By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Last week, I was a guest at a book club of a special group of ladies who read my books and encourage me. These ladies are grandmothers and great grandmothers, full of life and dear friends. If you suffer from Ophidiophobia, read no further. As a kickoff to the evening, one of the ladies prepared a …
10 Characteristics of a Best Friend
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Our best friends love us despite our faults. They are our 2:00 a.m. friends. They listen to us when we’re ecstatic and comfort us when we think our lives have been flushed down the toilet. And we are there for them too because that’s what best friends do. Statistics show best friends often overlook each other’s …
Why Getting Outside is Good for You
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills When we were kids, we couldn’t wait to get outside. A sunshine-filled day exploded when we opened our doors, and we were energized. We laughed, played, and our spirits lifted higher than the tree tops. What happened to the kid in us who felt better with the sky as our ceiling and green grass tickling between …
5 Things I Learned at New York’s Central Park
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills New York City is a beautiful city filled with wonder, adventure, entertainment, many cultures, and the real estate that goes straight up. Visiting New York is always a treat, and this 8 day trip exceeded my expectations. My destination was ThrillerFest, a comprehensive learning and networking with writers working on all levels of their career. When …
Creating Vacation Memories
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills July is the biggest vacation month of the year. The beaches crowd with sun and water enthusiasts. Hikers pack Mountain Trails. Families pile into their vehicles for road trips. Travel agencies book one destination after another. And the list continues. Staycations can be on our back porch, sipping iced-tea and listening to music, reading, or catching …
The Star Spangled Banner – As You’ve Never Heard It
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Many of us this 4th of July will be enjoying family, friends, cookouts, pool time, fireworks, and listening to a band play “The Star Spangled Banner.” America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. Take a moment to view this inspirational and historical video about the story of our national anthem. …
Things Mothers Said About Writing
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Our mothers are notorious for giving us advice about life. Sometimes their guidelines are appreciated and sometimes not so much. The older we grow, the smarter our mothers become. Quotes from mothers play an inspiring role in the lives of writers, and I think you might enjoy a few. “My mother had a great deal of …
8 Ways to Protect your Password
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Cyber crime can attack us when we are vulnerable. I’ve had it happen to me, and the process of making necessary changes is time consuming and at times embarrassing. The best protection is for us to take important steps to ensure our passwords are unique and not easily distinguished. Online hackers have one of two goals—steal …
When All We Can Do is Laugh
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Two weeks ago, I co-directed the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference in North Carolina. Edie Melson and I worked hard all year with our assistants to ensure conferees and faculty valued the conference. We enjoyed a spectacular week. But two weeks before, everything seemed to head downhill. Speaking events and book signings are fun. But …
The Chocolate Fetish
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills No matter where I travel, a chocolate shop always gets my attention. The attraction is a strong sense of smell and taste for rich, delectable chocolate—the perfect blend that swirls and pacifies the palate. I can’t think of a better reason to take a break from writing. Whoa! Who needs an excuse for chocolate? While in …