Butterfly Phoenix Receives the Very Inspiring Blogger Award

I was honored when my good friend and fellow author, Linda Lee Greene, informed me she was nominating me for the Very Inspiring Blogger award! I was so blessed! Her novel, Guardians and Other Angels is available in eBook format and print on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Here are seven things about me that will help define who I am, and what I do best.

Seven things about me....

I was born in Boynton Beach, Florida, and moved to my mother's home state of North Dakota when I was a toddler. I was born a blue baby in the late 1960s, and this is where my story is somewhat interesting. My first doctor was a man who had narrowly escaped Cuba before the Bay of Pigs. He just happened to be in Miami and had specialized in a relatively experimental surgery in cardiology for infants.

I am the mother of three beautiful grown daughters, and grandma to two very special grandchildren.

I love culture and world history. Growing up on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in western North Dakota immersed in two story-telling cultures, Irish and Native American (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara), gave me the ability to appreciate and accept people for who they are.

I'm supposed to talk about an achievement in my life. However, I view my life itself as an achievement. I could have, and in all likelihood should have, died at birth, but I didn't. I grew up in a time of extreme conflict, fear, and violence and survived - not unscathed, but survived nonetheless. I endured eight years in a loveless relationship as the significant other of a man whose life became consumed by drug abuse and alcoholism. I championed a home to the best of my ability as a single-mother in a relatively conservative state. I graduated college twice while providing for my three daughters. I have overcome many obstacles and challenges in my life, and that is an achievement that cannot be dwarfed by any award or accolade I could ever receive.

I am currently working on "The Chrysalis Series", a fantasy trilogy set in the times of the Gael - although not a historical fiction series. The first book, "The Butterfly Fields," is near ready for release. However, I don't have a set date. The story follows two sisters, Elsie and Annalicia McCormick, as they both find their way through the wilderness of life in the hopes of finding the freedom, safety, and sanity they enjoyed in their youth.

I have my favorite organizations, and as many of my long-time readers know, those organizations are the ones who champion for the unwanted, uncared for, and unloved of the world. Diva Connection is one of those organizations, because they not only champion for women, they empower women of all ages and all walks of life to champion for others. The Jeremiah Program, because they help young single mothers build sustainable successful lives. And my national organization is GEMS, who advocate for and assist young women who are victims of sex and human trafficking. I have been a mentor mother for the Young Mothers Network of Cass and Clay Counties since 2009.

I am not currently serving on any boards or committees. I am a member of the American Legion Auxiliary - Arthur Solie Post, Parshall, North Dakota. I am a member of the International Association of Administrative Professionals. I served as a parent volunteer, and later as the Secretary of the Executive Bethel Council of Bethel 32, Moorhead, Minnesota, of the International Order of Jobs Daughters.

I would like to take this opportunity to nominate some of my friends who are bloggers that I feel have made a positive impact on my life. I hope that you will go visit their blogs and leave a comment. In alphabetical order, they are:

Arlene O'Neil - Although she is not a blogger, she's still very inspiring, so buy her book Broken Spokes, you won't regret it.

Sarah L. Wallace at Cross Roads of Humanity

Wendy and Charles Seifken at Seifken Publications

Monday Musings: The Chrysalis Series



Some of the greatest writers of all time were indeed mocked, hated, and most assuredly misunderstood. They endeavored to convey their deepest thoughts and emotions onto the page, resulting in the purest forms of criticisms. Some were reclusive, eccentric by nature, melancholy, or overtly happy. At that time, they were giants among men. These writers were respected for their thoughts on everything from everyday life, to the current events of the world. They were deep thinkers. They were big spirits expanding into the world in the form of the written word.

Despite the public respect, they were often chastised behind closed doors, criticized for their boldness, questioned of their motives, and the list goes on and on. They were lifted onto the world stage for all to see, and then had the tomatoes of criticism relentlessly hurled at them. However, the world loved to hate them. The world continued to purchase and print their prose, because they were masters of their craft.

I have been working on "The Chrysalsis Series" for about six months. I have been learning and growing in the craft of writing. The mechanics of writing are important. I remember the elation I had felt when I first discovered I could publish books as an independent author. It was as though the world became my oyster. I did not need to seek out an agent, or even an editor. I could do it without the help of anyone. So not true. If you never read another word of what I write, remember this: Editors are the Godsend of novel writing.

"The Chrysalis Series" is something that is near and dear to my heart. It is important that the words are chosen carefully. The subject is sensitive, and great care is required to convey the deepest thoughts and emotions that compel the story forward. We have all had our Butterfly Fields of youth. It is the place of wonder, where games of intrigue and imagination are afoot. It is the place where the disappointments, hurts, and realities of the world can never reach.

Book One: "The Butterfly Fields" follows young Elsie McCormick and her older sister, Annalicia, as they navigate life in a world of treachery and deceit. It is a world where people speak not of the truth, as is common in the village of Johnsport when it comes to matters of personal loss or gain. Following the belief of He Who Created All Things, the na hÉireann clans live harmoniously with the Daoine Réalta, who have lived on these lands for millenniums, with no accounting for their arrival. Outsiders are neither welcome nor wanted in Johnsport.

The na hÉireann clans have come to Johnsport from the land across the great sea to the east. They are men of science; a science that will bring the village and the clans to their knees. The clans are divided. The Daoine Réalta, following their ancient ways, desire no understanding of the science. They only watch. They watch and wait for that which is sure to come - the end of all things. They wait for the days when the darkness will find its way into the world; the days when the battle of Good and Evil will wage its war in the canyons, on the Great River, and in the village of Johnsport itself.


I am truly excited for The Butterfly Fields to be released. The cover is currently in the process of creation, the editing almost complete, and the suspense of a confirmed release date is killing me. I am grateful for all those who have stood by me, encouraged me, and especially for the editor who has not only corrected grammar and punctuation, but re-taught me the fundamentals of writing. 


Watch for it! The Butterfly Fields coming to an online retailer near you!