The Inspired Blog

Can you simply not escape the stress? Dear readers, you are not alone. Let me just say that I have been there! In fact, I had a few rather unpleasant near-death experiences (long story) that left me with crippling panic attacks for years. The only way I survived was by learning how to manage stress and anxiety. Especially in public. Anyone who has ever had a panic attack knows how embarrassing it is to meltdown in public. There were quite a few occasions at school or work when I would duck into a public restroom- my face a veneer of forced calm- only to lock myself in a stall and start hyperventilating in earnest. I'm happy to say that this no longer happens to me and I am in a much healthier place. And I'm in a better place without any medication. I did a lot of research and these are some tips that helped me survive the hard years. Deep Breaths Yeah, I know. What a load of crap, right? Don't exit the screen just yet. When you are in the midst of a panic attack...

Dear Readers, I don't know about the rest of you out there in the void of Internet obscurity, but I find myself generally discouraged sometimes with my writing. Don't get me wrong! I love it, I breathe it, and I can't get along without it. The problem- I think- is that I sometimes forget this. When I'm all worked up about submission guidelines or marketing or editing, I tend to feel less inspired and more stressed out. I'm sure I'm not the only one. The result of this stress is a certain lack of creativity. I often experience writer's block when I'm in "that place." I call it being too much in my head. Obsessing over the details only causes me to forget what is actually important. What is that? Why, the story of course. The story... and the writing. Writing is definitely a skill we have to hone. I'm a student in this area and feel that I always will be, but I still share what I have learned with other students. Sometimes I feel ...

And So Fall Begins! I must say that I absolutely love this time of year. After a long and harrowing summer, the approach of fall never fails to refresh me. Anyone who has ever lived in the south knows how draining those 113 heat index days are. Especially when coupled with our kind of humidity. So some cooler weather is most welcome. Besides, I'm fond of the flowers this time of year. I hope you all have something amazing planned for Halloween! As for me, I suppose sitting by candlelight whilst reading Poe would be the appropriate thing for a writer to say. But that would leave me feeling a tad pretentious. So I'm going to have a horror movie marathon with my husband and stuff my face with junk food, instead. Introverts unite! Also, gotta LOVE Halloween snacks.  As to what I'm doing as a writer, I've been tapping away on my next book. It's the first of a science fiction trilogy and I'm really quite excited. My next romance is on hold as I...

Do you have more than one book bouncing around in your head? What methods do you use to organize the mess? Have you never published that manuscript you started? As a writer, sometimes my method seems closer to madness. I have at least seven books planned and I've only completed two so far. We all know that a book doesn't get finished unless you buckle down and make it happen. You have to find hours upon hours for writing and editing. What if you work?  What if you're  married? What if you have kids? These are all things to consider. When I was in college, I was also working and trying to complete my books. Needless to say, I often could not find the time to finish what I had started. What did I learn? One Thing At A Time Pick a book and stick with it until the end. If you are working on more than one series, then you can finish one series before completing the next. You could also finish a book from Series A, and then finish a book from Series B. Don't boun...

Okay, yeah. I know. I'm not the final word on those dwelling in the land of writingdom. I don't speak for all writers, but here are some things I find myself thinking. "Why can't I just focus ?" Everyday life is boring. My inner world is much more interesting to me than what is actually happening. Sometimes, I get so caught up by an idea that I miss the entire conversation someone is trying to have with me. I've come to the conclusion that I have developed a rather convincing autopilot. Half the time when a conversation is over, I don't remember anything about it. Even while at a respectable full-time job, I was always surreptitiously jotting down ideas on the closest scrap of paper. "Unfocused" is an understatement for me.  "Why couldn't I love something else?" I spend hours... HOURS of my life working on my books. Getting the story out of my head and onto something tangible is only step one. Next comes editing and revi...

Hidden In A Hawaiian Sunset by G. J. Brown is now half price on Kindle! Available at $2.99 for a limited time only! Click  here  to have a look! Description: Malia Kenway was born with the world at her feet. Raised on an island called Moku Nani, she lacked companionship until she met Nathan Arthur Scott. They grew up together in the beauty of Hawaii, but were separated when he left for a university in London. When he returns eight years later, he is a completely different person. As if on cue, Malia's parents are in a horrific car accident. Then the family lawyer tries to blackmail her in a scheme to steal her father's wealth. A man called Mr. M orchestrates this chaos from the shadows and Malia comes to suspect that Nathan is more involved than she would ever want to believe.                                 Nathan Arthur Scott was a penniless orphan when he met Malia Kenway. Raised by a...

Hello, everyone!  I'm writing today to tell you how to get the paperback  versions of my books for less money. First, some background. There are two versions of each book. The first is for Standard Distribution. The second is for Expanded Distribution. Expanded has to be more expensive in order to support the fees other distributors tack on. So the cheaper route is ordering a Standard version.   You can find a Standard paperback version under New and Used on Amazon. Both Hidden In A Hawaiian Sunset and The Hills Of Tuscany are available there for 8.50 or less. You just have to know where to look. ;-) P. S. Remember the Kindle  eBook  is only 4.99! Happy Reading!

Hello, everyone! I am blogging to let you know that my second book, The Hills Of Tuscany , is now available for purchase!  You  can find it  by  clicking here .  I  have  included  an excerpt from this  book in case  you're  interested  in  reading ahead . ;-) Have fun! _________________________________________________________________________________ The Hills Of Tuscany Book Two: The Broken Woman Cycle By G. J. Brown Introduction      Dante stood in the rain, his solemn honeyed gaze trained on his father. Basilio Antoine glared at him from the loggia of their ancestral home, a stone villa nestled on several acres located in the countryside just outside Siena, Tuscany.      “Why have you come back here?” Basilio shouted. “You spurned our vineyard to choose a life in the Arma dei ...

Hello, everyone! Okay, so I understand that we all have differing views and opinions, but I don't understand why so many people act so primitive about it. Resorting to physical assault, insulting each other, demeaning all beliefs that differ from their own.  Guess what? Tolerance goes both ways. How much better would this country be if everyone stopped hating each other and tried to work toward loving one another instead?  I'm a Christian and I believe it's my job to love people, just like Jesus. I mean, the guy asked God to forgive the people murdering him. When someone tried to stone a prostitute in front of him, he basically told them they had no right to judge her because everyone sins. He told his disciples that love was the most important commandment. He said all the laws and prophets would be fulfilled if they loved God and loved everyone (this part is awesome) as much as they loved themselves. People insult Jesus, but he wasn't a bad guy. Even if...

I read this article today and fear that I have finally given up hope for the human race. Click Here To Read About Your Mass Extinction I've always tried to stay informed about the environment and climate change. In my opinion, taking care of our planet should have been a priority. Somehow, though, it never was.  Slowly, we are watching our world die and the common man feels helpless to stop the rolling giant of industrial expansion. Even when we do speak out or protest, there are never enough voices to make a difference. People are more concerned about subjects like legalizing weed or gay marriage or racism. These are all things to consider, but there is a larger concern. Staying alive. We don't stand united as the human race, even though we desperately need to. Our system is broken and it needs to be fixed, but where is the motivation to do anything about it? Our government keeps patching the holes, but the real problems remain.  Why? Because the huma...

Hello, friends! I am so excited to announce that book two, The Hills Of Tuscany, will be released this July. Check out my new cover. I have obligingly included an image.  Now for a clearer view of the description: Abigail Simon was not good with men. In fact, she was totally hopeless around them. So she never imagined she would be seeing Dante Antoine again, the most intimidating and glorious male she had ever laid eyes upon. Sure, they'd had a connection when he saved her life in Hawaii. But if someone told her she would be showing up on his doorstep over a year later, she would have called them insane. Of course, this was before she finds herself stranded in Italy and on the verge of losing everything she still cares about. It seems like she has no other choice but to barge into his villa and ask for a favor. Dante Hanan Antoine was a man with a dark past. He had vowed revenge after his mother was brutally murdered, sacrificing everything on the altar of his rage. ...

Ah! Hello, again. Yes, it has been months since my last entry. For shame! I have simply been bogged down by reality. You know how we writers hate that. My laptop has taken yet another bow, so I am left with only my phone as my link to blogdom. My desktop is too old to connect to the internet, you see. I keep her around because she continues on when all other technology has failed me. If not for the old fossil, I wouldn't be able to work on my book. Gasp! The horror! In any case, this blog will be short and sweet. I despise pecking words out on a phone. It's just... unnatural. Honestly, my laptop behaves as though I beat it against the wall in frustration. Which I don't! Honest. Most technology simply repells me. Only the fossil remains. Our bond goes deep. In any case, this is me checking in. Look for my newest book this summer! I'm super excited about it, you guys!