Tis the season to listen to holiday music…or is it? Whenever I start writing a new story, I always build a playlist first. I love music and how it fuels my creativity. Plus, I like to imagine my books becoming movies one day and they’ll totally need a score and soundtrack, right? (Can you tell […]
Photography: A Source of Peace and Inspiration + Giveaway by Melanie D. Snitker
I’ve always enjoyed taking pictures, even before digital cameras were popular, but I never considered learning about photography until after our son was born. At that time, my dedication to reading and practicing in order to take a better photograph was born out of necessity. Just like other new parents, my husband and I took […]
Surrounded + A Giveaway by Melanie D. Snitker
My family and I went through a particularly rough time with our son last month. I can honestly say it was one of the hardest things I’ve experienced as a parent, and it tested my faith in so many ways. But God brought all of us through, and He used it as a catalyst for […]
Of Detours and Alternate Destinations
by: Staci Stallings We’ve all heard it said that God works in mysterious ways. I think some of His ways are more mysterious than others. Take, for example, the strange case of the Bomb Cyclone and its effect on this author’s life. Our story starts on March 8, the first day of Spring Break around […]
As One Year Closes… by Melanie D. Snitker
It’s hard to believe that Christmas is now behind us, and that 2019 begins in less than a week. Personally, this year is ending on a lovely note. I got to participate in two wonderful family Christmas celebrations, was reminded multiple times of what this season is really about, and now I’m looking forward to […]
When Writing Leads to More Ideas (Plus a #Giveaway) by Melanie D. Snitker
Whenever I’m working on a story that’s part of a series, I try to keep in mind the characters I may need for future books. This usually requires some planning on my part. Often times, I create a character with just a few vague details so that I have room to play when he or […]
Spring: New Life and New Changes
Spring is my favorite season. Not only does it bring warmer weather, but it means the appearance of bluebonnets, one of my favorite flowers. Every time I see a patch of them on the side of the road, it brings a smile to my face. Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of them in the […]
When Good News Drops In and Saves the Year
I love the feel-good, inspirational stories showing up on social media and in the news this time of year, don’t you? Here are a few examples of stories I’ve heard in recent days: Families enduring displacement after hurricane Matthew and can’t afford Christmas gifts are unexpectedly blessed by the generous contributions of others. A kid […]
Nowhere for #Christmas, Blessings, and a #Giveaway
Back on October 26th, JoAnn Durgin blogged about the Christmas Blessings box set and told you a bit about each story and included each author’s personal inspiration for what they wrote. JoAnn only had so much room to spare in her post, though, so I had to give her the short answer. Today’s post is […]
The Boy Next Door: Inspiration for Lakeside Sweethearts
Ask any writer about common questions they’re asked, and they’re most likely to say “Where do you get your story ideas?” is one of them. Several people have asked, “What inspired Agnes’s story?” Lakeside Sweethearts is the story of two longtime best friends who work together on a community project and try not to risk […]