Often, when I read a book, I am able to take something from it that may help me in my own life. Sometimes, I just want to understand the characters a little better. Discussion questions are often a vehicle to discover what those nuggets might be. You can use them as a supplement to Providence, whether you read the …

You’ve probably heard the saying, “It takes a village.” It’s in reference to raising a child, but from my experience, the same can be said for launching a book. When I quit teaching in 2007 to give writing a fair shot, I had no idea what I was doing. There are days I still feel that way. I’ve always enjoyed …

Every writer has a voice. I didn’t understand what that meant until I truly studied the craft of writing. The first time I ever heard the term “voice” was when I taught middle school and was introduced to rubrics—forms used to grade essays. A writer’s voice is the unique way in which they put words together. You could probably recognize …

I’ve joined the 21st Century with my first Facebook Live video. If you missed the momentous occasion, you can still see it here. I’m answering questions about the writing process, character development and Providence in particular.

I thought it would be fun to share the original first couple of chapters of Providence. If you’ve read the novel, you’ll quickly recognize how different it is from its roots. Why did I change it? I was told that Melissa, the main character, wasn’t likeable by some very experienced acquisition’s editors. I was still slogging through my grief over …

I’m always a little on edge when reviews start coming in for a new release. Will the readers love it? Hate it? Not care one way or the other? Although Providence has only been out for two weeks, the reviews thus far have been very encouraging. More than anything, I want to touch my readers’ hearts and give them something …

I was asked by author Jennifer Sienes to be a guest blogger. I’m not much of a writer, and I don’t know that I have all that much to share, but I’ll give it a shot. My name is Melissa Bainbridge. I live in Placerville, California with my three kids—Emily (13), Joshua (9), and Eli (7). If you’re unfamiliar with …

Providence, Book 3 in the Apple Hill Series, released on April 13th. I received my batch of books over the weekend and got to see and feel the novel for the first time. It’s exciting to me whenever a new book releases, because it’s a fulfillment of a dream the Lord put on my heart years ago. In celebration of …

Yesterday was the last “official” day of A Journey of Hope Week. I hope you were able to take away some small nugget of hope and/or inspiration for your own life. We can never have enough. Amen? Five of the seven days, there was a chance to win either an ebook or Amazon Gift Card. In case you missed it, …

Do you know how many times the word hope shows up in the Bible? In the NIV, the answer is 158—almost a quarter of them in the book of Psalms. You gotta love David. I’m not sure anyone in history was better at praising the Lord. This is why he is described as a man after God’s own heart. Second …