About
I write. Writing is a part of me, whether my own projects or work for hire. Elementary school plays and short stories, high school news articles, college papers and stories, investigative court reports, individualized education plans, screenplays, novels, non-fiction--it all demands attention to detail and careful choice of words. The end objective is always the reader - whether to inform, persuade, or evoke an emotional response.
I've been an honorable mention, quarter-finalist, finalist, or runner up eight times - for short stories, books, and screenplays: Saturday Evening Post Great American Fiction Contest, Writer's Digest Short Story Writing Competition, Kindle Book Awards, Amazon Breakout Novel Awards, Writer's Digest International Self-Publishing Book Awards, Sacramento International Film Festival, Emerging Screenwriters, and San Francisco Book Festival (as designer/editor of an art book). As the last award hints, I help other authors from initial comprehensive edits through self-publication.
Featured Work
All for One - Love, War, & Ghosts
All for One – Love, War, & Ghosts - a tale of friendship, love, and youthful decisions that drive friends apart for decades. When the ghosts of Vietnam shove their way into the present, fear, uncertainty, and death follow.
• Selected for the Spring Reading Guide in The Strand Magazine. Andrew Gulli, managing editor: "I truly loved it. It’s thoughtful, layered, and emotionally intelligent in a way that really stays with you. The tension works beautifully alongside the deeper themes – it’s exactly the kind of novel our readers respond to.”
• Publisher's Weekly reviewer for the BookLife Prize: "Written in a plainspoken, accessible tone, All For One is an easy read. The temporal shifts between the decades are smooth, thanks to a steady voice, providing continuity across the years and serving as a reminder of how a person’s past will bleed into the present. While her writing makes sparse use of metaphor or lyrical imagery, McGuinn’s words carry emotional resonance in the small details that serve to highlight the trauma of war, loss, and love without overstating these feelings."
• Now available in paperback, digital, and audio formats.
Other Works
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All for One - Love, War, & Ghosts
2025
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Tough Times
2021
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Running Away: Maggie's Story
2020
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Peg's Story: Detours
2020
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Alice
2013
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Running Away** School Edition
2012
Awards and Recognition
- Finalist: Kindle Book Awads: Tough Times
- Finalist: Emerging Screenwriters: Alice
- Screenplay Finalist: Sacramento International Film Festival
- Quarter-Finalist in Amazon Breakout Novel Awards
- Honorable Mention Writer's Digest International Self-Publishing Book Awards: Running Away
- Honorable Mention Writer's Digest Short Story Writing Competition: "Bad Mommy"
- Honorable Mention Saturday Evening Post Great American Fiction Contest: "Maria Angelica's Baby"
- Runner Up: San Francisco Book Festival Photography/Art Category: book I edited and designed: Suzanne Blaney's Impressionism: Inspiration & Evolution
- Selection: The Strand Magazine Reading Guide: All for One - Love, War, & Ghosts
