Life is yours, be unapologetically you.

Hey CF friends! I’m so excited to feature author J.M. Hackman this week, as she dances her way through the internet on her blog tour! Let’s celebrate the release of her latest book, FLARE: The Firebrand Chronicles, Book Two! The “Darlings” of Flare by J.M. Hackman “In writing, you must kill all your darlings.” ~William Faulkner Could you kill your parents? How about your best friend? William Faulkner’s advice was impossible to follow when it came to creating the characters fo

The front door slammed against the wall, cracking the yellow paint. A man fell inside, panting like his life depended on it. “Quick, get us out of here! A twister—at the end of the block. Headed this way!” The man stumbled and fell to one knee, his gaze on the two boys before him. The taller boy’s eyes shot wide, his heart pounding. “But Aaron, what can I—” “Don’t deny it, Chad. I know your secret. You need to get us out of here now!” “You know?” the younger boy said. Aaron n

“I know your secret.” Abigail crossed her arms. “What—” Her dad blinked. She held a shiny quarter. “This was under my pillow.” He swallowed. “Oh?” Little Abigail tilted her head. “You’ve been giving me these in exchange for my teeth.” “I don’t know—” She opened her dad’s closet. “Admit it. You’re the tooth fairy.” Her dad sighed. The closet had a thousand tiny drawers, each one filled with teeth and labeled with a name. “You’re the literal tooth fairy.” Abigail huffed. “Do me

“Blue One-Four-Seven, hold steady as I come back around.” “Copy that. Holding steady, Gold Five-Nine-Zero.” “Descending at a rate of ten-thousand—wait! Blue One, you’ve got a Glider on your tail! Bank right, now.” “Uh, negative, Gold Five. I don’t see it. I’m not seeing him!” “He’s there. Turn now, he’s got a lock on you!” “Banking right!” “He missed! Yes. Good flying, Blue One.” “I’m looping back so he can’t get a lock on me again.” “Better move fast. I count at least three

It’s been a whole month since I saw my people face-to-face. This conference–the only Christian Speculative Fiction Writers Conference of its kind–is definitely the highlight of my year. Last year I flew to Reno, this year it was St. Louis. I think it’s safe to say, this thing could be held in Tokyo and I’d be on the next flight out! When I hopped in my car to begin my drive, I broke down crying. I cried for the first half hour. Not just because I would miss my family (there’s

Photo by Enis Yavuz on Unsplash Hey friends! I know I’ve been silent over the past month. I decided to take a spontaneous vacation and focus on finishing the edits of my current WIP. The good news = I finished basic edits. The complicated news = I’ve added a few major changes that I’m still working on. New goal = to have a completed MS by July. *sigh* Why do these characters keep telling me things? Having said that, here’s an update on my submission goals for 2018! April: Sub

“Dare you to Ding-Dong-Ditch Ms. Hannity’s place.” Casper wagged his brows, his broad smile reflecting a mouth full of metal. “Nah. We’re eleven, now. Let’s do something fun.” Jared cast a wary eye at the old woman’s house. Its run-down exterior and overgrown lawn gave him the creeps. He kicked a rock down the vacant street. If he didn’t look scared, maybe Casper would drop it. “What? You afraid of the witch?” Jared stifled a groan. “No. And she’s not a witch. She’s old. I ju

Photo by Kris Guico on Unsplash Saltwater slips from the ends of my hair as I surface. The ocean is warm, sunlight reflecting off the choppy waves. My arms and legs move in tandem while I circle and twist and soak in the essence of the sea. I squint at bright blue sky, a seagull busy overhead, calling to his friends in search of their next meal. I’ve drifted further out than planned, although the shore is still within a safe distance. A shout echoes from the beach but I ignor

Photo by Daniel Cheung on Unsplash Well, fellow CF friends, something is amiss. Yesterday it was Easter Sunday and today I woke up to find it’s almost halfway through the month! *blink, blink* It may have something to do with the fact that I spent a few days down in Florida and now my whole writing groove is thrown off. Eep! But, I’m back and (hopefully) will have meaningful things to post. *wink* So, head on over to AlmostAnAuthor to check out my latest fantasy/sci-fi post.