When I first started writing, I had never really considered words like tropes or story arc. As a reader, I read what I enjoyed and didn’t consider the structure behind the story. That all changed when I began bringing my own stories to life and I learned–boy did I learn–that there was so much involved […]
Sister Stories
The sister relationship is one of the most complicated. From best friends to mortal enemies, every set of sisters has a different dynamic and relationship, and that’s true not only from family to family but sister to sister within the same family. With three daughters and a sister of my own, it’s definitely a relationship […]
Small Town Romance
I live in a small town. I’ve lived in my small town of less than ten thousand people for the past twenty years. Before that I lived in another small town. And while there are some advantages to living in the city (and hey, I’ve written books set in cities from NYC to London) there’s […]
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 […]
Overcoming Adversity
Today has been one of those days where all I want to do is curl up with a book and read for a few years. I’m sure you all know what I’m talking about, and I won’t bore you with the details of what all went wrong today. And in the grand scheme of things, […]
The Black Moment
Last week, our own Lindi Peterson touched briefly on the topic of black moments framed from the perspective of The Storm Before the Rainbow. Many of you know I’ve experienced my own storm this past year, and I’ve clung to the hope of seeing the rainbow with everything I’ve had. Today I’d like to go […]
Romantic Relationships in Christian Fiction
A little while ago I asked a question in some groups about how Christian characters pursuing relationships in romance books are portrayed, a question which met with some interesting responses. It led me to wondering how Christian readers like to see Christian characters demonstrate their faith in Christian books, and how this relates to romantic […]
Favorite Covers # Giveaway
I’ve been browsing bookshelves again. But instead of my usual bookstore hangout, I’ve been browsing online. My agent is getting my newest proposal ready to send out and asked for comparables. This is where I have to find titles published by the publishers I hope will publish my book. Wow, that’s a lot of publishing […]
Shirts Required
A few weeks ago, when my launch team was sharing different memes and posts about my new book, Destination: Romance, something funny happened. One of my launch team members found a quote she loved in my story and made this meme. She then shared it, and commented how excited she was for everyone else to […]
Book Sightings #Giveaway
In 2005, I went to my first American Christian Fiction Writers Conference. I was so overwhelmed, didn’t know a soul there, and it seemed like everyone I met was published. Don’t get me wrong, I met really nice people. They weren’t bragging. But it seemed like everyone there was published. Except me. After that first […]