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 […]
Sharing local holiday traditions in fiction + giveaway
Culture is fascinating, isn’t it? I think a big part of what I love about reading is how we can travel anywhere in the world just by picking up a book. And at each stop in our travels, we learn something new and interesting about the culture, the people, or traditions of a place. I […]
10 Reasons Why Authors are Thankful for Their Readers
Even with the busyness and stress of the holiday season, there’s one thing I can always rejoice in: the countless blessings God has given me. This year I am especially aware of this blessing—the power and influence of my readers. Yup, you read that right! I said power and influence. You, dear reader, play an […]
Putting Real Life On Hold # Giveaway
I’m in the throes of a deadline again. When I turned in the last book, I took a month off. I wrote for a month. Then my editor sent my revisions on the book I just turned in. Once I finished revisions, I had to supply cover details and artwork. I finished that just in […]
Inside a Writer’s Brain (reader beware)
Have you ever read a book and wondered, what on earth must go on inside this author’s mind to come up with this stuff? Spoiler alert: it’s chaos in there. Most of us aren’t even sure which way is up half the time. Between story ideas, editing, marketing, and obligations to our non-author lives, it […]
Inspiration Everywhere # Giveaway
I used to write in a corner of the living room. Until two years ago, when our roof started leaking, the air conditioner quit, and the furnace died. Since we had to get a loan for repairs, we decided to go big or go home with a complete remodel and an office addition for me. […]
The Books that Inspire and #Giveaway by Melanie D. Snitker
My eight-year-old daughter loves to read, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. The fact that she’ll read a wide variety of books–from science fiction to classics–is even better. She also enjoys it when my husband and I read to her. Currently, she and I are reading the second Harry Potter book together, while she and […]
When the Book Won’t Write #giveaway
Confession: I’ve been pedaling as fast as I can on a stationary bike for a long time now. Barely keeping my head above water with a multitude of life tasks, a family health scare, and raising a teenage boy. Last spring, our son went to Junior prom with his lovely girlfriend, which means this year, […]
Friday Favorites (Tell Me Yours!)
I had a lot of fun writing a “Friday Five” blog post last September, so I thought I’d do something similar since today’s post also happens to fall on a Friday. So, welcome to my “Friday Favorites” post! I’ll be sharing my favorite things for the following five categories. 1) My favorite book this year: […]
The Summit
Well, I turned forty last weekend. I’m surprisingly okay with that number. I mean, it took a little bit of processing and a whole lot of emotional taking of stock (oh my gosh, <insert life event> happened how long ago?!), but more than anything, I feel like I’m standing on this great mountaintop and I’m […]