Chrissie’s Blog
Year-End Writing Round-Up
How did it get to be December 29th already? It seems like only yesterday, I was entering poetry contests, kicking the year off with hopes of making my 50 rejections for 2025. I met my goal, almost double. I had 91 rejections. And 26 acceptances, down a few from the...
My To-Do List for 2026 (in no real particular order after #1)
Spend more time with Russ when he’s available to spend time with. Find a publishing home for my Langston stories. Try at least three more places to get my chapbook published if it doesn’t work out where it is right now. Revise my memoir and send it out to at least 50...
In Memoriam – Melanie Dawn Hoback and Kevin David Linkous
I recently lost two high school friends during the same week. It was heartbreaking for me, so I can’t imagine how their families are managing. Melanie Dawn Hoback and I met before we ever started kindergarten. She was, in fact, my oldest childhood friend. We used to...
Northern Lights
Every once in a great while aurora borealis is visible in my neck of the woods. Now, I’ve never seen it happen. I miss it every time. This past week, although I missed the first night, I went traipsing around in the dark after midnight looking for them on November...
Mind-Numbing Pain
All my life, I’ve heard the phrase “mind-numbing pain.” And I’ve been in some intense pain before. I’ve had surgeries in the past two years that left scars and left me crying pretty hard. Right now, I’m having intense tooth pain. Something has been amiss for almost...
Happy Birthday at the Hard Rock
My Big Sister in my Sorority (Pi Sigma Kappa, Purple and Proud), Lynne, Bishop, is having a birthday this week. Last year, we spent opening weekend of the Hard Rock Café in Bristol, VA, at the hotel and casino. We had so much fun, we decided it should become an annual...





