Do you ever feel burnt out and in need of pulling back from something for a bit? This is a hypothetical question, of course, as burnout seems to be a universal symptom of humanity—at least for most of us in modern day. It is for sure true for authors, and you may be surprised to […]
Books Featuring Asian American Main Characters (#AsianAmericanPacificIslanderMonth)
I was thinking about Christians of many national origins and ethnicity, and that thought reminded me of a Scripture passage in the New Testament. In heaven, there will be saved people from every nation, tribe, and tongue, all worshipping God together as believers. “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man […]
Bookaversaries, Celebrations and a Giveaway
May is a big month for me. During the first few years of writing, it seemed I was on a yearly publishing calendar for the month of May. My first book Holding on to Someday was released on May 8, my second book A Half Made Whole, released the next year on May 9, and […]
The Not-So Glamorous Life
I’m a published author. Did you think to yourself: that’s so amazing! Her life must be awesome. If so, let me take you inside to the not-so glamorous life of writing. Now, I’m not trying to be a downer or ignore how blessed I am to be a published author. I’d just like to give […]
To Be Seen
I was talking to someone recently about how the person people see when they look at us isn’t always who we really are. Or, more specifically, it’s not all of who we are. When that happens often enough, we can start to feel unseen – like nobody cares enough to look beyond the surface. We […]
In an Inn by the Sea
Nearly ten years ago, I was considering my first series of inspy romance and an idea was born. Book 1 would feature Leslie, a fifty-something teacher facing an empty summer. Her husband had just filed divorce papers. The house that had been her family’s haven for fifteen years was going up on the market. Her […]
The 3 CCR Authors Who Have Impacted Me the Most (+ #giveaway)
Who are the people who have left a lasting impression on you? As I reflect upon my life, there are several who have touched me in profound ways. One is my aunt Patricia who spent a week with me when I was ten, teaching me how to ride a bike. Two others are my maternal […]
Is This For Real? How fact and fiction overlap in a novel
Have you ever wondered how much of that novel you’re reading is based on the author’s real-life experiences? I consider it a compliment whenever someone asks me if an element of my stories is grounded in reality, because it means that element of the tale rang true. The amount of reality an author includes varies […]
Am I a Thrift Store Hypocrite?
Yesterday an author friend and I were chatting about our ebook and paperback buying habits. We discovered that we mainly buy ebooks: me because I love reading on my ereader and I like to get the book straight away, and she because she lives in a non-English speaking country. Shipping print books to her costs […]
Honest Author Talk
The other day I went to a book festival event near my hometown. This secular event had a number of high profile Australian authors speak, include Tom Kenneally (author of Schindler’s Ark which became the film Schindler’s List) and Candice Fox, who co-writes with James Patterson and has had TV shows made of her books. […]