Category: BEHIND THE SCENES

  • Angels on the Ceiling

    A Christmas Bonus Excerpt from my novel Misty Dreams, Chapter 4. šŸŽ„āœØ Manhattan, Christmas Eve Richard Kelly had never been a believer. At least, not since he was five years old and still believed Santa Claus was a kindhearted old man from the North Pole who traveled the world bringing gifts to children. Angels, to…

  • WRITING LIFE: Excerpt

    WRITING LIFE: Excerpt

    I’m excited to share another excerpt of my work-in-progress, the Misty Dreams prequel. This scene is written from the perspective of twelve- and thirteen-year-old Richard and Tony. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into their world! Shards of golden light from the low-hanging sun burst between the tall buildings, casting a warm orange glow over…

  • From Notebooks to Keyboard: How I Wrote My Way Into the Digital Age

    From Notebooks to Keyboard: How I Wrote My Way Into the Digital Age

    As a child I was fascinated by anything associated with the writing craft, from notebooks and pens, to keyboards. Even before I could identify it as my passion, I was enamored with writing. Back then, the personal computer was the stuff of science fiction. Typewriters were the real dealā€”bulky, mechanical beasts like the one in…

  • THREADS OF MEMORY

    THREADS OF MEMORY

    (Cover image by Freepik) I have very few memories of Nonna, the grandmother whose name I carryā€” fragile, translucent threads that still linger in my memory after more than half a century. The last time I saw my grandparents, my family was preparing to leave Italy for South Africa, and though I was too young…

  • A SHORT STORY

    A SHORT STORY

    I’m excited to share my short story, Footprints in the Snow, which received Special Recognition in the Writers Weekly Winter 2025 short story contest. I hope you enjoy it! Footprints in the Snow by Josephine Strand Outside Mattā€™s window, the view was one of serene beauty and stillness, wrapped in a soft snowy blanket. The…

  • Writing Life: An Excerpt From the Current Draft of ā€œFinding Homeā€ ā€“ The Prequel to ‘Misty Dreams’

    This excerpt is an unedited draft and may contain errors, inconsistencies, or changes from the final version. It is shared for early insight and enjoyment only. Thank you for reading! ā€œAre you okay?ā€ Max asked the boy hunched on the park bench. The kid couldnā€™t be more than twelve or thirteen. One sleeve of his…

  • Crutch Words in Writing: How to Spot and Avoid Them

    One of the biggest mistakes I made in crafting my first novel was relying too much on “crutch” wordsā€”those little words and phrases we slip into our writing without thinking. Sometimes we use them out of habit, sometimes to fill space or emphasize a point. In my early drafts, I constantly used words like just,…

  • Judging a Book by its Cover: Trends in Romance Book Cover Designs

    Iā€™m the first to admit it. Iā€™m that person who breaks the ā€˜donā€™t judge a book by its coverā€™ rule when it comes to choosing a romance novel to read. Even when it comes to my own books, cover design plays an important part in the decision process. As I edge closer to the completion…

  • Secondary characters in a novel

    As a romance writer, I enjoy creating secondary characters just as much as crafting the protagonists. In my debut novel, Misty Dreams, there are several secondary characters who play both major and minor roles. I loved giving each of them distinct personalities with unique traits and mannerisms, even the less prominent ones. Developing strong, well-rounded…

  • Confessions of a late bloomer

    This article was first published in the online literary magazine Women Writers, Womenā€™s Books (booksbywomen.org) My name is Josephine Strand and Iā€™m the author of my first published romance novel, Misty Dreams, released in April 2021. Iā€™m what is known as a literary late bloomer. Three years ago, I was a soon-to-be novelist past the…