Hello, World! I’m finally taking my husband’s advice and starting up a blog. Well, here it goes! Born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, I am an artist dabbling in crafting and writing. I have an Etsy shop (SKHandcraftedBooks) where I sell handcrafted books, and will soon have barn-wood and pallet-wood signs.

I married my first love, Nicholas Klein, in September of 2013. He too is an artist and we often inspire each other. About four years ago he started up his own business Nicholas J Photography (NJP) and began working from home. Soon after, I quit my day job as well and went to work with him. I also started writing more, but soon found working from home to be challenging, and the three or four novels I was working on were eventually pushed to the side. Despite that setback, I began writing in the form of social posts for different clients of NJP.

Last winter, I turned my attention to a new novel idea, one that my husband wanted to read. Still, I struggled to focus on my work. Then, it hit me. I needed more than just inspiration, I needed help with staying focused on writing and more importantly on improving it. I already had experience working with other writers thanks to working at IPFW’s Writing Center. So, when I had the idea to form a writing group, I went for it. Working at IPFW and taking classes there had connected me to a few amazing writers, and in no time we had our very own writing group formed: The Write People. Just a year and a half after the forming of the group, I achieved my goal and completed the first draft of my novel. And I’m happy to say that I’m not the only one on the way to publishing either!

There is still a lot to do, and that is partially why I created this blog. I want it to keep me writing, but I also want it to inspire other artists out there. I plan to share my experiences on what it’s like to be in a writing group, working from home, and being an artist. I also want to share what I learn about the writing and publishing process. Aside from that, I might even throw in a few short stories every now and again!