalyn Cox photo from Unsplash) #thegiantsblade #nightshadepublishing #medievalfantasy #fantasyshortstory #indieauthor

Sharing the title reveal again because look at this gorgeous title art by @catarinabookdesigns. 😍 Can’t wait to share the FULL cover soon! As we get closer to the release of #thegiantsblade, I’ll share a bit more about my process in writing it. For starters, here are a few stories, both true and fictional, that offered some inspiration, whether an image in my mind or a “what if…” question that I felt compelled to answer. 1. 1 Samual 21:9 2. Sansa’s escape in season 5 of GOT 3. The Purge (just the concept; haven’t actually seen it) 😅 4. Beren and Luthien’s teamwork (my fave Tolkien couple) 🖤 Hopefully some of that piques your interest in the story! If not, maybe this synopsis will. 🏰🗡️❄️ The Seeking has begun. For five days in winter’s harshest depths, serfs are free to seek the Sword of Goliath—that fabled relic brought back from a crusade long ago. Legend says whoever claims the sword is blessed with supernatural favor. No person has found the blade in generations, but that doesn’t stop the desperate from trying. Nor does it stop the queen. Francesca, unwillingly wed to the wicked, yet powerful, King Kazimir, is desperate enough to try and claim the giant’s blade for herself. If she can steal the divine favor that has long blessed her abusive husband’s lineage, she might be able to save the people she loves the most. With the cold, the king, and the other seekers against her, Francesca knows that to fail in her quest will mean death—and not just her own. Get your copy 2/26/26 with @nightshadepublishing! #indieauthor #indiepublisher #medievalfantasy

I won’t be seeing the new “Wuthering Heights” movie, but I hope I can convince you to read the book if you haven’t! I read it last year for the first time and became an instant fan. You can read about some of my favorite quotes from this novel on my substack, or swipe through this post. May a love like Heathcliff and Catherine’s never find you!!! #wutheringheights #emilybrontë #quotesofnote #thebookwasbetter

I don’t need the “ask ChatGPT” trend for a picture that captures my personality. I just need my husband snapping pictures of me when I fall asleep on the couch while trying to read, which he tends to do. Because it happens frequently. 😅 This is me. Nice to meet you. As you can see, I’m tired, but in a GOOD way because so many exciting things are coming up…including my first ever published SHORT STORY, a medieval fantasy about a desperate queen dropping very soon with @nightshadepublishing! If you’d like to help by ARC reading or joining the street team, please visit my stories. I can’t wait for this story to be shared with the world so very soon. 💙❄️🏰🗡️

I’m a couple days late but… Happy Cover Reveal to Apples and Arrows! 🍎💘 The second book in @twenty_hills’ Crimson Book Collection, Apples & Arrows includes novellas and novelettes that rediscover the macabre and magical world of Snow White in various fantasy settings. 👀 Organized by @crystalgrantauthor and @moriah.chavis this multi-author anthology features works by @abigailfalangaauthor @l.a.thornhill @writervanessa @anne.j.hill.author & @mermaidhannahwrites I’m grateful to be working with Twenty Hills on one of my own short stories (stay tuned for more details and another Crimson Book installment to come). And I look forward to getting my hands on a copy of APPLES AND ARROWS when it releases this weekend! Congrats to all involved! 🎉

A little update. As I navigate the balance between work and writing, school and homeschool, real life and online, I’m finding that having multiple different sites for different “categories” of my blogging is unsustainable. That’s why I’m consolidating most of my online writing onto Substack. It makes it easy. That includes my “Quotes of Note,” which were previously available exclusively via my newsletter. If you currently subscribe to my email updates, you’ll still be the first to hear any publishing news or special announcements from me. And THANK YOU. But now, everyone can find my “Quotes of Note” reflections and other online musings at “Hills of Morning,” my Substack site. (Find the link in my biosite, which has been updated accordingly.) Today, I’m reflecting on a quote from Shawn Smucker’s “The Edge of Over There,” and what it reveals about the core questions human beings have always asked. If you want a 3 minute reflection on what it means to be human, I’d be honored if you read it.

I’ll be honest. I didn’t do a lot of new writing in 2025. There were manuscripts I didn’t complete. Rewrites I didn’t finish. Queries I didn’t send. But you know what did happen that I am super proud of? TWO short stories that I poured my heart into in 2024 got accepted for publication! 😍 One of them will be published independently very soon, likely next month! The other will be published in an anthology sometime in 2027. For more seasoned or prolific writers, just two short stories accepted in one year may seem like small potatoes. But as I’ve never been published before…these are big taters to me! I didn’t keep up the weekly newsletter I wanted to send. (It’s quarterly ish, ok?) I didn’t post very regularly on the Substack blog I stayed up way too late one night making. Of course I hope to write more in 2026 and of course I will set wildly optimistic goals for my output, despite nothing in my life slowing down in the slightest for the foreseeable future. That’s what goal setters do, right? 🙃 But…I’m ok with this year. Not just because of my wins (yeah, I am giddy about those acceptances if you can’t tell) but because I know the time hasn’t been wasted. Every obligation, every challenge, every bursting-full day is experience that forms me and my understanding of life, reality, and people. I think it will make me a better writer. I think it is already. Time is only wasted if you decide it is. (Second pic because my dog is pretty and that sunset?! So gorgeous.)

This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to learn more about the classics and especially how to understand them in the light of a Christian worldview. I also highly recommend reading it at a cozy coffee shop while it’s cold and rainy outside, which I was lucky enough to do this weekend. ☕️🌧️🥰

Survived a multi-day march through projects and deadlines for work and school. This morning I was blessed with a quiet house and a couple of hours to read what I wanted. Now back to the grind.

“It’s like a fairytale.” - My husband It was so special getting to witness woods full of monarch butterflies mid-migration. I wish I could have captured it on camera. When you stopped for more than a few seconds to really look at the trees, they were absolutely alive with butterfly wings. Just goes to show that sometimes, you don’t even have to open a book to experience something that feels magical. You just have to slow down and open your eyes a little wider. 🧡🖤