Hello, my friends! Welcome to my website. Many of you know me. I’ve been around a long time. I’ve dabbled in writing and publishing for a good number of years—chasing the markets, writing novels and novellas, and trying my hand at short stories and poetry.
At one time, a good friend and I created a beautiful literary magazine called Swamp Lily Review, A Journal of Louisiana Literature & Arts. Publishing a literary magazine was a learning experience and it’s work!
For seven years, I was a staff writer for Southern Writers Magazine. That was fun too. I did author interviews. I enjoyed helping promote other authors, but also learning their routines and writing secrets.
The top two things I’m most proud of is selling short romances to Woman’s World Magazine. That was always a life-long dream that finally came true. The second thing is writing a Christmas play that was performed at my church. For the first time, I knew that God really cares about our writing because He certainly wrote that play! It was the most amazing experience I’ve had in writing and publishing.
But let’s step back to some previous experiences. Back in 1996 I sold a novel to Silhouette Romance. It was about an Elvis look-alike who tangles with the daughter of an Elvis fanatic. The Groom Wore Blue Suede Shoes was originally called Love You Tender. My pen name was Jessica Travis but only because they wouldn’t let me use Jessica Chaney. Oh yeah, publishing was a learning experience. Silhouette turned down my option book so what did I do? I became a realtor! Selling houses is a lot like selling books.
One of the best times I’ve had as a writer is when I worked as assistant editor/writer/photographer for The Times of Southwest Louisiana. It was fun and I learned a lot. If you ever have the opportunity to write for a magazine or newspaper in your city, do it. You’ll see your town and the people around you in a whole new way.
I also enjoy encouraging other writers. I’m the founder of the East Texas Writers Association in my hometown of Longview, Texas, and a past president of Bayou Writers’ Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
My work has appeared in magazines and newspapers across the country. One of my writing assignments earned me a position with Lamar University’s Continuing Education Department, coordinating writing classes and teaching my own class, Nonfiction Boot Camp. Budget cuts did away with the CE department so I tried my hand at teaching an on-campus course for McNeese University’s Leisure Learning. There’s a huge difference in teaching online classes and standing before a classroom of live people–talking, talking, talking. I’m a much better typist!
Helping others find their passion, get published, complete a novel, sell a short story or just solve a writing problem — well, I guess for me, that’s the thrill of being in this business.