How do you picture the day of a best-selling author? Sitting in a beautiful setting, sipping tea, reading classic literature, and penning prose? Or perhaps having time to sit and ponder major plot complexities. Or maybe ... just breathing life to words on this page this way. In real life this was my day: 7:45 a.m. woke up and realized I slept in and my three little … [Read more...]
4 Easy Paragraphs to a Helpful Review
Periodically, I'm asked to give tips on writing reviews. I'm always glad to help people feel more comfortable spreading the word about books they love. I love to tell everyone about books that I love...and now that I'm an author, I know just how much a well written review -- even if it's a few sentences can help authors. Many readers use the number of reviews as one way to decide whether or not … [Read more...]
Say YES to the dress … and the book!
Saturday I went wedding dress shopping with my daughter, her bridesmaids, and my 85-year-old grandmother. Here is the group! (I was taking the photo.) My daughter Leslie is the second on the left with the curly hair! I took photos of my daughter in the dresses she was trying on, and the dress she CHOSE! (It was the 4th one!) But at least a dozen times I was told, "Don't you dare … [Read more...]
Let’s Talk Books!
The first Christian novel I ever read was Love Comes Softly by Jeanette Oke. My mother had borrowed the book from a friend, and I asked to read it when she was done. I was fifteen-years-old, and I fell in love with Marty, Clark and little Missy. Unfortunately, I wasn't aware of other Christian fiction. During that stage in my life, most of my reading included books like The Thornbirds or … [Read more...]
Stepping out of Comfort Zones
Life is full of choices. Sometimes the biggest choice is whether to move forward or stay where we are comfortable. This week I'm making a presentation in Nottingham, England, at the Society of Legal Scholars conference. It's a definite step outside my comfort zone. Now, don't roll your eyes. Yes, I teach a couple times a week at Purdue University, but I don't teach other professors. … [Read more...]