A Familiar Challenge You’d think after having two novels published and awaiting the release of a third (Love in a Broken Vessel, March 2013), writing a fourth book wouldn’t be such a challenge. You’d think I’d have conquered my insecurities, figured out the outline process, plot structure and character arcs. If only it were true…
Thankful—For Someone Else’s Talent
A Thankful Heart I returned from the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference on Sunday with a thankful heart. What an honor and blessing to attend such a wonderful event, reconnect with good friends, and make new ones. But I was also thankful in a new way because of something our pastor said last week while studying Colossians. “We always …
Sometimes God Says, “Hey, Remember Me?”
From the mouth of my babe… I was chatting with one of my daughters yesterday, and we were commiserating on the break-neck speed at which our lives are changing. As we talked about all the “irons in the fire” of her life, mine, and a few other family members, she looked at me and said, “Sometimes I think life gets …
Up, Up, and Away – ACFW Conference Today!
What is ACFW? Today I attend my second annual American Christian Fiction Writers’ (ACFW) National Conference–and I am SOOOOO excited! As you’re reading this, I’m on my way to (or may have already landed in) Dallas, TX, where over 2,000 aspiring and/or published authors will meet for three days of networking, training, and celebrating the very best of Christian fiction. Not a …
When Is God Enough?
God is enough in times of loss. Loss comes in so many sizes, shapes, and colors. My Dad’s death was a loss that left a hole in many lives–mine included. But loss also comes in other forms: job changes, empty nests, even the back-to-school adjustment each Aug/Sept. With every change, there is a leaving behind (loss) of the old and an embracing …
Working Through Childhood Hurts
Childhood Memories–Good and Bad During the past two weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to spend lots of time with family members “back home” in Indiana. We’ve shared lots of childhood memories, and invariably some childhood hurts have resurfaced with the joyful recollections of yesteryear. Though I’m not equipped as a counselor to tell you how to handle childhood hurts, I am …
