A few years ago I wrote a novel, THE DEBT, about what happens when a famous TV preacher's wife unexpectedly meets the son she gave up for adoption long before she became a Christian. That story came to me all in a rush, and I knew the Lord was in it because it convicted me. I have always believed, you see, that Jesus meant what He said when he prayed, "I pray not that you take them out of the … [Read more...]

The other night I came into the bedroom, dropped onto the bed, and started clicking the TV remote, looking for something to watch while I rested. I don't even remember what channel I clicked, but suddenly there was the Lawrence Welk show, and the familiar walls of my bedroom seemed to melt. I felt as though I was being swept into a time machine and transported back to 1960 or so, when life was so … [Read more...]

After reading a historical novel, lots of readers (including me) want to know how much of the story is true and how much is fiction. I always try to answer those questions in the back of my historical stories. This one is from DAUGHTER OF CANA, the first book in the Jerusalem Road series. The book is about Tasmin, the twin sister of disciple Thomas. In the story, Tasmin does not immediately … [Read more...]

I don't like snakes. They creep me out. On the other hand, I absolutely hate roaches. They stink, they make NOISE when they gallop across the room, and they carry germs. Once when I was staying in the Amazon rain forest, I had to go to the separate women's restroom in the middle of the night. I crawled out of my mosquito net and tiptoed over the elevated walkway, then went into a bathroom stall. … [Read more...]