Sharon Skinner's Blog

I Got the Plague…

…But I Got Better

In March, I did my annual weekend stint selling and signing books at Ann Chamberlin’s Book Shop at the 2026 Arizona Renaissance Festival. I always have a good time at the festival, and despite the unusually high temperatures, this year was no different.

Huge kudos to the new store manager William for continuing Ann’s long-term support of local authors by having them onsite at the bookstore.

While the soaring temperatures (102-degrees on Saturday and 99-degrees on Sunday) did keep some people away, the crowd, especially on Saturday was in a generous mood. I didn’t sell as many books as I had hoped but did well for the size of the crowd.

In addition to getting to talk to people about books all day, I always enjoy getting into character and interacting with the players and attendees. Some of my favorite interactions are with characters like Don Quixote, who comes by at least once while I am there. We have fun sparring a bit, with me teasing him about the windmills and him claiming my books are filled with demons! (He’s not wrong about some of them. LOL)

Another of my favorites is the fabulous fiddler who spends part of his day playing outside the bookstore. He’s a talented musician and wonderful person. I love how people stop to listen and dance and just have fun.

One of the really fun aspects of interacting with attendees, aside from their amazing costume, is their gifting of trinkets, tiny figurines about the size of a fingertip. Sometimes the person will This year, I was gifted two ducks, a mushroom and a turtle.

But this year brough something more to my book table. A group of young urchins stopped by and gave us…the plague! I wore my plague flea for the rest of the festival, until a wandering plague doctor finally healed me that Sunday.

I hope to stay hale and healthy until next year’s festivities when I know plenty of new fun is in store.

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If you’re interested in reading what I write, you can check out some of my books, like The Healer’s Legacy Trilogy, or my MG novel, Lostuns Found.

Or, if you like something a little darker, check out my collection of dark fantasy and light horror with a bit of humor. Blood From a Rose.

Want more Sharon Talk?

Interested in what else I write? Check out my books!

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Dragon’s Breath

 

Floating on an emerald plain among the standing stones,

a ghostly moon is rising up, invading hearts and souls.

A grassy plain secures the path that winds between the downs.

Among the souls of warriors, we face the great unknown.

 

It’s a dragon’s breath that moves the world  and starlight winds that guide us.

Lightning cracks  the midnight sky to reveal the path inside.

 

The road ahead lies in a haze, the path behind is clear.

Love weaves a braided tapestry that documents the year.

Beneath the wide expanse of sky, we live out desperate lives,

spending small eternities within a soulmate’s eyes.

 

It’s a dragon’s breath that moves the world and starlight winds that guide us.

Lightning cracks the midnight sky to reveal the path inside.

 

Spirits of the cowardly lurk in a dark abyss

and work to turn the hero back with a serpent’s hiss.

A mote of dust becomes a world by spinning out of time,

beyond the vast reaches of space, a universal sigh.

 

It’s a dragon’s breath that moves the world and starlight winds that guide us.

Lightning cracks the midnight sky and reveals the path inside.

 

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Note: This is a throwback (way, way back).

Originally written as song lyrics, these words have previously been put to music and recorded by talented musician/singers, Michael (Pops) O’Mara and Brid Dower.

 

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Interested in what else I write? Check out my books!

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Art and Resistance

There are posters and content creators online who are telling us that if we are not openly and consistently raging against what is taking place in the country and around the world, we are complicit. But that is a simplistic viewpoint, in my opinion.

I, along with many others, feel the anxiety and fear that our current state of affairs presents. I take the situation seriously and continue seeking and finding personal ways of supporting those on the front lines working to resist the harmful and negative actions taking place as well as responding in ways that align with my values, even if that work isn’t visible here.

I also believe that writing and creative endeavors are a part of what keeps us mentally healthy and human.

I will continue to write about craft and keep telling stories in this space because writing is and has always been a way to make meaning and to provide some respite from the act of staring into the abyss of dark and evil doings.

I know some people think that writing and reading fantasy and science fiction, and many other speculative fiction subgenres is less important that writing about history and contemporary issues. That it is all escapist—and to be clear, there is nothing wrong with escapism, especially in dark times—but, as I have always said, for me and many others, speculative fiction offers us a way to examine difficult subjects and come to grips with them without savaging our emotions.

And maybe, just maybe, our work will help some reader somewhere revise their beliefs and ideas in at least some subtle way. And, in my experience, it certainly offers catharsis and outright validation for many.

After all, my creative writing thesis was titled “THE FEMALE HERO AND FEMINIST FANTASY FICTION AS RESISTENT TEXT FOR YOUNG ADULTS.”

As I tell my book coaching clients and workshop attendees, we are complex beings, capable of holding more than a single idea or emotion—grief and art, outrage and craft—at any given time.

So, this space will continue to be a writing space, a reading space, a place for this author to share my ideas and stories with my community while holding other spaces for the more difficult work we are called to.

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If you’re interested in reading what I write, you can check out some of my books, like The Healer’s Legacy Trilogy, or my MG novel, Lostuns Found.

Or, if you like something a little darker, check out my collection of dark fantasy and light horror with a bit of humor. Blood From a Rose.

Want more Sharon Talk?

Interested in what else I write? Check out my books!

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It’s January and time to take a look back at my year in books – 2025.

I BOOKS!

I love to read, which is what led me to become an author, editor and book coach. Not only do I love to sinking into a good story, connecting with characters and exploring new worlds, I love the process of analyzing how the writer accomplished especially successful aspects of the work. Not to mention, reading feeds my writing and coaching brain as well as my soul.

I was a bit more accurate tracking the books I read this year because I took photos of the covers as I finished them, so I had a visual record even when I didn’t manage to list them on the app. I have a tendency to read and track them in batches, as you can tell from the way the RSS feed hits my webpage. And this year got busy, and a few things, like tracking books, got sidelined, so I was really playing catch-up at the end.

 

MY 2025 READING SUMMARY STATS

According to my tracking:

I read  107 books, 31 of which were picture books.My average number of pages per book clocked in at 236. (That’s 8 fewer pages per book than last year.)My total number of pages read was 25,264. (About 800 more than last year.)This year, I included some of the published books I edited.

MY YEAR IN PICTURE BOOKS Because I coach Picture Book (PB) writers, I read a number of PBs each year. I study these books to help my clients understand the market and what’s being published.  I am also looking at structure, what types of books are seeing success and how well the illustrations support the text. I am also generally looking for potential comp titles for the types of books my writers are working on.

This year, I tracked 31 of the PBs I read. TBH-I missed a few, but that’s the way things roll. And I also didn’t track some that I felt were not usable examples for coaching my clients.

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL…

As a freelance editor and book coach, my reading year includes quite a few pre-published manuscripts not represented here. This post only covers the published works that I consumed in 2025.

If you have a Goodreads account, you can find me there. Pop in to my Goodreads profile and see what I’m reading. I will try to keep it more up to date this year!

If you’re interested in reading what I write, you can check out some of my books, like The Healer’s Legacy Trilogy, or my MG steampunk adventure novel, Lostuns Found.

Or, if you like something a little darker, check out my collection of dark fantasy and light horror with a bit of humor. Blood From a Rose.

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Want more Sharon Talk?

Interested in what else I write? Check out my books!

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This is a short post because, it sort of feels like ’tis season to fall-alalala-alll behind.

That said, at least it’s for good reasons.

In addition to bottling last year’s Limoncello and the 2023 vanilla extract that I’ve had stewing, sending out holiday greetings, getting together with friends and family, and planning out my appearances and workload for 2026, I was also able to take part in a local holiday event called Lights of Love.

This is an event put on by AMR (American Medical Response) and entails lining up about a dozen emergency vehicles and gathering community members to wear flashing light-up accessories and wave bright-colored light sticks outside Banner Children’s Hospital. Then, after a countdown, all of the emergency vehicles turn on their flashing lights, and we wave our lights in the air. The children currently staying in the hospital gather at the windows and wave back with their own light sticks.

It’s a way of connecting and including kids too ill to join in holiday festivities, a celebration of kindness and caring.

It made me both sad and happy. Sad for those kiddos, but happy that we could maybe help them feel a little less alone and give them some joy.

Happy holidays, friends.

Here’s to finding ways to put more joy in the world and help one another feel less alone, not only this holiday season but throughout the year.

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It’s Okay to Play

Now and then, I get a little bit overwhelmed with all of the things I am doing.

It’s an interesting problem for someone who can’t sit still for long to find themselves feeling like their brain is twirling like the loading wheel of a computer. But it does happen.

For me, this is the edge of burnout, a sign that I need to stop for a bit and just let my brain play.

This month, between coaching, writing, traveling, editing, and all the mundane daily things, I hit that place, so instead of an author post about my writing, or my time in the Navy, or even a short  spurt of poetry or flash fiction, I give you this simple message (TBH-As much or more for me than you.):

It’s okay to play…

…to do the bare minimum,

…to set aside the hard work,

…to put off the millions of decisions,

…to ignore the chores,

…even the writing,

…and play for a while.

All those things will wait for you…

And they will be easier to face refreshed.

Trust me.

It’s okay to play.

 

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Want More Like This?

To Read More About Sharon’s Time in the Navy Click Here

Interested in what else I write? Check out my books!

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Japanese Street Tacos, Sukiyaki, & KFC. Sounds like an odd group of foods, I know.

During our six-month WESTPAC cruise, the USS Jason ported in Yokosuka, Japan, for a month. It was a working port for us, so we kept pretty busy. But there was still lots of time to go ashore and see the sights and sample the cuisine.

And sample the cuisine, I did.

One of my favorite places to eat was a little shop tucked in a narrow space between two other storefronts. It was just wide enough for a service window, and from that window, they served Japanese street tacos. Of course, the taco shells were made with rice flour, and they were covered in cabbage, not lettuce, with a sweet and sour sauce that substituted for salsa. They were so good! I ate a lot of them.

I also consumed a lot of Sukiyaki, cooked table-side. Thinly sliced beef, mushrooms, and veggies were placed on the table, along with a Warshita sauce, and a hot cone-shaped grill was provided. You cooked the food yourself, eating and cooking at the same time. I ate a lot of it—it was so good.

The fun part about eating in Japan was choosing the food without always knowing what it was. Most of the restaurants only had menus in Japanese. But many of them also displayed wax versions of the meals in the window. So, I often ordered by walking up front and pointing to what I wanted. While I didn’t always know what I was getting, I always got something delicious.

The biggest surprise came when we took the train into Tokyo. The underground station was huge and crowded, and it took a while to find our way out. It was already near midday, and as we emerged from the station, we found ourselves in front of an odd yet familiar sight. A red and white building sporting a familiar face: Colonel Sanders.

A Kentucky Fried Chicken fast-food restaurant. It was quite busy, and I suddenly found myself craving the familiar.

After waiting in line, we stepped up to the window and ordered. The aroma of fried chicken and hot grease wafted through the service window, and I waited impatiently for my food.

When our orders came, we sat at a nearby table to dig in. But when I sank my teeth into the meaty chicken leg, it tasted like fish. I chewed and swallowed, then took another bite. It looked like a chicken leg. It had a chicken bone and was clearly chicken. But it still tasted like fish.

All the chicken tasted like fish to me. I didn’t like it, to be honest. It messed with my head.

Later, speaking to a crewmate of mine, I asked if they might have cooked it in the same oil as they had fish.

“Maybe,” he said, “but most farmers here feed their chickens a diet of fishmeal. That’s what you were likely tasting.”

After that, I steered clear of chicken, and I ate a lot more street tacos and sukiyaki.

 

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Want More Like This?

To Read More About Sharon’s Time in the Navy Click Here

Interested in what else I write? Check out my books!

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Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all do what we love most in life and still live comfortably? We see people doing exactly that all the time—high-profile winners, superstars, bestselling authors. And we all wish it could happen for us. Of course, we do. We want it to be easy. And for some, it seems to be. Some people achieve great success, and some faster than others. Some even do so on their first try, or so it appears.

However, most writers who work hard at their craft and produce amazing books also have to put in a lot of effort to get published and then keep working to promote themselves and their work. Many writers, like most creatives, spend their days working a job and then dedicate much of their remaining time to pursuing their dreams.

Whether we succeed in navigating the gatekeepers and the obstacles of traditional publishing or find another way to share our words, sometimes the publishing business can feel like playing the lottery. Especially when certain books suddenly garner national attention and popularity. But writing is art, and art is subjective. Not everyone has the same tastes, and sometimes, even when someone appreciates our work, they may hang it upside down or sideways.

That doesn’t mean we should take offense. It simply means someone found a different way to enjoy what we created—sometimes from a unique or unexpected perspective. We see the world through personal lenses shaped by our individual experiences.

Judging your work based on commercial success or comparing your journey to other writers’ is a surefire way to feel bitter or discouraged, unless luck is on your side. And luck in publishing is much like hitting the lottery—you need to reach the right person with the right work at the right moment.

And who knows what will hit and when?

It’s not always easy to stay committed and focused on writing while chasing that elusive butterfly we call success. Some days, you’ll receive five-star reviews; other days, you’ll get rejection notices from your publisher.

Through all the highs and lows of writing and publishing, I try to remember to live the dream and love the dream, even while working toward it.

 

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Want more Sharon Talk?

Interested in what else I write? Check out my books!

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SEVEN THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME AS A WRITER:

I started out as a total panster/discovery writer, but pretty quickly found that I need to have some idea of where a story is headed in order to get there. As I have written more and more books, my process has morphed along the way. Now, I use a number of plotting and outlining tools, in addition to still writing my way in and through to some extent. That said, one of my favorite mantras is, “Process is personal.” There is no right or wrong way to approach your writing, as long as you get what you want out of it.I have been writing since I was in elementary school but started truly studying the craft of fiction in earnest over 30 (yikes!) years ago. I continue to pursue that education by attending writing workshops and conferences and reading books, blogs and articles on the subject. And by teaching. Every time I craft a new workshop, it either fortifies a concept or helps me to explore that aspect of craft in a new way. And I often find myself talking to workshop participants about the exact craft element I need to focus on in my own projects. Not to mention, I always learn something from participants when I teach.In addition to being a writer, I am a book coach and editor. As a book coach, my main focus is fiction, particularly most anything that falls under speculative fiction. That said, I am certified through Author Accelerator to coach fiction, memoir and nonfiction. I read across all genres and categories, and I am a lifelong learner. I really like to know things! So, it’s no surprise that when the opportunity to become certified across the board, I went for it.My roots are in poetry. My first publishing credits were poems in magazines, newspapers and online. I got into Slam and was a regular on the Phoenix SpokenWord circuit. I even published and sold my own chapbooks. (I still have some, just in case anyone is interested. LOL) It wasn’t until 1995 that I realized I had bigger stories to tell and began writing novels. The first (very crappy) draft of my first novel poured out of me in less than eight weeks. It was conceptually a great story with fun characters but was horribly written. It took me years of studying craft and more revisions than I care to count before it was finally publishable and debuted as The Nelig Stones in 2013.I have written two published picture books. I have also written dozens of unpublished picture books. Writing a good picture book is harder than people think. Not only does the story have to hold together, if you are writing character driven-stories you have to develop an engaging character and story, tell it in 500 words (or fewer!), and leave room for the illustrations. Picture book structure and format also play into what makes a good picture book. And the picture book market is seriously competitive. That’s a lot! But when you manage to pull it all together, that’s a pretty special feeling.I used to dislike the revision process. However, I always want to make sure I give readers the best experience possible. Now, I enjoy and find a great sense of fulfillment in polishing the work and getting it right. I do think I owe a lot of that enjoyment to working with a fabulous editor. Credit where credit is due, Anne Lind.I have multiple projects going at any given and all of them are at various stages of development. I am still working on Dating and Demons, the sequel to my urban fantasy Collars and Curses. I have a few more demon stories starring Kel Fazz and Harb. (Fun stuff!) I am usually working on stories to potentially submit to anthology open calls. And I write poetry and flash fiction in between everything else.

BONUS: I host a podcast about writing for kids. It’s called Coaching KidLit and is in its fourth year. Podcasting is a lot of work, but I really enjoy talking to writers and book coaches about books and writing. I don’t only write and coach KidLit, as I said above, I work across genres and categories, but I also really enjoy helping writers create great kids’ books.

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Want more Sharon Talk?

Interested in what else I write? Check out my books!

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Conjuration Catena

 

Night

House silent

I shift and rise

Eyes falling on

A shadow in the hall

An apparition in the shape of you

Clinging beside the door frame

Fading into grayness

As my mind wakes

In remembrance

Vanishing spirit

Gone beyond

Reach

 

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Want more Sharon Talk?

Interested in what else I write? Check out my books!

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