For years, our family has purchased season passes to Christian-owned and operated Silver Dollar City. SDC is a family-oriented theme park which showcases the Ozarks at its finest. It’s one of my favorite places where time stands still. Atmosphere, nostalgia, great food, and friendliness are hallmarks of this must-experience destination if you’re traveling to my neck of the woods. Bring your loved ones, …
I’ve thought a lot about how much the past affects our present. It influences everything: cultural differences, lifestyles, the way we speak, the way we dress, what drives us to succeed, others’ perceptions of us, and a host of other things. Believe me, because of where I live I’ve heard just about every hillbilly joke there is. I try to …
This was the third year I attended the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) conference. I think every year outdoes the last. (Check out Wednesday’s post where I shared highlights and photos of the 2013 ACFW conference in Indianapolis.) Other than the long drive from my neck of the woods to the great state of Indiana (and the exhausted state my …
Well, as I type this post I’m exhausted. Happily so, but bleary-eyed nonetheless. My suitcase sits in the bedroom floor and still needs unpacked. The house is a little dusty, my office somewhat of a mess, and there are a hundred things on my To Do list. (Well, maybe not a hundred. But dozens!) Today I thought it might be …
I worked on the perfect blog post for today. It centered around 9/11. It was chock-full of encouragement and love. I talked about faith, family, freedom, and writing conferences. I was about to tie it with a pretty bow when–you-know-what happened. I hit “save draft” (just to be safe should the “auto-save” not work) and need I say more? Probably not. …
Fall. That glorious season of candy corn color. Not quite here, but almost. Some folks dread summer’s fading palette, but I’ve always loved the more vibrant shades of saffron, cinnamon, and orange. Where others see death of what was, I see hope of what’s yet to come. In last year’s post, My 20 Favorite Things about Fall, I talked about God’s handiwork and how His …
As a Christian writer I feel a keen sense of duty. To God. To the lost. To those who are struggling in their walk. To my craft. Because I write Christian fiction, I want to portray life realistically–without the rose-colored glasses, but, too, with immeasurable hope that only comes in Jesus Christ. I like “happily ever after.” The sweet, “feel good” …
Happy Friday, everyone! Hope this finds you well and looking forward to the weekend! (Help yourself to a slice of that decadent chocolate cake above–yummm!) I thought it might be fun today to do an end of the week wrap-up. In other words–let’s chit chat about what’s going on in each other’s lives. Pull up a chair, grab your plate, and …
Don’t you just love being around happy, positive people? I know I do. Unmotivated, negative folks sap our energy. They steal our joy and put a dent in our day. If we’re constantly exposed to attitudes of discontent, our own attitudes begin to reflect the same. Because by nature I’m a helper, I tend to want to “fix things.” I …
Because there are a lot of misconceptions about Christian fiction writers and the market we write for, I thought it would be fun today to share an updated post. See if you can identify. What We Wish You Knew… 1. We write in many different genres within the Christian market. Yes, even the (*gasp*) inspirational romance genre. 2. We …
