Tag Archives: writing

Learning to Write in a Quieter House

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No one really prepares you for how quiet the house becomes when your children grow up.

For years, every schedule revolved around school events, sports practices, family dinners, and the constant rhythm of raising a family. Then one day, those routines change.

People often say this season gives parents more time for themselves, and that’s true.

What they don’t always mention is that it is scary, sad, and emotionally painful. Plus, it takes time to rediscover who you are outside of being needed every hour of every day.

For me, I’m trying to get back to my writing. I want to make writing part of that rediscovery.

The stories have always been there, nagging at my brain, but I haven’t always had the time to give to them. Maybe they were patiently waiting, maybe they took a hiatus from time to time. Now I’m hoping they will fill the quiet moments with imagination, purpose, and hope (instead of tears) for whatever chapter comes next.

Hoping the end of one season becomes the beginning of another.

Article by Nina Soden #TheRedheadedAuthor

Author Interview with David Deane Haskell

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David Deane Haskell writes fiction and nonfiction from the same place: people under pressure, traumatized, healing, trying to keep some part of themselves alive. His current fiction title is The Solarian Deep, a full-length science fiction novel set around first contact, oppressive systems, transformation, and the cost of surviving forces bigger than one person.

David spent nearly ten years as a drummer and show designer at Disney and Universal, then lived through a long creative shutdown before the creativity started moving again. The same life underscores all sides of his work. The fiction looks forward. The nonfiction tells the truth about what had to be survived first.

Emergence is the free fiction doorway on his website for readers who want to start with AI consciousness and a tech-dominated world. Wounded Angels remains part of the larger author story too: memoir, recovery, grief, addiction, and the long work of finding his voice again.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND HIM ONLINE:

Angelfall by Susan Ee

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Penryn’s fierce devotion to her disabled sister immediately establishes her as a determined and sympathetic protagonist. Her uneasy alliance with the wounded angel Raffe develops through necessity, distrust, and surprisingly effective humor. The ruined world is brutal, imaginative, and genuinely frightening. Although the mythology is only partially explained, the relentless pacing and emotional stakes make this one of the more compelling paranormal apocalypse stories.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

ORDER YOUR COPY HERE!

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

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Mercy Thompson is capable without being invincible. Her independence, mechanical skills, and complicated history with the local werewolf pack make her feel like a fully developed person rather than a collection of supernatural abilities. The mystery is engaging, and the world introduces vampires, fae, shapeshifters, and Native American mythology without overwhelming the reader. The restrained romantic tension leaves room for Mercy’s own story to lead.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

ORDER YOUR COPY HERE!

Somewhere Between Realtor and Author

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I wear a lot of hats… mom, wife, daughter, sister, author, Realtor, coach, team leader, actress, director, producer, business owner, etc. I get asked all the time, how I balance everything.

The honest answer? Some weeks I don’t. Sometimes I’m walking a very fine line, one second away from falling off the ledge.

One minute I’m negotiating contracts. The next I’m coaching agents. Then I’m directing actors through rehearsals. And somewhere in between all of that… I’m trying to remember what my fictional characters were doing before I had to answer seventeen phone calls.

It’s a strange life.

Sometimes I wonder if writing would be easier if it were my only job.

Then I remember that every one of these roles gives me something… makes me who I am… and pushes me to be the best version of myself.

Real estate, through my clients, my team members, and my coaching students teaches me the importance of setting and striving to reach my goals.

Theatre teaches me about chasing my dreams and never giving up.

Coaching teaches me about people, human nature, and the importance of teamwork and collaboration.

Maybe balance isn’t about doing less. Maybe it’s about remembering that every part of my life has a purpose and that sometimes it’s okay to ask for help.

~Nina Soden #TheRedheadedAuthor

1984 by George Orwell

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Winston Smith is not a conventional hero. He is frightened, compromised, and desperate for a truth he can barely define. His weaknesses make the power of the Party feel even more overwhelming. The plot can be intellectually dense, particularly during its political explanations, but its portrayal of surveillance, manipulated language, and controlled reality remains deeply disturbing. The conclusion is intentionally devastating rather than reassuring.

My Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars

ORDER YOUR COPY HERE!

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

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Zélie’s anger and determination are rooted in personal loss and systemic persecution. Amari develops from a frightened princess into someone willing to challenge her family, while Inan’s internal conflict shows the damage created by fear and indoctrination. The plot is ambitious, action-packed, and emotionally intense, though some romantic developments feel rushed. The magic system and West African-inspired world give the novel a vivid identity.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

ORDER YOUR COPY HERE!

The Book I Didn’t Write Today

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Today was supposed to be a writing day.

I even had it on my calendar.

Coffee.
Laptop.
Chapter nine.

I don’t get a lot of time to write but today was supposed to be simple. Not thing on my calendar, except writing, until later in the day.

Except life had other plans. A client called about a contract. Another needed to see a house. Someone had a question about coaching. Dinner theatre preparation started early.

By the time I finally sat down, at the end of the day, my brain felt like it had already lived three separate days.

For a moment I felt guilty. I promised myself and my readers that I would publish two novels this year and its already the end of August and I haven’t even published the first one.

The book didn’t grow today. It was supposed to, but it didn’t.

Then I realized… maybe it did.

Every conversation I had today taught me something about people. About hope. About stress. About disappointment. About joy.

Those are the things stories are made of, right?

Maybe writing isn’t always typing words. Sometimes it’s simply paying attention to the world around me.

Tomorrow, I’ll open the manuscript again.And maybe today’s life will help tomorrow’s chapter become something better.

~Nina Soden #TheRedheadedAuthor

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

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Percy Jackson’s humor and frustration make him an immediately likable narrator. Discovering that his difficulties are connected to his identity as a demigod allows him to reinterpret qualities he once considered weaknesses. Annabeth and Grover contribute their own skills and insecurities rather than functioning as simple sidekicks. The quest is fast, funny, and filled with clever modern versions of Greek mythology.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

ORDER YOUR COPY HERE!

Learning to Be Quiet

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This week the house felt… different.

Not quieter in the way people usually mean when they talk about becoming empty nesters. It wasn’t just the lack of noise. It was the lack of purpose.

For years, my calendar revolved around school schedules, kids’ events, helping with homework, shopping for what my kids needed, packing lunches, and figuring out what everyone wanted for dinner. Somewhere along the way, being “Mom” became such a big part of who I was that I forgot there would one day be fewer people needing me every hour of every day.

Now the house is still.

Too still, sometimes.

I keep walking past their bedrooms that are clean, because I cleaned them after they left so they would have a clean room to come home too on breaks. I catch myself wondering if I should text my kids just to say hello, then stop because I don’t want to interrupt whatever they’re doing at college.

I’m proud of them.

I’m excited for them.

And if I’m being honest… I miss them more than I words can express.

People keep telling me this means I’ll have more time to travel, to explore new hobbies, to read, and to write.

Maybe they’re right.

But writing has always come from my heart, and right now, my heart is broken. It’s learning how to live in a different season of life.

Maybe that’s okay.

Maybe every new chapter—whether in life or in a novel—feels a little uncomfortable at first.

I’ll keep writing.

One page at a time.

~Nina Soden #TheRedheadedAuthor