I've been writing away and polishing up Book 2 for quite some time now. Life (work & family) comes first, so my book has been on the back burner. The good news is I've had time to work on it, and I'm almost done. Once it's complete and polished up, it will be ready for purchase! I have the book cover ready. What do you think? #somethingwithin #helenemontalvo

So I’m a sucker for tragedies. As much as I hate the tragicness (okay, I know that’s not a real word, but work with me here) of a tragedy, I just LOVE the outcome – even though heart-wrenching pain comes with it. Take Romeo and Juliet for example. We all know they die in the end (sorry for the spoiler if you’ve never read Shakespeare’s work), but even so I still read on (or watch on, if it’s a movie) hoping that Juliet will wake up in time and they could live happily ever aft

The moon beckons me, calling out, “Jade…Jade, come and play.” I ignore the urges tearing at my stomach, pushing against my teeth, and I resist the desire to feed. It’s been years since I’ve fed on human flesh and months since I’ve shifted. I may be able to resist the hunt, but there is no way my body can endure so long without changing. I’m way overdue. So I make my way deep into the woods, far from humanity, to let loose. I don’t want to ruin my dress, so I slip out of it an

I’m sitting here, in my living room, and I’m thinking about all of the amazing writers in the world: William Faulkner, Jane Austen, Emily Dickinson, Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Allen Poe, Emily & Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, Stephen King, and the list goes on and on. How did they do it? Publishing isn’t easy. In fact, most writers have struggled at some point in their publishing careers. There are many (more than you can imagine) that have received countless rejection lette

Writing Challenge #2 - Fire The Beginning and the End Here’s the thing about fire. It’s hypnotic. The way it sways its hips, beckons you with its arms, moving its body to a tune only the flames can hear. Burning passion ignites and consumes as it dances before your eyes, growing as it builds from the insignificant flicker of a birthday candle’s flame to a bonfire devouring all in its wake. It captivates with its beautiful deception. And with all its seduction comes the threat

Okay, so I'm doing a writing challenge to test my skills and get my writing juices flowing. This is new for me, and I'm super excited. I'm going to TRY to post once a week, unless real life gets in the way. This is the first of many to come, so let me know what you think. Oh, and if there are any you'd like me to continue, send me a message! Writing Challenge #1 – An object with a magical property Forever Changed I don’t know how I got here, but I’m suddenly very cold…and wet

Many people ask me about self-publishing, and the first thing I say is, "Do you have time?" It's not something I can explain in a few sentences. I could go on and on in conversation about it, but I usually don't. So, I'm going to give you the short version. Well, as short as I can make it. Okay, so I started down the road to self-publishing almost a year ago, and I can't say I've gone very far, but I can say it is super rewarding. I've been a writer since I could write. I mos