Audiobooks have kept me company on long drives, distracted me while completing mundane chores, and carried me through books that … let’s be honest, I wouldn’t have otherwise gotten through. (Moby Dick, I’m looking at you.) So, of course, I wanted my own books in audio format! (Though hopefully people want them because they […]
The Making of a Fictional Small Town: Many Oaks, Iowa
I knew I wanted to set my next series in a small town in Iowa, and I knew I wanted a character from my last series to live and own a business there. Because of his background as a musician, I decided early on that I wanted the business to be a restaurant and music […]
I Can Explain … (Behind the scenes of an author’s search history)
Writers are notorious for having crazy search histories. And to be fair, we aren’t the only ones whose search history can be somewhat alarming. When I posted on social media about searches I’ve done for my work-in-progress, a friend who’s studying to be a lawyer said her search history is looking shady these days because […]
What Should I Read Next? A Quiz for Personalized Recommendations
Book recommendations can be a tricky thing. I’ve found some of my favorite reads and authors that way. But I’ve also seen recommendations that I can tell at a glance don’t fit me. What’s the difference? My favorites tend to be targeted recommendations, where the giver takes the time to listen to what I’m looking […]
The Joy of Anticipation – and how to make checking your email fun again
The hero moves closer. The heroine tentatively reaches out. Cue the inviting head tilts and gazes wandering to lips. But then! The phone rings or in walks the roommate/best friend/coworker. Suddenly, the kiss that was just a breath away must wait, probably for a few chapters as the hero and heroine ruminate on a million […]
Cover Story: Now or Never
Should a writer dare to create their own covers? You be the judge! In my post last month, I shared about the process of working with a cover designer for the Rhythms of Redemption Romances. I love those covers, and I hope each of my future covers inspires the same kind of excited wonder I […]
Cover Story: How the Rhythms of Redemption Romances got those pretty covers
One of the “rules” of indie publishing is that writers shouldn’t make their own covers. I imagine some writers who have done just that to great success are shaking their heads right now. The reason I put “rules” in quotes above is that really it’s just a suggestion (albeit, a strongly worded one, sometimes). Indies […]
A Modern Spin on Abigail (And a cinnamon apple coffee syrup recipe!)
Ever think about how biblical stories might play out in the modern world? Since I borrowed bits of inspiration for the Rhythms of Redemption Romances from the people and events of King David’s life, this is a question I’ve gotten to play with. For To Believe in You—which just released Monday!—little bits of inspiration came […]
Excuse Me While I Fangirl
I spotted her from, oh, maybe thirty feet away as she browsed the selection at the bookstore. I’d never met her before, but I knew who she was, and introvert though I may be, I just had to cross the distance and connect with her. With uncharacteristic boldness and excitement, I stopped beside her and […]
When Opposites Attract: Author/Character Edition
Opposites might attract in both fiction and real life, but when the opposites are an author and one of her characters, things get tricky. After all, how is an author to dream up ideas that are the opposite of her own? How does an author write about experiences she’s never had? In To Believe In […]
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