I’m in the middle of a writing break, which means more time for reading! I have so many Contemporary Christian Romance authors I would call “favorites.” At the tip-top of that list is Melissa Tagg because her stories are consistently entertaining with deep characters, rich plots, and the most satisfying romance. Just this week I […]
How Readers Help Combat Author Burnout
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 […]
What Do Authors Fear?
Obviously I cannot speak for every author everywhere. But if you are an author, or if you follow an author on social media, I’m certain you’ve seen the memes that revolve around this question. What do Authors Fear? Let’s look at this from a different perspective. Authors have fears as all humans do, and this […]
Is Any Story Really New?
Several months ago, as I scribbled down a rough concept for an upcoming book, an unpleasant thought hit me. My main characters and plot reminded me of a famous work of 19th century fiction. Horrified, I considered scrapping the idea and starting afresh. What if people judged my book as an inferior copy of a […]
Reading for Redemption
The redemptive spiritual arc might be my favorite. It takes so many forms, from dramatic to vapor-thin, that I find myself constantly searching it out. And redemption can mean different things to each person. For me and the sake of this post, I’m speaking about redemption in a character’s life that brings them from a […]
Tragedy and Romance (+giveaway)
I’ll be the first to admit I tend to lean toward uncomplicated, happy romances by default. Like bacon and cheese, such books make up the majority of my dietary preferences, literarily speaking. However, these aren’t the books I savor. They aren’t the ones to win awards and acclaim and get talked about nonstop. I could […]
All in the Family (and #Giveaway)
Do you like to read books in which the characters are interconnected, e.g. in a community or church or family? Do you like to read a series in which each book features a sibling, a cousin, best friend, or someone in the family? I thought I’d share with you a glimpse of how I planned […]
Plotting & Pantsing Explained + giveaway
Spend any time on social media with your favorite authors these days, and you’ll come across a number of terms the average reader doesn’t understand. Like any field, there’s a bit of lingo involved that can confuse a person on the outside looking in. Always a reader first, I enjoy sharing some of that insider […]