I'm a Word Nerd, and as such, I love playing word games. Words with Friends, Boggle with Friends, UpWords, Taboo, Scattegories, Bananagrams, Scrabble. I even keep a crossword puzzle by my place at the table, so I always have some word fun to work on. So for our Game Day today, I thought we could stretch our Word Nerd muscles and with some acrostics. To play, create a poem or sentence where … [Read more...]
The Things That Last
As a Christian novelist, I believe that I need to be steeped in God’s word if I am to have anything of value to offer the readers of my books. My desire for every book I write is that it will (1) entertain the reader while (2) drawing them one step closer to Jesus. “The grass withers, the flower fades,But the word of our God stands forever.”(Isaiah 40:8, NASB95) Since 1997, I have made it a … [Read more...]
A Collection of Historical Tidbits
Research is a huge part of writing any novel, but it plays an especially key role when it comes to historical fiction. Historical details are the building blocks that shape the story world for readers. They can help shape the plot and give extra dimension to the characters. They bring the setting to life and even offer wow moments when something particularly unique is revealed. My latest … [Read more...]
Two favorite things—books & salads
Two of my favorite things today...books & salads. First, A fabulous new book on the craft of writing by our own Deb Raney! Writing Cinematically truly is a "workshop-intensive-in-a-book that takes only an hour and a half to read, but will teach you to describe more visually and dynamically, revolutionizing the way you write. The book includes twelve lessons (plus a bonus) with … [Read more...]
A Million Little Choices, coming November 7
New novel. New story. New look. You may ask, "Why the different look from my previous 17 novels?" Because A Million Little Choices is my first contemporary. It's a dual timeline story which has been living inside me for over 15 years, and I'm beyond excited to finally share Claire and Stephen's journey with you on November 7! I know November seems far away, but I promise I've worked … [Read more...]