Below is a list of places where you can buy A Breeze of Whispers:
Last updated October 17, 2025.
A Breeze of Whispers is on Sale Now!!!
Category: Uncategorized
Auto Crit & Pro Writing Aid Writing Challenges
This past week I have found myself missing the challenge NaNoWriMo brought every year. To my surprise a couple places online offer writing challenges that are similar to NaNoWriMo such as Auto Crit and Pro Writing Aid. I have used Pro Writing Aid in the past for grammar and spelling checks. Now I haven’t used it for a while because at one point it didn’t work with Pages (I use a mac). But I decided to see if things had changed at Pro Writing Aid and visited the site. That’s when I found out about the writing challenge, Novel November, as well as Pro Writing Aid now working in Pages.
When I searched for Pro Writing Aid, other grammar checkers like Auto Crit popped up and with that its own writing challenge called Novel in 90. I haven’t looked too in depth into Auto Crit as I had already signed up for Pro Writing Aid‘s challenge before I realized Auto Crit had its own challenge. Below are screenshots of the Pro Writing Aid and Auto Crit sites.
I tried to log in to Auto Crit to get a screenshot of the dashboard but they are having issues with the website so I can’t log in. Sorry about that. As soon as I can log in I’ll update the post.
If you use either Pro Writing Aid or Auto Crit what do you think of the challenges? Pros? Cons? Have you found other challenges online? If so, would you care to share them with me so I can keep a running post of writing challenges for those interested?
Whichever challenge you sign up for, I wish you the best of luck reaching your word count! When your writing challenge ends, why not stop by and let me know how you did. I’d love to hear from you! Or you can send an email to soucieji@gmail.com
Happy writing!
Janis
Writing and Personal Updates
I don’t have much to update as far as the writing goes. I’m still working on chapter outlines for A Daughter’s Promise. It may be slow but I’m making good progress when I get to it.
AND… part of the reason my writing has been going slowly is because of this little guy:
Meet the newest member of our family. His name is Sebastian or as my kids call him Sebby. He’s a 1 1/2 month old Maine Coon and he’s a trouble maker but I love him dearly. Anyway the couple of weeks leading up to his arrival we spent cleaning the house and making sure everything would be safe for him. So I haven’t had much writing time. That should change now that he’s here with us.
I’ll have an exciting post next week. Exciting for anyone who used to participate in NaNoWriMo that is. And I’ll reveal all next week.
Have a good week!
Janis
Health Update
It’s been since February 2025 that I left my last blog post. But my health has been challenging. I am about to undergo a sleep study to check for narcolepsy and see why I have EDS, or excessive daytime sleepiness. It’s to the point I can’t stay awake very long to write a short story or work on novel, let alone try and hold a conversation with someone.
Until I know what is going on I won’t be able to do what I would like to do and that is to write steadily and to keep posting on this blog regularly. I apologize for not updating you sooner. This doesn’t mean I won’t be writing at all or posting on this blog, it just means it will all be sporadic at best…at least for now.
If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments or send me an email at soucieji@gmail.com
Embrace Your Calling as a Kingdom Writer Today
Hmm… Kingdom Writers, huh? Well, I’m a writer and assuming “kingdom” means the Kingdom of God then yes, I am a Kingdom Writer. I always said that if it weren’t for God, I wouldn’t have the gift of writing. I wouldn’t be able to weave words, as they say.
Kingdom Writers is also a podcast. I discovered it over the last couple of days when looking at other writing podcasts. I wanted to share it with you. CJ and Shelley Hitz run the podcast. They also write their own content, including books, and have their own website.
Okay, so that was a big info dump, but I’m just so excited to share the information with you. If you write for God, I think you’ll enjoy the podcast.
I’m currently reading the book Kingdom Writers: Move Forward In God’s Call to Write. I just started it so I can’t say what it’s like just yet. If it’s anything like the podcast, I know I’ll be encouraged to keep writing. When I’m done with the book I’ll let you know my thoughts.
But for now, I’ll let you check out the links. I’ll let you make the decision for yourself if you’re a Kingdom Writer or not.
Take care and I’ll check back soon.
Janis
My Journey as a Christian Writer: Embracing New Paths
Well, here I am. Back to this blog. And I return solely as a Christian writer. Yes. God has been working with me for a long time. He has been leading me to this path. I finally surrendered.
I now have the task of reviewing my writing projects. I need to decide if I will still write them or not. I will update this blog accordingly. Some nonfiction topics I plan to write on are my weight loss journey, and my experience being a highly sensitive person. If there are other topics you think I might be interested, please leave a message in the comments or email me at janissoucie@gmail.com
I am excited about this path and curious about what is in store for me. God will reveal all in due time. I just have to be patient. I know I love research and writing nonfiction so I’m open to that. Then there is fiction as short stories which is fine. But with novel length works I’m still deciding if I want to pursue them. I can write novels. That’s not the question. It’s whether or not I want to deal with large projects like that or not. To be honest, I get overwhelmed and break down with large projects. I’m totally a lyric, poem, and short story kind of girl. Maybe I will try novella length but that is as far as I go, at least for now.
I think that’s all I have for now. Thanks for reading.
Janis
A Quiet Night In May
I’m sitting in my office working on this blog post. My husband is next to me playing a flight simulator game on his mac. While he’s busy flying, I’m at www.pw.org looking at writing contests they have posted.
Now I’m not usually one to try contests but I am curious to learn if I can win any. And how else will I know if I don’t try? I’ll keep you posted on which contests I enter and if I win or not. I’ll post the links too just in case you would like to try your hand at a contest or two.
Reed Magazine – Creative Nonfiction
Two Projects I’m Up To
There are currently two projects that I am up to and have been working on in the last week or so. I have been reading up on The Craft of Christian Songwriting and trying my hand at writing lyrics.
Then instead of trying to flesh out an outline about fibromyalgia I just decided to write my story and then if it stays article length then that’s fine. But if it branches out into these other ideas I have, that’s fine too. Eventually, I will get this project done.
Some of these other ideas I was thinking of branching into are: married life, intimacy, and pregnancy, sleep, exercise, stress, depression and anxiety, overstimulation, driving, importance of support, coping, and then “what I’ve tried for pain”. If you have any ideas for more topics, or if you’d like to share your story, let me know. You can email me at soucieji@gmail.com
The Adventures of Summer and Bun Bun
It has been several months since I have written on this blog. COVID-19 hit and like everyone else our little worlds have been flipped upside down. Our kids were homeschooled so that gave me less time to work on my writing and write on this blog. But I have been able to find some time at night while my husband puts our son to bed. I have time to do some writing, even if it’s only for a half an hour. A little progress is still progress.
So, what am I working on now? As you can tell by the title of this post the title is The Adventures of Summer and Bun Bun. Summer is the name of my daughter and I wrote these eight stories based on my daughter when she was two and while she carried around her pink and white rabbit she called Bun Bun. In the stories they go for a walk, go to church, go to school, go to the beach, go to the dentist, go to the doctor, go to the library, go to the zoo, ride a pony and visit a museum.
Most of the stories are done and just need another run through for any mistakes. The last story I have to write is where they visit a museum.
I am thinking of writing another story involving Summer and Bun Bun where Summer gets a baby brother.
I’m not sure where I’m going to go from there. I have some brainstorming to do.
That’s all for now. Take care everyone and stay safe!
Janis
P.S. Before I forget again, I am planning on having this stories published under my pen name KJ Daniels. I figure it’s an easier name for kids to pronounce.
Trouble with Motivation
Dear Janis,
Do you have any advice on motivation?? I really need to get my sugar back down, but always tired and achy these days and find it difficult to get things done. – Rose
Dear Rose,
If you can find things that excite you like maybe trying something new that might help. I have found I’ve been in a rut with my writing but when I started changing things up like started writing for video games and started an advice column, I am enjoying my writing more. Is there anything you can change up that might end up motivating you in the end?
Dear Janis,
Not sure, been trying to do more sewing now. Making baby things for the coming grandchild in July, and trying to get my letters answered. Maybe if I concentrate more on those and shut the computer off for a good part of the day?
Dear Rose,
Yes. It can be freeing to shut the computer off for a day, or part of the day. You would be surprised what you would get accomplished.
Dear Janis,
Will give that a try. Going off now 🙂
Best of luck, Rose!
From The Mists of the Northwoods 