The Parlor – Dahlia DeWinters

The Write Way: Self-Care for Romance Authors

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As a romance author, I truly understand the demands and pressures that come with the craft. Writing all these captivating love stories (and sex scenes if you’re spicy!) requires immense creativity, emotional investment, dedication as well as perseverance. Lots of perseverance. However, amidst the chaos of deadlines and plot twists, it’s crucial for us romance authors to prioritize self-care. In this blog post, I’m going to talk about the importance of self-care for romance authors and look at some ways to incorporate it into our writing routines. The Heart of Self-Care for Romance Authors As romance authors, we pour our passion into every page and to entertain and excite our readers. But such an investment can drain our own hearts if we don’t prioritize self-care. When we do not nurture ourselves, the creative flames can dim from fatigue and burnout. I’ve seen too many posts on social media about self-published

photo of rainbow colored painting on canvas

Anxious? Get Those Creative Juices Flowing!

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Oh, anxiety. We’re all too familiar with that nagging beast, aren’t we? It rears its restless head at the most inconvenient times, leaving us tense and overwhelmed. Not fun! But don’t stress, lovelies. You know by now I’ve got a trick up my proverbial sleeve just for you. Let’s talk about creative playtime. That’s right! Tapping into your creative side can whisk those worries away. Remember “whistle while you work”? I’m talking art, music, dance…anything that sparks the inner muse. Trust me, anxiety doesn’t stand a chance against an actively creative mind. Now I know what you’re thinking… Did he fire six shots or only five? ….wait, that’s not what you’re thinking. What you’re really thinking is: “But I’m not artistic or talented…” My friend, come on, that’s so not true! We ALL have that creative flair within; we just have to reconnect with it. In fact, let your

3 Scary Anthologies for Spooky Season

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“Read, read, read. Read everything – trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out of the window.”–William Faulkner I’ve recommended books in the past, but I’m not sure if I’ve ever recommended anthologies. Why not, I asked myself…..Gee, Dahlia, I don’t know, I said back. So, I decided to make a change to be a better blogger and recommend some great spooky anthologies for your autumn spooky season reading. Why anthologies? Well, why not? Anthologies are a buffet for horror lovers, serving up an array of scary stories, each one a delectable small bite of terror. You’ll feast on everything from spooky ghost tales to those spine-tingling dates with the supernatural. And because each story is by a

Creative Bliss: Proven Stress-Relief Strategies for Artists and Writers

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Hey there, fellow creatives! We all know that creativity is a beautiful journey—so much fun, let’s be honest— but it can be a rollercoaster of stress too. Whether you’re a painter, writer, musician, or any kind of creative spirit, you’ve likely felt the pressure of deadlines, the self-doubt, and the perpetual hunt for that elusive muse. (Writer’s Block, what?) But fret not, because I’m here to share some creative ways for creative minds to de-stress and maintain that all-important mental balance. Let’s dive in! Meditation and Mindfulness: Try it! Take a moment to breathe, lovelies! Mindfulness and meditation are magic potions for the soul. Both techniques help you live in the now, shutting out distractions and bringing inner peace. For us creative souls, this can calm the rolling sea of thoughts and boost your creative mojo. Meditation clears the fog, allowing your genius ideas to shine. Mother Nature can help:

Three Scary Stories to Read Online

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There is a lot of horror out there, to be sure. Movies, short films, novels, two-sentence horror stories, flash fiction, etc. I’ve realized that my favorite medium of horror on the printed pages is the short story. I absolutely loved Stephen King’s Nightshift anthology, and I am always on the lookout for those older, “classic” stories that were innovative for their time. Thus, I have three scary stories for you that you can read online at your leisure. Shall we begin? ‘At the Mountains of Madness’ – H.P. Lovecraft – 1931 If you’re a fan of science fiction horror in the vein of The Thing from Another World, the Alien series and the Blog, etc, you will like where this story is coming from . Briefly put, it’s the story of a group of explorers in the Antarctic, who discover the remains of a civilization that came from space, plus

Three Halloween Books for Scary Reading

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Yes, we like the movies, but there’s nothing like a scary book to curl up with on a dark, blustery night. When I lived alone, I used to scare myself to death with the sounds that I thought I heard when I was reading an especially scary book. And the dog didn’t help when she jump up and ran out of the room for no apparent reason. (Sometimes I think dogs do that on purpose to scare the mess out of us. Then they go drink out of the toilet and laugh at us.) Anyhoo, here’s my top five books to read around Halloween, or any time. These are presented in no particular order. Pet Sematary – Stephen King: I can’t tell you how much this book frightened me. I discuss this in more detail over at my blog, if you care to take a look. Suffice to say, while