Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.

Is life stressing you out? Take a breath and relax. Or so we’re told. Some days, it’s not so simple. I’ve learned how to breathe four times in my life. Once, with that first, lifegiving gasp. The second time, when I was five and learning how to swim. Third time, in acting class, with lessons on voice projection and breath control. The most important breathing lesson came a decade later. As a young adult I was introduced to biofeedback, a kind of visualization technique used to control some of our body functions like heart rate, breath, muscle response, and brain waves. It can help relax muscles, decrease heart rate, and slow and deepen breathing. It has been clinically proven to help with a myriad of ailments. […]

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In the Wick of Time

Word search for In the Wick of Time

The puzzle entry for January features a word search based on “In the Wick of Time” by Valona Jones. The story follows Tabby and Sage Winslow as they navigate holiday preparations, a murder mystery, and magical challenges to clear Sage’s name. With a growing list of suspects connected to the victim, the twins race against time to solve the mystery. […]

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Death a Sketch by Cheryl Hollon

For November, our featured jigsaw puzzle is the cover of Death a Sketch by Cheryl Hollon. We hope you enjoyed last month’s puzzle and would love to hear what you think of this feature. Feel free to share links and copies with your friends. The jigsaw puzzle has a timer that will show how long […]

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Black Pearl

Calisthenics for Characters

Recently, I came across a question from a new writer who asked, “Is it okay to use a real person to create a character?” That’s a tricky question because writers get their ideas from so many areas. A vacation we take might stir a potential setting. A newspaper article may influence a plot. But basing a character on a real person, especially if the person isn’t a public figure, can be detrimental to an author’s career. Lawsuits have been filed (and won) when a person recognizes themselves in a book. […]

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