Let me introduce you to my friend, Joanne Kraft. This is one woman who never ceases to amaze me. When I first met her at the Mount Hermon Writer’s Conference in 2009, she was already widely published in parenting magazines. At that time, she was working on her first book—Just Too Busy: Taking a Radical Sabbatical. I think she’d be …
The Measure of Success
My debut novel, Surrendered, was released just over three months ago. There was much anticipation, excitement, and a little anxiety warring inside me as that day approached. This has been a dream of mine since childhood, and I know it was God who put the desire to write (and to be published) on my heart. So, of course, I prayed …
Picture Perfect
“One of the main reasons we struggle with insecurity: We’re comparing our behind-the-scenes with everybody else’s highlight reel.”—Steven Furtick #crashthechatterbox I love this quote because it’s so true, especially in today’s society. In my parents’ generation it was about keeping up with the Joneses, but it takes on a whole new level with the implementation of social media. My Space …
Crash the Chatterbox
May I be completely transparent here? When people tell me God speaks to them, I’m more than a little envious. Why them and not me? Is it because I’m not spiritual enough or important enough? Am I not praying correctly or meditating enough (or at all)? Am I too self-involved to hear His still, small voice? If any of you …
If Only They’d Listen!
If you’re like most parents, you pray for your kids. Even if you’re not much of a pray-er, you pray for your kids. When mine were small, I probably prayed more for them to sleep well than anything else, and I’m pretty sure it was for my benefit rather than theirs. The older they got, the more intense the prayers. …
Review of Risking Love
About the Book Book: Risking Love Author: Toni Shiloh Genre: Christian fiction, contemporary fiction, diverse fiction Release date: June 25, 2019 Nikki Gordon lives with a perfect trifecta of noes. No guys. No dates. No way. The past holds her bound with ropes made of fear-infused steel, and she’s determined that no one will ever cut through them. If only …
Cacophony
Writing novels as a career is an odd thing. I never gave it much thought the first several years I was doing it, because no one was knocking at my door to offer me a publishing contract—the old “don’t call us, we’ll call you.” But they didn’t. Call me, I mean. Once I got an agent, she said, “Just keep …
How to Live Big!
Inspiration for stories (and life in general) often comes from someone else’s life. It’s amazing to me that some people live BIG while others just live. Last week, my husband and I visited Dollywood for the first time. I’m not particularly a fan of Dolly Parton’s music (and since her husband of over 50 years isn’t either, I’m in good …
Where Inspiration Lives
Years ago, when I first stepped away from teaching to write full time, I was faced with the dilemma of what to write about. Write what you know, was the adage that came to mind, so I made the grievous error of trying to fictionalize my own story. I found out at my first writer’s conference that this is mistake …
Review of The Medallion
About the Book Book: The Medallion Author: Cathy Gohlke Genre: Historical Fiction (World War II) Release date: June 4, 2019 For fans of bestselling World War II fiction like Sarah’s Key and The Nightingale comes an illuminating tale of courage, sacrifice, and survival, about two couples whose lives are ravaged by Hitler’s mad war yet eventually redeemed through the fate …
