I’m excited to introduce y’all to Shelia Stovall, the debut author of Every Window Filled With Light! Welcome, Shelia! I enjoyed reading your first published novel! Congrats! Tell us about yourself and how you started writing! Thank you for inviting me to be your guest. As a child, I fell in love with Laura Ingalls […]
Daddies are Special #Giveaway
In 2007, I received word that I’d finaled in the Touched By Love writing contest and the winners would be announced at the Faith, Hope, & Love Conference in Dallas in July. I’d already paid and planned to attend the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference in September, also in Dallas that year. My husband […]
5 Romances Set Where The BlackTop Ends
Something extraordinary happens when you step onto a modern-day dirt road, doesn’t it? Like you are instantly transported to a time of simple living, where love is unencumbered by technology and city (or even suburban) life. The stories have the feel of historicals while remaining relatable to our present circumstances because it’s easy to believe […]
Indie vs. Traditional (+ #Giveaway)
I’ve been pondering lately about indie versus traditionally published books. I realized that prior to becoming an author seven years ago, all the books I read were in the latter category. Which I suppose makes sense because I didn’t even know the self-publishing world existed until I looked into it. And because I’m surrounded by […]
A Recipe for Romance
Food has a way of bringing people together. We celebrate birthdays and weddings with cake, prestigious awards ceremonies are often catered, and many business deals are negotiated over lunch. A few years ago, my entire family cornered by grandmother to solve the mystery of her delicious chicken and dressing. There’s a reason it’s called a […]
What About Setting? #Giveaway
I write in layers. That means, my first draft is mainly dialogue, character thought, and emotion. Once I complete the book, I go back in and add setting, description, movement, body language, and timeline. I used to weave my setting and timeline in as I wrote the first draft. Until my editor asked if I […]
Playing it (Not So) Cool & #Giveaway
Hello, new friends! To say I am excited to share my very first post as an Inspy Romance author is a huge understatement. In fact, when I received the invitation to join the incredible community of IR bloggers, I most definitely did not play it cool. I happened to be visiting my parents for my […]
New Release and #Giveaway by Merrillee Whren
Yesterday was release day for my book, Hometown Cowboy, the fourth book in my Kellersburg series. Here are the other books in the series. Each book can be read without reading the others, but it is fun to revisit characters from the other books. I remember in high school and college literature classes that we […]
Blurred Lines: Clean or Christian Romance
As an author, part of my job is to decide where my books fit. In an actual bookstore, this would mean the singular big decision about whether I want my books shelved in Christian Fiction or Romance. Online, this becomes much trickier. Books can be placed in dozens of categories and subcategories in the online […]
20 Ways to Achieve a Healthy Book/Life Balance
Perhaps you’ve been there. The children are hungry for dinner. The laundry heaps on the bedroom floor are waiting for a fold. Your friends’ texts remain unopened. But you only have six chapters left in that book you’ve been anticipating for months. If that describes you, then you have an unhealthy book/life balance. If you […]