Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

The Christmas tree that helps me remember love doesn’t end

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For Derek, 1979 - 2011 Every December, I bring a small plastic Christmas tree up from the basement. It's a little wobbly with stiff branches that bend downward. It’s not fancy. It’s not curated. It’s not Instagram-perfect. It’s my son’s remembrance tree. I gave it to him a year before he died in 2011. When my husband and I cleaned his apartment, I found it in a box on his porch. Since … [Read more...]

The Perimenopausal Heroine We’ve Been Waiting For

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Finally, a novel that tells the truth: Clementine Crane Prefers Not To by Kristin Bair is more than a running joke about hot flashes, night sweats, brain fog, and the general hormonal circus of perimenopause. It’s a funny, fierce and deeply relatable story of a woman trying to hold together a job, keep up with three needy adolescents and be the caring wife of a snoring, well-meaning, but … [Read more...]

Wonder and Joy for the Wired and Tired: Dr. Pam Stephens Lehenbauer on Why Wellness isn’t Well

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Pam Stephens Lehenbauer, Ph.D., MBA, and PMHNP-BC, is an author, epidemiologist, clinician, and university adjunct professor who investigates wonder, joy, and well-being in individuals and communities. Her debut book and companion journal discuss why so many people feel chronically stressed, fatigued, and disconnected, why the traditional wellness model is no longer serving us, and what we should … [Read more...]

What, Why, How with Detroit based romance author Author Colleen Nye

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What: Hello! I am an author who writes primarily contemporary romance and contemporary women's fiction... and even some romcom. A couple of my stories just might have a little paranormal aspects in them. Granted, I do have a couple others like a biography, a couple cookbooks and even a paranormal romance with an amazing, shared world series. My main focus is   contemporary romance … [Read more...]

At the end of the day, ditch the dated language

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Outdated Phrases to Retire for Good: Recently I attended a wonderful reading of poetry and prose. I particularly enjoyed an award-winning short story until I heard the phrase, “truth be told…” I found it so jarring, so out of place, that it pulled me right out of the moment. Maybe that’s why the short story didn’t win first place. Don't use the phrase "Truth be told" in your writing, … [Read more...]