books

  • Writing Update: Book 2, Draft 2 and Thoughts on POV

    I finished the “rewrite” of my first draft (although the saved file name calls is version 8). I mentioned in a previous post that I had a couple big problems to fix based on feedback from beta readers. I really… Continue reading

    Writing Update: Book 2, Draft 2 and Thoughts on POV
  • Two Truths and a Lie

    (This was originally my guest post over at Ruff Drafts during the recent blog tour. I like it so much I wanted to repost it on my own site. Thanks again to Debbie De Louise for highlighting Driftless Spirits!) There’s… Continue reading

    Two Truths and a Lie
  • First Lines of Tangled Roots (and Subsequent Distractions)

    I’m hard at work, crafting the next draft of Tangled Roots to be the best it can be. I’m in love with the first paragraphs (but reserve the right for further edits): “Every storm has a story to tell, if… Continue reading

    First Lines of Tangled Roots (and Subsequent Distractions)
  • Cozy in the Driftless

    (This was originally my guest post over at Christy’s Cozy Corners during the recent blog tour. I like it so much I wanted to repost it on my own site. Thanks again to Christy for highlighting Driftless Spirits!) My husband… Continue reading

    Cozy in the Driftless
  • Editing This Week

    In my last writing update, I talked about beta reader feedback on the very first draft of “Tangled Roots” (working title still, but I like it). There were two main areas of the story to fix. First, I needed to… Continue reading

    Editing This Week
  • Updates: Writing and Marketing

    It’s going to be an interesting month. On the writing side, this week I’m tackling the climax of Tangled Roots (working title), the sequel to Driftless Spirits. It’s Halloween in Casten’s Horn, bones have been found, Ivy’s visiting Charlotte, and… Continue reading

    Updates: Writing and Marketing
  • Scenes That Didn’t Happen

    I spent yesterday afternoon in a long brainstorming session about the next chapters in Book 2. The book starts really well (in my humble opinion) but I’d begun to feel a little, dare I say it, Driftless. Exactly where and… Continue reading

    Scenes That Didn’t Happen
  • Happy New Year! (2025 wrap-up and looking ahead)

    We had a very white Christmas here in the Driftless area of Wisconsin: I’m back in my office after taking the last week of 2025 off to recharge. This morning I played around some more with Amazon Ads for Driftless… Continue reading

    Happy New Year!  (2025 wrap-up and looking ahead)
  • Likely Story Reviews Driftless Spirits

    I’ve received a lovely review over on the Likely Story blog! Please share freely and give it a Like. A couple quotes that make me proud: What Ringel does especially well is treat place as both setting and catalyst. Charlotte… Continue reading

    Likely Story Reviews Driftless Spirits
  • Smashwords 2025 End of Year Sale

    The Smashwords 2025 End of Year Sale is a great place to pick up free and discounted ebooks via coupon codes in the Smashwords store. Here are a few available… Happy Holidays from the Ringels! Do you like cozy reads?… Continue reading

    Smashwords 2025 End of Year Sale