I hope you enjoy this video and interview as much as I did. Carrie Green, Founder and Director of the Female Entrepreneur Association International, generously allowed me to share this with my readers because so many people tell me they are overwhelmed with the prospect of writing a book. Please watch this short video if […]

I spoke at the Military Writers Society of America conference on “The Business of Writing” last year. Since starting my own business in 2014, I’ve talked to many people interested in starting their own writing businesses. I’m sharing a few of my slides here for any readers who may be interested in a similar pursuit. I don’t have all the […]

Today marks the final day of Loftmar Stables’ operations at the end of a 33-year successful business impacting so many lives. My husband, Jaime, and I, and our three horses –  Chance, Billy, and Lucky – enjoyed 10 years as part of the Loftmar family. I wish Jan and Raul Martin the best in their well-deserved […]

I had decided to get a dog because my husband mentioned he wanted a dog. Since he was on a business trip, I decided I would go visit the county pound. That visit resulted in me bringing home the best dog I’ve ever had. I can’t say I own him because it’s more like he […]

The Maryland state slogan should be “Maryland is for Horses;” it makes much more sense than “Virginia is for Lovers.” It’s not just the history, the legacy, and the facilities, but our fellow citizens’ support. Although I’ve been involved with horses since my first riding lessons at Kettering Stables in the 1960’s and grew up […]

Thank you to the Maryland Horse Industry Board (MHIB) for selecting “Believing In Horses, Too,” for a 2016 grant award! The funds will be used to purchase and donate a copy of “Believing In Horses, Too,” for every Maryland county public library system and Baltimore city. “Believing In Horses, Too,” tells the story of a […]

I hope you will stop by and check out my guest author interview on Cheryl Holloway’s Blog – she asks great questions! Besides offering writing tips based on her career as a writer, Cheryl hosts authors from around the world to help them gain exposure. In her words: “On this blog, I ‘Pay it Forward’ […]

If Kevin Kruse was a rock star, I’d already consider myself one of his groupies. But his latest book, “15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management: The Productivity Habits of 7 Billionaires, 13 Olympic Athletes, 29 Straight-A Students, and 239 Entrepreneurs,” makes me an even bigger fan. As Kruse points out, time is a […]

I looked out the window and knew if I died that day, I still lived a full life. It surprised me how calm that thought made me – almost peaceful. After grasping the severity of the situation, my body and brain filled with warm thoughts, and I understood how blessed my short life had been […]

In March of 2014, I founded and became Chief Executive Officer of my own business, Veteran Writing Services, LLC. I was fortunate to attend a program for women veterans within Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management. The Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE) program gave me the tools, training, and guidance to transform […]

Motivational speaker and business leader Mary Kelly asked, “What is the best coaching advice you remember? In sports, business, life?” I answered, “My Navy dad used to remind me of ‘The Man in the Arena’ quote. In other words, it’s easy for others to criticize when they are not in the thick of it. It […]

  Today I feature a guest post from my brother, Eddy Ormond, from his recent trip to Indonesia. Eddy assisted me in writing my two books, and I’ve been encouraging him to write for the past few years. And he’s doing it! I hope you enjoy his story, and his storytelling ability. My Rock from Bali […]

Today I bring you a post and infographic courtesy of grammarly.com/grammar-check. Interesting research that shows the importance of attention to detail in writing. Thank you, Grammerly, and now, to go proofread all my profiles….

I wanted to take a moment and thank some of the wonderful local supporters who have helped me in my writing journey. I’ll start with Maryland Senator Edward R. Reilly who celebrated the National Education Association’s Read Across America Day by donating copies if my latest book, “Believing In Horses, Too,” to Anne Arundel County […]

 As the nation’s schools, libraries, government agencies, universities and corporations prepare to celebrate Women’s History Month in March, published authors who are members of the National Women Veterans Speakers Bureau are elevating their unique voices as women veterans, sharing leadership experiences through motivational speaking engagements and literature. “Women Vets Speak” literature pack is an extension […]

 My Irish grandmother used to have certain traditions to ring in the new year. The first was to bang pots and pans at midnight to make noise, and the second was to light a candle all day, with one door or window open on each side of the apartment or house to let “in with the […]

Today I’m happy to bring you author Janice Spina, who writes children’s books and thrillers. I had the pleasure of meeting Janice through Chris, The Story Reading Ape’s Blog. Janice is the award-winning author of five children’s picture books, illustrated by her husband, John Spina. Her most recent book is her first novel and mystery/crime/thriller, “Hunting Mariah.” […]

In honor of Veterans Day – a story about my grandfather. George Ormond’s pale blue eyes watered until the day he died. But he never complained about the Great War. Word was that mustard gas got him, but in those days, people didn’t talk much about injuries, follow-on treatment, or post-traumatic stress. My grandfather died […]

Welcome to Guest Blogger and Author, Michael Wood I recently met Michael Wood at the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) conference in Phoenix. After seeing how well he captured the essence of the conference in words and photos, I asked if he’d be willing to share with this blog’s readers. So please welcome fellow Navy veteran […]

Being Secretary of the Maryland Horse Council is not always that secretarial. Take for instance, this past weekend’s Maryland Horse Council Annual Barbeque, when I had the opportunity to play polo on the Maryland Horse Council Executive Committee’s team. Capitol Polo Club graciously provided us the horses, mallets, and brief instruction, so we could provide […]

  Here is a list of editing resources that I hope may be useful to others. AP Stylebook Blog http://apstylebook.blogspot.com/ (Search query handy for quick reference) Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ (Lots of resources, references to style guides, and more) Writer’s Knowledge Base http://hiveword.com/wkb/search?q=Editing (“Editing” in the search box brought up over 6000 entries) Writing Forward – […]

I reconnected with a childhood friend recently whose daughter, Nicole, volunteers with Freedom Hill Horse Rescue. My friend mentioned Nicole was preparing her end-of-year book report and diorama on my book, “Believing In Horses.” When I saw her diorama and read her report, I found it so touching that I wanted to share them with […]

I thought this was the single best article I’ve seen about working with a small publisher. I’ve published both my books with a small press, J.B. Max Publishing, out of Vancouver, BC. I agree with many of the points in the article by WritersDigest.com editor Brian Klems, but here are my top three: 1. A small […]

This post sponsored by Grammarly. Use Grammarly’s plagiarism checker because you want to write right (Has anyone said that before? – No!) When I am asked what my books are about, I try to respond with one sentence. That answer is not a synopsis, but what I would consider one of the synopsis’ “friends.” Books descriptions […]

 Please join me for the final installment of Vic Socotra’s thoughts on one of our Congressional trips to Asia, and a farewell to China. We wandered down the street and over a couple of blocks. We found the entrance to the subway and went down. It was gleaming and shiny and not at all what […]