Wow. It’s December. Can you imagine? Just over a week ago we were having Thanksgiving dinner in good old November. Suddenly, we’re less than one month away from the year 2020. How is your December coming along? Busy? Will you be traveling for Christmas or staying where you are? Have you decorated your home for Christmas […]
Shaking It Up a Bit!
What do you think of when I say Process Improvement? Be honest. Does this term make you roll your eyes, yawn, maybe even snore a little bit? Coming as I do from a professional background of insurance and project management, I’ve become familiar with my fair share of processes. I’ve documented my fair share […]
Christmas Tree: Past, Present & Future
Hola! Jolene Navarro checking in from the Texas Hill Country. Saturday after Thanksgiving is another day to carry out a tradition of gratitude for my family. Each year memories are treasured and hopes are added. As a kid, I anticipated the holidays with nothing but joy and excitement. From baking cookies with my family to […]
My Life as a Small-Town Girl…plus a Book Bonanza!
If you read my books, you may notice that they all take place in a small town. That’s because, no matter how sophisticated and urbane I might have wanted to be when I was younger, I’m a small-town girl. And these days I know that for me, that’s a good thing. There’s just something I […]
10 Reasons Why Authors are Thankful for Their Readers
Even with the busyness and stress of the holiday season, there’s one thing I can always rejoice in: the countless blessings God has given me. This year I am especially aware of this blessing—the power and influence of my readers. Yup, you read that right! I said power and influence. You, dear reader, play an […]
A Plot Twist of My Own
I was supposed to go meet with the producer who optioned my book for film last weekend, but I had a plot twist of my own. If you haven’t heard yet, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Needless to say, this came as a bit of a shock, and you can read about it here […]
Loneliness v. Connection
Have you ever felt like you didn’t fit in? Like you didn’t belong? It’s a lonely place to be, isn’t it? And loneliness… Well, let’s just say that loneliness isn’t fun. We might feel lonely at school, on the job, or even at church. Sometimes we feel lonely within our own families or even in […]
New Release! When Snowflakes Never Cease
I’m very excited to have been part of the latest Crossroads Collection. If you’ve never heard of the Crossroads before, they’re the brainchild of Christian romance and suspense author Amanda Tru, where all of the books in a collection all have some common theme, and the final book ties them all together. They’re quite brilliant. […]
Doin’ It Right by Mary Manners
“If you’re going to do something, then do it right.” Those words, spoken by my father, came to me the winter of my thirteenth year as I delivered newspapers along my route on the streets of Elmwood Park, a suburb of Chicago. It was the winter of 1976 and we were in the clutch of […]
A Thankful Heart (and #Giveaway)
Do you know what your calling in life is? Has it changed over the years? Do you think that there are some callings that don’t ever change? Here we are in the weeks between the Canadian Thanksgiving (October) and the American Thanksgiving (November). During this Thanksgiving season, I think about the many things I am thankful […]