Writers After Dark: Lights Out Won The Chapter of Excellence Award!

So this happened.....


Honestly, I'm still in shock. I was not expecting to win this at all. When I got the email from Writers After Dark, telling me that my first chapter from Lights Out had won the grand prize, I almost fell right out of my chair! It's insane, right? And truly humbling. Thank you so much, Writers After Dark, for selecting my chapter! Check out the hyperlink to find all the winners! First chapters are more important than we realize!



New Year, New Coffee Shop



(picture above: Backyard Beans mocha and a salted caramel biscotti...so good!)

            Okay, so we’re a month into the New Year. By now, I’m sure most of your resolutions have sailed out the window but hey, no judgement here, believe me. I told myself on December 31st that I would put this blog to good use much more than I have in the past and here we are, currently, on the first day of February and only now I’m putting a new post up.
            *sigh*
            But that’s all right because we need to focus on something more important than sticking to useless resolutions. Something that we all know, love and cherish.
            Coffee.
            If you’ve ever decided to expand your coffee palette, which is, quite frankly, easier said than done when there are fifty Starbucks within a five-mile radius from you at all times, you can find small coffee shops making an appearance, popping up like little mushrooms after a rainstorm. One such place I’ve come across is right in the middle of town called Backyard Beans.
            Sporting a minimalist lay-out that’s both startling and welcoming, this local hole-in-the-wall is a stone’s throw away from yup, you guessed it, Starbucks. But come inside and you’ll feel the quiet embraces you like an old friend. The menu is simple and so completely unencumbered, it’ll take you a minute to realize that no, you’re not missing anything. It takes you back to a time when things were simple, when coffee was a singularly easy task, brewed hot and delicious, light and satisfying.
            So, this year, don’t be afraid to branch out. Coffee was invented for us to gain the courage to try new things and you don’t have to wait till New Year’s to do it.