Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

November 3, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 10 Comments

I don’t know what’s happening lately, but making decisions is like pulling teeth for me. Today, I waffle over the simplest things. The worst, according to my husband, is choosing from the menu whenever we go out. Food doesn’t have the same appeal, it once did, but even I had to laugh last night – when the waitress ordered for me. God love her; I guess she had other patrons waiting (the nerve).

I haven’t always been cursed with indecisiveness, especially when I worked. As a nursing administrator and single mom, with two young children (at the time), I didn’t have the leisure of hemming and hawing. I had to make decisions and make them quickly. Those days are long gone; my children are grown, and I left the workforce a long time ago. However, having to make decisions didn’t disappear or magically become easier. If you’re alive and breathing, you make decisions every day; some minor, others difficult, and a few that has the potential to shake the ground on which we stand.

There are things in this life worth taking our time over deciding – food or what to wear are not those types of decisions and truthfully, neither is my latest quandary. To you, it may seem silly; especially with all, that’s going on in our world. Nevertheless, I hope you’ll humor me and give me your opinion.

As you may recall, I mentioned weeks ago; I was planning to publish a short story collection. Well, it’s ready, but for the love of God, I can’t decide on which cover I want to use. That’s where you come in – I need you to vote in my poll.

Which cover do you like best? If you decide not to participate, I understand and appreciate your reading. It’s always a pleasure to see you here in the pasture. For those who vote, here’s a hint about the story collection:

“It has been said that darkness dwells within even the best of us. In the worst of us, darkness not only dwells but reigns.” ― Dean Koontz. Tweet this.

Vote and tell me what you think. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilamgood, Contently, and Instagram. You can follow my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. I’d love to hear from you.

Fall Leaves

November 2, 2016November 3, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 3 Comments

Check out my latest flash fiction story; Fall Leaves on The Drabble.

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By Sheila M. Good

The weight of Kayla’s backpack was nothing compared to the disappointment of finding Ben with Selma. God, she felt stupid. She kicked the leaves covering the path, unaware of the muffled footsteps behind her.

He came from nowhere pulling her into the deserted park. She didn’t have the chance to scream. He threw her backpack to the ground scattering leaves like colorful confetti.
“Strip,” he said.

The ground, like the steel blade of his knife, felt cold against her skin.

Kayla squeezed her eyes, dug her nails into the bed of leaves, and prayed for an early spring.

Bio: Sheila M. Good is a writer from South Carolina. Her work has appeared in Blasting News, Angie’s Diary, Every Writer’s Resource, Every Day Fiction, Downer Magazine, WOW – The Muffin. She’s been featured on the No Extra Words Podcast, and

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WORDS HAVE POWER

October 31, 2016October 30, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 8 Comments

I’m pulling this post from the archives (with a few revisions) because I believe the message is an important and timely one. You be the judge.

I’ve always believed words had the power to move people. Spin them the right way, target the right audience and they have the power to sway a nation. As tempted as I am, that topic is for another day.

Which brings me to the topic I wanted to discuss – writing and the power of our words. Isn’t that what we want our stories to do? Sway our readers?

Stories move us to tears, anger, make us gasp in horror, keep us up at night,or our bellies hurt from laughing.

A story can cause pain – dredging up ghosts or trauma of the past. Those stories are hard to read and even harder to write.

I’m 40,000 words into my first novel.Certain scenes are proving difficult to write because it requires me to dig deep into emotions I’d rather not feel again. I could sugar coat my words but every time I choke on the false words that ring so hollow.

I read a post today by Mary Jaksch at Write to Done that struck me right between the eyes. How to Bond With Your Readers: The Pain and Glory of Writing.

“Face the Pain and work through it.” Write to Done. Tweet This.

So, I have two options- I can dig deep and work through the pain or let my story gather dust.

It’s our job as writers to tell the best story we can with words that reach from the pages, grab our readers by the throat or the hearts.

So, make it count. Words have Power.

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood, Pinterest, Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilamgood, Contently, and Instagram. You can follow my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

Writer’s Block – Fact or Myth?

October 29, 2016 / Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 14 Comments

I realize the existence of writer’s block is controversial. Writers who’ve never experienced the phenomenon believe it’s as much a myth as the Loch ness monster or Bigfoot. Well, I’m here to tell you, it’s real – at least for this old Southern gal.

Thank God, Rachel Harclerode agrees and in her guest post at Live, Write, Thrive, offers us, 9 Ways to Overcome Writer’s Block.

I’ve tried a few of her suggestions, but I think numbers 3, 5, 6, and 9 speak to me. To find out more, hop on over to C.S. Lakin’s Live, Write, Thrive and check out all nine of Rachel’s suggestions.