A Cup of Coffee & A Romance Novel With R L Tynes

  April 2026 Recap Introduction: Hey everyone! I hope your month was wonderful, and you got to do things you enjoy! I can't believe April is already gone! It's one of my favorite times of the year because it's my birthday month! I celebrate myself the entire week of my birthday, if not the entire month and everyone should celebrate themselves more because we are all amazing human beings! April was full of amazing weather, spring adventures, birthday adventures, writing, creativity, and so much gratitude.  If you're new to this series, I recap each month to keep track of my year from the small stuff to the big stuff, so when January 1st 2027 gets here I'm not left thinking "What the heck happened in 2026?" It also helps me to stay on track with my goals, and I mainly want to build a consistent writing habit along with healthier habits. If you missed the previous months recaps you can read those linked below.  January Recap February Recap March Recap And if ...

  February 2026 Recap Introduction: Hey everyone! I hope you had a fabulous month! My February flew by, but I enjoyed every moment and was intentional with almost every day! I am continuing on in this new series where I recap each month to keep track of my year from the small stuff to the big stuff, so when January 1st 2027 gets here I'm not left thinking "What the heck happened in 2026?" If you missed January's recap where I explain more on this process and how I'm keeping track, you can read that here.  Recapping in Four Parts: Writing, Reading, Health, And Other Life Stuff Writing Habit Tracker: 20/28 writing days. Although the other 8 were still writing days for me. If you know, you know. Lol  Last month I told you I started a new book, and I am currently still drafting that book. I am making good progress and have been showing up daily to get in my word count! I have been back to my roots doing word sprints and that has really helped as well. Woo hoo! I am ...

January 2026 Recap Introduction: Hey y'all! This year I was inspired by Lindsay Puckett over on AuthorTube to really take control of my year by keeping track of everything going on in my life. I'll link her 2025 recap video here so you can see what I'm talking about, but when she posted this, I realized that I had no clue what had even happened in 2025 let alone what month it happened to me. I also know if I don't write something down it's lost forever. Grocery lists, story ideas, you name it.  Thus inspiring this new blog series that I hope to do indefinitely.  My format is also inspired by Lindsay's Monthly Coffee Chat videos! Here is her latest video. If you aren't subscribed to her channel, I highly recommend it for all writers who want a positive cozy space to be in.  How I'm Tracking:  I am keeping this new habit short and simple. I keep a note on the Notes App on my phone for each month of the year. I write a little something everyday, or when som...

Introduction: Hey everyone! Happy New Year! I'm back! I know I haven't posted in over a year and I am here to tell you all about why and what's been going on. I hope your holidays went well, your writing and reading has been joyful, and that you are smashing your goals for the month already. I hope you are doing things you love that bring you happiness and may this year be the best for you! Things Didn't Go As I Planned... Here I am in 2026, not published, not a lot of my goals met that I have set year after year. Some new and some old. Putting out all my words of wisdom, writer advice, and failing at it myself. Story of my life. Lol  I know the secrets, but doing them for myself is a whole different ball game. I've been on a journey these last 5 years since I started writing and I've learned a lot, experienced a lot, and grown up a lot all on the road to success. It will happen for me. Just a few years later than I planned, and that is okay. My writing journey ...

  I was able to cross something off my vision board for 2024, and that was attending Readers Take Denver. Or as I liked to call it Cygnets Take Denver, because the reason I went was to meet my favorite author, mentor, and icon to me, T L Swan and her team. Along with getting to meet some of my fellow Cygnets in person. It was a dream come true, and it has set the tone for the rest of the year for me! I am truly grateful to be apart of such a positive, supportive community of like minded women! The whole weekend was truly magical. I turned 28 the day she signed my favorite books, and it snowed. TRULY MAGICAL. There is no other word. A Lorelai Gilmore moment for this southern girl who never sees snow! Tee was even more amazing in person than she is online. Truly a wonderful human and I was starstruck all weekend! I know by now a lot of negative experiences have come to light about RTD24 and it has been cancelled for 2025. I'm fortunate enough that I had a fantastic experience, though...

Funny Story Time! I feel like as kids or young adult readers we all have those certain books that stick with us. It's books that taught us something, provided an escape we'll never forget, or in this case, expanded my vocabulary. I don't know if you remember the young adult series called The Luxe by Anna Godberson. But I have core memories of seeing this series for the first time in my local Books A Million. It's November 2009. I'm 13 years old. I was black friday shopping with my cousin, and I knew I wanted the books. I feel like I had seen the box set of this series in the sale paper before going, but I also may have seen it right when we walked in the store.  It's been a while so forgive me.  But when I saw the set with these beautiful girls in gorgeous dresses. I wanted it so much. It was girly and fancy, and I was so excited to get it. My cousin bought it for me for Christmas, and I was so happy.  Fast forward to diving into reading this series. Now, for th...

 Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you had a day filled with family, friends, and good food, or just doing what you love and enjoy. I can’t believe how fast this month and this whole year have flown by. Each year I get older, the faster it truly goes. I’m writing this just for a day of reflection and remembering that gratitude in all things is the key on this journey.  This year has gone in a blink and honestly it’s made me realize how much more intentional I need to be with my time and my commitments to myself. Because here I am, 2023 almost over, and I haven’t published my book yet. It’s created a sense of urgency in me because time really is so precious, and we will never have enough, so I’m getting focused and clear on my dreams and goals for the next few months, and I’m so excited for the future.   I have also learned so much more this year about myself, my goals-like how I want to feel from a goal I set (I highly recommend doing The Desire Map Workbook ), an...

 Happy Monday! I can't believe it's another week already and that Halloween is tomorrow. Halloween is my favorite holiday. The decorations, the costumes, pumpkin carving, the movies, and that magical fall feeling (If it gets cold enough here which today IT IS! 55 degrees baby!) are the absolute best. I have more Halloween decorations, including a Halloween tree, than Christmas decorations. Christmas is for Children, Halloween is for adults. I will die on that hill. Ha. There is just no stress with having to buy gifts or go places so Halloween wins for me every single time.  Anyway, I usually am at my day job at this time, but I woke up with a text from my boss telling me she is giving me a paid day off. Happy Early Halloween to me! And now I'm at the park about to write and edit in the car while my husband does his run. He recently started the Couch 2 5K program and I'm so proud of him. He's doing great! I need to get my butt in gear and start exercising consistentl...

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? We had our annual father daughter camping trip. Which is more like “glamping.” We had fun fishing, swimming(this is Mississippi. It’s still hot outside. 🤣), and hanging out together.  I worked my day job today, and my current work listen is The Success Principles by Jack Canfield. I am loving it. I try and  listen/read a good bit of personal growth/self development and Writer Craft books because it helps me to believe in myself and keep my fire lit. This is from someone who “hates” non-fiction, and falls asleep reading it. But listening to it on an audiobook has been a game changer. So if you are like me and can’t read non-fiction, but want to learn, give audiobooks a try.  Then I came home after work, and did some much needed yard work. My flower beds looks so much better despite the grass and plants being dead. We’ve had the longest drought ever. Like I think it’s rained 3 times in 4 months. Pray for rain to come. Lol  Now I’m ...

 Hey y’all. I figured I’d do some casual day in the life posts. Just short updates to give you a glimpse behind the scenes, and let’s be honest, keep me accountable in doing my writing.  Today has been very lazy so far. I slept in, and I’ve been lounging around watching the show Castle for the first time ever. (Thank you to my friend Michelle for showing it to me.)  I’m on season 2 and really enjoying it! Do you like Castle? It’s the perfect show for writers to nerd out over.   I am always my most productive in the evening and nighttime. Let’s face it, because I procrastinate my whole day away usually. 😂 But as long as the writing gets done, it doesn’t matter the time.  Now I’m about to meal prep for my husband. He works weekends. And I’ll be off on a father/daughter annual “glamping” trip this weekend.   And the rest of this evening will be spent editing my chapters of my current WIP and drinking lots of coffee. My favorite coffee creamer is the...