The Ability to Let Go When Creating a Work of Art

June 24, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

I think the hardest part of working in any creative industry is learning the art of letting go. My editor used you highlight my beautifully crafted, overly long, and poetically delicate sentences as “purple prose”. And then, she would cross them out with a second comment, “I’m sorry, but I’m killing your darlings.” Of course […]

Praetorian Rising: Book Cover REVEAL

June 1, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

Hello my lovely Peeps! I finally have a completed book cover and I’m so excited to share this with all of you. I’ve posted it on my instagram and twitter, but wanted to give you a more indepth description of why I chose this direction of artwork and what it means. Without further ado, here […]

How to Make Writing A Habit: I WRITE!

April 13, 2019.Reading time 12 minutes.

One of the most annoying things about being an author when you have a full-time job is finding the time to actually write. Getting into a creative mode can be harder than making a perfect croissant (that’s hard people, have you tried to make them!? Those french bakers really just outdo themselves). I once heard […]

How to Self Publish Your Novel as a Hard Copy: KDP and Create Space

March 30, 2019.Reading time 6 minutes.

Ready to get your book published? Yeah?! Me too! Well I have thought for the last two years, “When I am ready to self-publish I will do Kindle publishing and also get my book purchase to print published through Create Space. Well, did you know that Amazon recently bought Create Space? No? Neither did I. […]

Self Publishing…Here I Come!

March 27, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

Three months and counting! I can’t believe I have made it this far, though I never doubted myself in the determination to be here, I never thought I would take matters into my own hands either. About six months ago I officially became fed up with the traditional publishing path. I have sent over 150 […]

Writing a Theme: Insight into Writing a Book

March 27, 2019.Reading time 5 minutes.

One of the biggest questions I am asked when people find out I wrote a book is, “So how do you do it? How did you write the book, what is your process?” The number one thing I say back to this almost as often is, “I sat down and wrote!” But that isn’t the […]

Get ready to hear more from J. McSpadden

January 6, 2019.Reading time 4 minutes.

Hello My Lovlies, I know, first things first…. it has been WAY too long since I have posted on here. I am a bad naughty little blogger. I will admit that I have been spending an absorbent amount of time on my writing and on Instagram. Shameless I know 😉 After my recent decision to […]

A Positive Query AND Pie…how did I get so lucky!?

March 14, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

I’m going to start this post with a happy dance and a major high five. Peeps of the blogging world, I FINALLY HAD AN AGENT ASK TO READ MY MANUSCRIPT! None of that: thanks but no thanks. And not a single word of: I’m just not looking for your content at this time. I got […]

Rejection Letter 19

February 20, 2018.Reading time 8 minutes.

I’m on rejection number 19. I know, not too many at all you say! But, I have sent out over 50 queries, and have ONLY received 19 rejections. That is a win, in some regards. I do honestly find enlightenment and encouragement in getting these rejections. I am getting closer, I can feel it. This […]

Broken Pieces

September 7, 2017.Reading time 2 minutes.

It took a long time to see the damage you did, to pull back the bandages and see the bloodied mess beneath. It took focus, and determination to see past the facade. To see past the lies I was feeding to myself. It took a stumbling walk, turned into a desperate crawl to inch my […]