My first chapter is live: Down on his luck, journalist Jack Sutherland pitches a profile on famous foodie Serendipity Brown, tasked by his editor to uncover her husband Richard's disappearance. Jack arrives at her art nouveau-style estate, Bishops Ridge farm, and is boisterously welcomed by the flame-haired chef. Serendipity settles Jack into her missing husband’s former study, fueling his investigative instincts. Over strong drinks, she invites him to her upcoming cooking demonstrations at her home. My novel: A week-long demo by a famous cook has four guests hide links to her missing husband. A romance with a visiting journnalist uncovers the truth. I'll be posting a chapter at a time on my site. (I hope I'm allowed ot post this here, @Zane Dowling?)

I have been pretty busy lately and haven't had the rime to put together a story to introduce the new members. We have 7 new members but one may be a familiar name. @Gwynne Conlyn has returned to the fold. Like me she owns her own community and bowed out for a while, which I understand. I have done the same with a community I belong to. Sometimes receiving all of the post from communities we belong to is overwhelming. If this is happening to you, I suggest keeping the membership and only following the leader directly. Just visit the posts if they are of interest. @Deepak Ud Has written a little and has interest in Journaling & substack. Deepak joined to explore his creative potential. @Steve Combs has written a little and is interested in writing that is funny. Steve joined because it was free. @Karen R has some completed works and mostly does fiction but is looking to branch out. Karen joined because she was searching for writing and blogs under Skool's discovery tab and this one caught her eye.

My dear friends. Please make sure you do not commit to anything offered on this community. And, do not pay anyone up front for anything. There are people who are deceitful in this world. Recently I discovered one of our members was pretending to be a famous author who headquarters out of Kentucky USA but, when I tried to coordinate something live with him, he said he was living in Amsterdam. This sent up a red flag and I reported it to skool for investigation. I'm sure that there are also other people here just trying to get customers and I understand that but please be careful not to get scammed.

@Arden Coutts has some completed works and is interested in Romantic Suspense, Romantasy, and Thrillers. Arden has joined because of an interest in meeting other authors and learning more.

Here's what I believe: writing isn’t a race, and it certainly shouldn't feel like a chore. It’s a process of becoming grounded. The "how" of great writing—whether you’re crafting a novel, a song, or a travel piece — comes down to one thing: intentionality. It’s about moving away from "rushed" and "forced" prose and toward a mindful practice. I see this constantly in my food writing work. You don't describe the whole banquet; you describe the way the steam from a single dish carries a specific memory. When you master that one well-noticed detail, your writing doesn’t just improve—it deepens. I'm curious: what are you working on? Share a few lines in the comments — I'll respond, if you like.