Echoes and Stories

June 2026 Newsletter

Greetings Inklings!

For the past three years, I’ve been spending more time with my first love than I have in a long while. What began as a return to familiar ground eventually became something larger, taking shape as a collection of poetry and prose that I never intended to share.

On September 28, 2026 - Echoes of Surrender will be released into the world. On the eight-year anniversary of the release of my debut collection, Scraps of Love.

It’s hard to believe that so much time has passed since I threw myself into the publishing world with more determination than anything. That leap of faith and stepping out into my dreams created an entirely new life for me. I now coach authors on self-publishing and the creative process, run a small press, and work as a formatter for another small press. Along the way, I’ve released four separate works under two pen names and have been featured in four anthologies. I have stepped out into the unknown, leaping long before I felt ready, and it has stretched and challenged me.

This journey has been the most fulfilling experience of my life, and I’m not done yet!

But I will be honest with you - sharing Echoes of Surrender feels more vulnerable than any project I have released before.

The poems and prose pieces within the pages of Echoes of Surrender are words and emotions that poured through me during the last three years of struggle, healing, grief, and surrender. There were so many moments when I wasn’t sure I wanted to survive. So many questions that I couldn’t answer, and some that I still don’t understand.

What I do know is this: it was all worth it, and love IS enough. It reaches places we think are beyond repair and brings unexpected healing when it encounters old wounds.

At its core, Echoes of Surrender is about learning to let my Creator lead me, and re-learning how to place my pain, uncertainty, and expectations into His hands instead of allowing them to consume or define me.

I look forward to sharing excerpts, readings, and more details as we move through the summer and toward release day.

To begin, here is the soft reveal of the cover, beautifully designed by Lyna of Hineni Asah and the piece that started it all:

Echoes of Surrender

Electric veins of energy split the sky above,
clouds of bruised violet try to catch me, but
howling wind rips my voice away as
over the earth, thunder roars
every prayer I bury rises in my chest
only to rain from shuttered eyes

Join Us at Cause for Paws

The Cisco Writers Club will be participating in the upcoming Cause for Paws event benefiting the Ranger Texas Animal Shelter.

Join us June 12-14, 2026, from 9 AM to 5:00 PM, for a weekend celebrating community, pet adoption, vendors, food, and a wonderful cause.

You will have the opportunity to learn more about the Cisco Writers Club and our mission, and will get to meet authors Priscilla Bettis, Robert Workman, Shane Tovar, and myself.

Whether you’re looking for your next great read, a new furry companion, or celebrating summer, we’d love to see you there.

Save the Date: Muses of Storytelling 2027

I am so unbelievably excited to share that I will be participating in the Muses of Storytelling author event in the DFW area in September 2027.

Details are still being finalized, but it promises to be an exciting day where you can meet Texas authors representing a wide variety of genres!

Until Next Time

Thank you for being a part of my writing journey. Whether you’ve been with me from the beginning, or if you’ve recently joined this community, I am grateful for every reader, every author I have been blessed to learn from, and every opportunity to share my heart in words.

Don’t forget to celebrate and pause for the moments of unexpected beauty.

With gratitude,