Meeting Annie
Did you guys know I was a finalist in the Notes & Words essay contest? Oh, I’ve mentioned it a couple of times? I wanted to make sure you’d heard. You know, just in case you’d been struck by a meteor and were rendered unable to read my ad nauseum Facebook updates. This past weekend, […]
Going… Going… Gone
It’s been a crazy couple of weeks. For those of you who haven’t yet been privy to my shameless self-promotion in the Notes & Words essay contest, I’m one of the five finalists. I’m honored, thrilled, nauseous, eager to hear the announcement of the winner — which, incidentally, was moved to TOMORROW. Our non-refundable tickets […]
In the Eye of the Beholder
This is what shameless self-promotion looks like. It’s not pretty. It’s a pony tail and a baseball cap, some leftover mascara, a sunburned nose, a wine-stained sleep shirt (ironically, one from St. V’s NICU reunion), and coffee breath. It feels a bit like whoring, all this plugging for myself. Well, whoring without the sexual gratification […]
Notes and Words Essay Contest Finalist!
Okay, friends and loyal blog followers also known as friends, I know I just posted. I know I was just wallowing in self-pity because my agent said “no” yesterday. I KNOW. But as this world often does, mine just did a big 180-degree turn. A few minutes ago, I received word that my essay had […]
The One Less Traveled
Obstacles often present themselves as opportunities. Today, I get to wrap my arms around that life lesson and give it a little squeeze. Here’s what I received from my prospective agent this afternoon: “Dear Ms. Willis, Thank you for your patience while we gathered a number of readings on THREE OF EVA. Prospective Agent #1 […]
Note to Self
“CBS This Morning” kicked off its new series “Note to Self” yesterday morning with the beautiful 83-year-old soul, Maya Angelou, whose words always enfold me in comfort and grace. It’s like liquid sunshine, that voice. I love CBS’s new project, and I love Maya Angelou, and I was inspired to write my own letter to […]
Behind the Blog
I’m honored and humbled to be the inaugural “Behind the Blog” blogger for the lovely Kim of “At Home with Kim.” If you haven’t yet discovered her site and her warm smile, I’m happy to introduce you. Fabulous Blog Followers, meet Kim. Kim, meet my Fabulous Blog Followers. Kim writes about a great array of […]
Freshly Pressed + Gus
Today, my plan was to give you a new spin on an old story. I’ve re-written our NICU experience in 800 words or less for a parenting memoir submission, and although many of you already know Gus’s story, I bet you haven’t heard it in 800 words or less. I bet you haven’t heard me […]
The Gift of Letting Go
When I write fiction, I write about relationships. Siblings, spouses, children, parents, friends. Our lives are shaped and molded by our relationships. And sometimes they can be tricky. So, I write about them to help illuminate what’s important, what’s universal, what we all struggle with, what we all sink into and find comfort in — […]
The Recipe for Success
I’m mesmerized by those who do it well. The assurance, the graceful and fluid movements, the alchemy, the aroma, the moans of pleasure that inevitably result. But alas, cooking remains a mystery to me. When I’m in the kitchen, I spill things, burn things, forget to put eggs in the meatloaf (thus resulting in the […]