Welcome to my world!

You guessed it, I have totally revamped this site and my blog! I can’t believe it’s been so long since I’ve worked on this, but I have been so busy with things going on in life that unfortunately, it fell by the wayside. So, let’s get you caught up in my writing world!

In 2021 I began working on a memoir that is about the abuse I endured as a child and adolescent. I’m still working on it these years later, and I am happy to report that the feedback I am getting from the handful of beta readers is mostly good. It encourages me. But I’m not sure quite when it will be ready to submit to publishers & literary agents. You see, I have to go back in time, and it takes a mental and physical toll on me to do that. Your encouragement would mean the world to me. And, if you aren’t already and would like to be, I can add you to the beta reader list!

This October I will hopefully be declared cancer-free for the 4th year in a row. It has been a real struggle dealing with the latent effects of cancer, the surgery, and the chemotherapy. While this is mostly great news, my health has not done well in the last year and a half. I’ve been having significant pulmonary function issues, had a nasty fall on my eye socket that required over 20 shots into my eye and 6 or 7 stitches, an incident where I poured boiling water all over my front, a horrible sunburn that bled for weeks, among other things.

As of late, I have been playing the submissions game. In the last year alone, I have been regularly submitting to literary journals, magazines, prizes, awards, fellowships, and retreats. So far, I have had 1 poem published, which you can find out more about on my PRESS & INFO page. I am hopeful though. I have seven (that’s right) manuscripts floating out there and I am determined to be heard and published.

In addition to all of this, I have upped my game on social media and in my local community. I regularly attend open mics to read live, and I am active on Patreon (patreon.com/user?u=80801682) and recently started using TikTok and ad campaigns (https://www.tiktok.com/@ma.belle.doniell).

Underneath ALL of this that I‘ve just laid out – I’ve been going through a divorce. It’s been nasty at times, and so very difficult. I’ve been legally separated for a year and a half now and am looking for a new full-time day job that can support me and my son and provide me with the health insurance I desperately need.

So… as you can see, I’ve been busy. BUT I do want to get back into my skin again and become that amazing poet/writer that you all want to hear from.

Thanks you you all,
​Doniell