As you know, here on the blog and generally as I navigate life, I love to speak positivity. It’s my happy place. The reality is, though, life isn’t always fair, kind or happy. Sometimes, there are ways we can juggle bad things or tiptoe around them. Sometimes, there’s no other way but to just plow right through the situation. As …
Wet and Soggy in The Ozarks
Here in the wet and soggy Ozarks, we’re a little weary. If you’ve followed weather-related events of the last week, then no doubt you’ve heard of our recent storm outbreaks. Ozarks weather has truly lived up to its unpredictability. Even for those of us in Tornado Alley, we’re more than a little battle-worn. To our neighbors north of us in …
The Ozarks and the Stories That Live There
Rich in heritage and unique in culture, The Ozarks region is a place like no other. Amidst a lush backdrop of rolling hills and hidden hollows, stories abound. Some remain elusive while others beg to be shared. In Her Hope Discovered, book one of my Welcome to Ruby series, Charla and Sam’s story takes center stage as they reconcile the …
This One’s for YOU, Imperfect MOMS
Like many moms, I wanted to be the perfect mother. I have quite an extraordinary mom myself and I envisioned what life would be like once I delivered my darling bundles into this big, beautiful world. I embraced the notion of pouring myself into these new lives and I determined to be the best mother ever. On my journey to …
So… We Took a Trip
You may have noticed my absence on the blog over the last two weeks. There’s a great reason for that—I’m in deadline mode. Sometimes, writers must get words on the page rather than write a blog post. It’s that little thing we call balance. Knowing what to prioritize in our lives and sticking to it. Still, I’ve missed you and …
Happy Easter Blessings
As Holy Week draws to a close, I wanted to pause for a moment and consider this poignant time of tragedy and triumph. For some, the holiday means little more than Easter eggs, baskets, and goodies. For Christians, we understand that’s surface stuff—fun and fluff secondary to the real celebration. When our kids were little, each received an Easter basket, though we …
The Hard Work of Authenticity via Nikki Wright
Today I’m excited to introduce my surprise guest Nikki Wright. Nikki is the publicist and marketing director for Mountain Brook Ink. She wears multiple hats and coordinates many of the behind-the-scenes administrative duties for MBI. In other words, she’s the cog in the machine that keeps things running smoothly. She also shepherds her authors with loving guidance and abundant grace. …
The Baggage Handler: Book Review
Welcome to The Baggage Handler special blog tour—I’m thrilled you’ve joined us! First, a word about author David Rawlings. I initially met David in 2016 when he and I were American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) Genesis finalists. It was a brief encounter as we said hello in the elevator. We noticed one another’s ACFW badges and finalist ribbons and we …
10 Reasons to Make Ruby Your New Home Town
Recently I shared with my friend Ann Gabhart how my Ozarkian roots influenced my début novel Her Hope Discovered. Here’s a snippet of what I said: You might guess that family is very important to me. So is my heritage and the region where I was born and raised. The Ozarks are where “my people” are. When we’re children, I …
The Best Thing About New Seasons
After the holiday season, the next few months can seem like an endless dose of blah. There’s the Christmas high, then the post-Christmas afterglow. Around late January, though, many of us start counting the days until spring. Winter is just not our friend. Now, if you’re one of those folks who favors colder weather, fuzzy sweaters, and gray, cloudy days—my apologies. This Ozarks …