Are you on Instagram? Do you have favorite follows? I do. People or companies (which are really people, of course) whose posts I look forward to reading. Here are a few of said favs . . . More views from The Dogist. Because, well, we can! Are they not so cute! These images make really good responses via text, too, when you have no words but want to express an emotion. My daughter … [Read more...]
Tangible Encouragements
"Take heart, daughter." "Take courage." "Don't be afraid." Jesus spoke these words to lost, searching, and hurting souls when he was here on earth, and he's still speaking them to us today. And aren't we grateful? Especially in these uncertain times. But while these may be uncertain times for us, they're not for him. Because, even now, he stands in the moment when you drew your first breath … [Read more...]
Favorite Website Features
Not long ago, I took an informal poll of readers' favorite features of authors' websites and found it very interesting. To that end, I'd love to know what you like best about authors' sites. What information you appreciate seeing when you visit an author's online home. In response to reader feedback, I added a "Bonus Features" page to my site which includes a slew of icons that lead to other … [Read more...]
Getting Crafty at Christmas
One of my favorite things to do at Christmas is to decorate the family tree. It's no magazine showpiece. It's a walk down memory lane. Photo ornaments from when my kids were babies. Ornaments they made in school. Ornaments we made together at home. The handmade ornaments are always my favorite. As an avid cross-stitcher, I love to make ornaments as gifts for others. My publishing team has been … [Read more...]
Character Inspiration
When I first started writing, I never looked for inspiration images for my characters. I simply let them form in my mind and worked from there. However, when it came time to design my covers, my publishers kept asking for images of what my hero and heroine looked like as a starting point for selecting models for the photo shoots. I quickly learned that having images handy saved me time and effort … [Read more...]