I write a lot about fictional characters. To craft a good novel—my preference is romance or science fiction/fantasy—it’s important for an author to really know the characters. It’s called GMC, or goal, motivation, and conflict. What does the character want? Why does the character want it? What’s stopping the character? These probably sound pretty familiar for our own day-to-day lives, too.

However, the advice isn’t just for writers looking to pen the next best selling book. It’s for…

Though I confess not to be big on New Year’s resolutions—most of them are things we should probably do year round—I do find that the new year is a great time to reaffirm the things that I want to do in my life. For me, one of the biggest aspects of my life is my relationship with my pets.

I’ve always had many pets, so to me, a house filled with fur and feathered children (and some scaly) is nothing new. My parrot talks up a storm, having a vocabulary that far exceeds the…

As we move into the busy holiday season, we’re pushed into probably the most creative time of the year. And yet, this is also the time when people are the least creative. We become overwhelmed, running from task to task and taking care of parties and presents. Making something seems as if it will take too much time out of our schedule; it is so much easier to simply buy it. Better yet if the mall or store will wrap the present for us.

Now I’m not saying we all need to bake…