Writing teachers often tell us to “Picture your ideal reader in your head and write to them.” I usually picture my mother. She is such a voracious reader that it would be a struggle to find a Christian romance she hasn’t read. But my mom did not grow up in a Christian home. She met […]
Support Your Favorite Authors #Giveaway
You’ve heard of the starving artist. Well, I’ll let you in on a secret. Most authors are starving. If not starving, at least struggling. Very few authors make a living with their words. Especially Christian authors since secular books make up most of the market. For every consistent bestselling author dominating Christian sales, there are […]
Winning His Trust + #Giveaway
I’m a pantser. Now some of you may not know what that means so I’ll explain. Basically it means I don’t plot or have an outline on how I want the story to go. I let the characters take over and I’m merely along for the ride. However, that does mean that sometimes the story […]
Book Clubs #Giveaway
The most fun thing about reading books to me, is discussing them with others. What better way to savor a story than to discuss it with a friend. To share your favorite parts or how you felt during pivotal moments in the story. Whether you saw a plot twist coming, if you figured out who […]
Do You Love Sports?
Currently in the United States, we are in the football playoff season. Lots of women don’t care for sports, but I love them. I’m not sure why I love sports when so many women don’t. Maybe it’s because I grew up with three brothers who all played numerous sports, but then I was the oldest […]
That’s Going in a Book #Giveaway
After being in the house all week, editing a book, I told my husband I wanted to do something fun. Fun for us is go to out for lunch, then hit a few flea markets, and finish up with a grocery run. So we headed to our favorite plate lunch restaurant about forty minutes from […]
From Fury to Feelings (+giveaway)
I LOVE hate-to-love, enemies-to-lovers, whatever you prefer to call the trope. For me, it comes second only to friends-to-more as my favorite! There’s something about the fury, the chemistry, the potential for so much emotional entanglement. It’s funny, since I’m not a huge fan of drama. Those books where a misconception and/or refusal to talk […]
Books That Make You Go WHOA! #Giveaway
After over 200 rejection letters, I spent four intense years studying the craft of writing. Certain I’d learned all I needed to know, I prepared to go to my first national conference, back in 2005. I’d submitted my latest manuscript to a publisher and was waiting to hear back from them. I felt good about […]
Newsletters – Why Sign Up? #Giveaway
Most authors have newsletters these days. Let’s talk about why you should sign up. There’s usually a free book or giveaway involved for signing up. Newsletters usually include exclusive info only available to subscribers. Authors get more personal in newsletters. All that personal and exclusive contact is addicting. They’re usually encouraging and uplifting. If you’re […]
New Growth: You’re Still Alive
Last month my blog post mentioned some of the things we did on our most recent trip to Spokane, Washington, where I lived when I was in high school. Before we went to Spokane we drove through North Cascades National Park, since I’m trying to visit as many national parks as possible. During one of […]