After people read my books, they often ask, “Where do you get all your research?” I wish there was a single, magic well of information that we could simply plumb for depths of ancient historical knowledge. But there isn’t. 🙁 Research comes in fits and spirts. Long days (and nights) and lots of skimming books and online info. I love …
When Young & Old Characters Marry
All my books have a romance thread. In any great romance, I want to see the heroine and hero marry. For me, it’s Novel Writing 101. Several years ago, I pitched a story to my publisher–before I did a lot of research on character ages–and then found myself in a terrible fix when it came time to write the book. It …
Pondering Joseph & Potiphar’s Wife
I love the 3-4 months right before a book releases! That’s when I get to begin sharing all the fun research and behind-the-scenes STUFF I’ve discovered about the characters–especially Joseph & Potiphar’s Wife! My newest novel, Potiphar’s Wife, releases on May 24th, and WOWZERS! There are some fascinating things I learned (and wrote) about Joseph and that bad girl of …
Was Potiphar a Eunuch?
Well, here’s a topic no male of our species every wants to discuss. But according to the original Hebrew language of Scripture, Potiphar was, in fact, a eunuch. But Maybe Not THAT Kind of Eunuch… According to the Jewish Encyclopedia (online), not all “eunuchs” are created equal: The term “saris” is commonly used in the Old Testament of eunuchs; but …
Live Free Without Changing Your Address
God gave each of us an innate sense–an instinct–to react with fight or flight when faced with stress. My reaction is often flight. I tend to be like my movie hero, Forrest Gump, who stayed free of conflict by taking the advice of his only friend, Jenny. She said: “Run, Forrest! Run!” Don’t you wish we could outrun some of …
Working With Editors – Pt 2
When I saw the “Evel Pie” sign on our recent “first timer’s” tour of Las Vegas, I thought: Those folks needed a better editor! Then I discovered the place was named after the motorcycle stunt driver, Evel Knievel. Very clever–and very good pizza (though in our taste comparison, Good Pie was better, IMO). 😉 Have you ever seen a road sign …