RockWall Cottage Chronicles

A newsy, sometimes amusing, usually interesting fly-on-the-RockWall view of my life as an author with updates from my Substack adventures.

An Introduction to RockWall Cottage:

The small cottage where I live and write has been affectionally named RockWall Cottage because of the rock wall that divides our side of the property from the side of the property where our friends, the owners of the cottage, live. We are honored to live in this space that was built for their parents who are no longer with them. We share life together and are currently enjoying twelve teenage chickens that reside in the coop at the back of our yard.

RockWall Cottage is located in a small town south of Seattle, WA. My dream of living in a place where I could walk to the library, post office, stores, restaurants, and more finally came true. My back porch is a writing spot that any author would delight in. Scott and I will be married 45 years this summer and we keep thinking we should go somewhere to celebrate but it is hard to leave this paradise!

A few pictures: Weber and the rock wall, views of the back yard, one of our chickens, the view from my office window, the river two blocks away, my front porch, a night view of the back porch, and a small town full of history and murals.

Latest News:

Last week I flipped the switch on paid subscriptions. I began thinking about Substack over a year ago. I no longer move quickly on new ideas that require commitment! That was a hard life lesson since I can think of a hundred new ideas before breakfast. But, I have a friend whose words hovered in the back of my mind and made me keep considering. “Janyne, stop giving everything away. People will be glad to support your work.” That is a hard sell for a survivor, but here we are and I am grateful for each one who has proved him correct!

Highlights from Previous Weeks:

• Top Post! This was a vulnerable post and my readers honored me with 456 views which is more than actual subscribers—possibly because it was also shared it in a newsletter. However that happened, thank you! My View from the Pew

• Encouraging Notes: Paid Subscribers leave notes with their subscriptions that are so encouraging! This one reminds me to “not be weary in well doing,” All of my podcasts and conference presentations are unpaid. I am glad to participate with book sales as my return. But once in a while, I get a glimpse of the difference it made in someone’s life!

"I listened to your session on the Broken to Beloved Summit back in January. I had gathered many resources throughout the conference, but once I heard you, I knew I’d be spending my energy and budget on anything I could that you had available. I have been so encouraged by you and your story and God has already taught me much through you. I’m excited to see what’s to come. Thank you so much!" -Julie

Series that You Might Want to Read (if you missed them):

• A Series that Concluded: Hotel Candelabra was a fun way to begin delivering content! The posts averaged around 200 views and many shared how they enjoyed the book. It is not too late to read! It will remain on the site for a bit longer while I work toward publishing it in book form. I am also working on the next book that will be similar in style. The working title is Green Door Antique Store: What’s the Secret You’re Hiding?

• A Series that Resonated: The Honoring Mother series created many behind-the-scenes conversations. Because the content was based on spiritual teachings, I placed it in the Religious Trauma thread (the first four posts here)

• A Series that is Almost Complete: The What I Wish I Had Known Before Beginning Therapy is up to 14 posts in the Brave Survivors thread. As a series, it seems to have been the most read.

• A Series that is Coming Soon: To honor the 45th anniversary of two trauma kids who found and cared for each other, Scott and I plan to launch a series of posts together. How did we make it to year 45? In great part because We Do Therapy. Stay tuned as we share the wisdom we have gained. (This series will be available to paid subscribers—we have paid for a lot of therapy!)