read. reflect. connect.
Inspiration to help creative dreamers pursue their vision
When the doubt monster arises, you'll want to dip into this book.
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“Artists of all stripes dance with doubt—should we? are we? why do we?—and this gentle, inspirational guide is your friend in the studio, to turn to for a moment of reassurance and renewal. Keep it handy, dip in as you need, and scribble in your own doubt-dispelling passages among the sure insights and notable quotations.”
-Allison K Williams, Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book
“[H]ighly recommended for a diverse audience, from artistic library patrons to young adult aspiring artists, adult book clubs interested in self-help books that promote discussion and change, and psychology readers who would identify and resolve their own doubting personalities.”
-MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
“…the perfect antidote to the procrastination and angst that stem from doubt and get in the way of creating our work and getting it out into the world.”
-Lisa Tener, award-winning author of Breathe. Write. Breathe.: 18 Energizing Practices to Spark Your Writing and Free Your Voice
For everyone who worries if they're good enough to practice and share their art, this gentle volume of short, poetic essays offers assurance that doubt need not inhibit art-making and that we can all learn to live with doubt and still do our best work.
THE CONVERSATION IS ONGOING!
LISTEN to my conversation, Don't Let Self-Doubt Hold You Back, with Kim Meninger on her Imposter Syndrome Files podcast. Want more on creativity and self-doubt? Tune into The Selfish Gift with Maggie Langrick.
Craving even more? Book coach Sara Gentry and I dove deep into the subject of creative self-doubt for her writing workshop series.
If you're practical-minded, I share with businessman Ryan Dement five actionable techniques to shift your mindset and turn that inner voice of criticism into a source of motivation and encouragement.
READ my revealing interview with author Lisa Tener. A DOUBT MONSTER primer!
READ my latest essay on why self-doubt doesn't go away--and why that's okay.
WATCH my brief YouTube video on why this book is so necessary.
PLUS: Follow my free newsletter, Doubt Monster, on Substack. Interviews, discussions, tips, and more. And take the DOUBT MONSTER SURVEY (it's fun!).
You're in the right place for...
…books a bit off the beaten-path, story-wise (scroll down)
…workshops to help authors deepen their command of craft (Happenings)
…collaborating on writerly adventures—I’m up for it!
Creativity holds the key...
...to making sense of the human condition
...to imagining radical empathy
...to expressing and sharing joy, sorrow, and everything in between.
Published Books
THE POTRERO COMPLEX
THE POTRERO COMPLEX
THE POTRERO COMPLEX
ORDER NOW:
-and-
From Regal House Publishing (August 2022). Journalist Rags Goldner is battle-scarred and heartbroken after covering a devastating pandemic that rages in Baltimore for five years. She leaves the city with her partner in search of a simpler life in small-town Maryland—only to discover nothing in Canary is simple. A teenager is missing and it falls to Rags to fight the forces of apathy, paranoia, and creeping fascism to learn the shocking truth about Effie Rutter’s fate—and the fate of thousands
like her.
Praise for "The Potrero Complex"
“Bernstein sets us in a post-pandemic time just the barest bit beyond our own, on the way to a dystopia that feels too frightening and too familiar. A thoughtful, complex, well-executed novel--not a who-done-it? but a much scarier what-in-the-hell-is-happening?”
Robert Kanigel
Author of Hearing Homer’s Song and The Man Who Knew Infinity
"A scarily prescient novel that deftly explores the fraught connections between individuality, society, public policy, and technology."
Courtney Harler, Harler Literary LLC
THE NIGHTHAWKERS
THE POTRERO COMPLEX
THE POTRERO COMPLEX
Also available at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
From The Wild Rose Press.
Woo-hoo! THE NIGHTHAWKERS is a BOOK FEST AWARD-WINNER! And a finalist for the Stiletto Book Award!
Archaeologist Pauline Marsh is convinced she’s an unlovable freak. Who else in the world shares her ability to locate ancient artifacts without a map, hear their stories, and commune with long-dead artisans? But all that changes when handsome, charismatic Grey Henley persuades her she’s the girl of his dreams. For Pauline, Grey is the family she never knew. And for Grey, Pauline’s treasure-finding skills will make him immensely rich. But the lovers are keeping secrets from one another that push their relationship to the breaking point. Grey is in league with a criminal relative and Pauline is visited by an other-worldly stranger with a message. Sometimes, it takes a broken heart to discover your true destiny—and find eternal love where you least expect it.
Praise for "The Nighthawkers"
"A swashbuckling adventure with fantasy, love, and, at its heart, a search for peace and truth. Absorbing and fascinating."
Leonie Mack
Italy Ever After
“From the world building to the detailed character development, this fantasy story was very engaging and kept me wanting more throughout. The book is fast paced and has a good mix of mystery, adventure, romance and mysticism...”
Booksprout
Read an excerpt on the
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DREAMS OF SONG TIMES
DREAMS OF SONG TIMES
DREAMS OF SONG TIMES
ORDER NOW!
Amazon (paperback)
YA Urban Fantasy. Sapphic Fiction. LGBTQ-friendly. Suitable for 15+.
When sixteen-year-old Ell Gossamer's two mothers mysteriously disappear, the teen human-mermaid hybrid quickly flees home with little more than a mysterious family keepsake, a book called “Dreams of Song Times.” Ell will learn astonishing secrets about her past—but only after endangering her life to save others.
An explosive fantasy about love, loss, and
unexpected redemption.
"I don’t know exactly how I landed a short while ago at the tide’s edge on this island, with its blue rocks, singing sea grasses, and powdered sand. ..."
Praise for DREAMS OF SONG TIMES
"Ell is incredibly real and her mermaid song will stay in your heart. Exquisitely portrayed. Rawly human."
-- Theresa L. Ford, Maz, Origin
“A wonderful first-person coming-of-age and coming-out narrative on the loneliness and pain of otherness.”
-- Linda Ashton Trott, Immortal Desire
FRAN, THE SECOND TIME AROUND
DREAMS OF SONG TIMES
DREAMS OF SONG TIMES
A YA novel. Available now as an e-book, paperback, or audio from Amazon, Kobo (e-book only), Audible and iTunes (audiobook only) and other popular distributors.
Listen to a free sample of the AUDIOBOOK.
Add/Review this book on Goodreads.
“This book was gripping, from the moment I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend it, especially to middle schoolers or older.”
– a 13-year-old reader
“This story is not just another teen angst but a story of redemption, forgiveness and self-actualization. It’s mouth-dropping plot element are sure to keep the reader wondering the next move.”
– Daneace Jeffery, Author/High School Educator
“A suspenseful story full of teen obstacles that provide humor, compassion, and despair. This page turning story is relevant and paints a clear picture of how unexpected events can lead to an appreciation for friends and family.”
– Stacey Nunn, Library Media Specialist
Fran Singer is a regular 8th grader, when suddenly, everything changes. A tragic accident with major consequences shoots her out of her ordinary world into one racked with guilt, shame, and complete alienation. Starting over after all that is not easy— but is it possible? Will Fran’s life be better, the second time around?
WINNER, Maryland Writers Association YA Fiction Award, 2022
