Friday, March 30, 2018

Happy Resurrection Day!


While I love Christmas, Resurrection Day is my favorite holiday. I'm reminded of the whole purpose for Jesus coming to this world. It marks His triumph over sin and the grave after paying the ultimate price to reconcile us to God.

Here's Sandy Patty and Larnelle Harris singing, "I've Just Seen Jesus."


May the Lord bless you on this Resurrection Sunday and may you accept His awesome gift of eternal life. If you want to know more about how to do this, feel free to contact me.


Writers and Readers: How did you come to know Jesus as your Savior? Please share.

Photo Credit:  Bartek Ambrozik


Monday, March 26, 2018

On My Kindle - The Writing Desk by Rachel Hauck


When one is a bestselling, award-winning, author and member of a writing dynasty, how do you overcome writer's block? Tenley Roth stares at a blank computer screen and fears she's a one-book wonder.

Her estranged mother calls and asks for help during a health crisis. Against the wishes of her boyfriend, she packs her bag and heads for Cocoa Beach, Florida. Maybe a change of scenery will give her inspiration. There she meets furniture designer, Jonas Sullivan. A cautious friendship blooms in the Florida sun.

Many years prior to Tenley's life, Birdie Shehorn is the belle of New York Society. She adores writing about life and the expectations placed upon her. The two women struggle to find their identity.

This dual timeframe novel had me glued to the page. I'd heard of Rachel Hauck, but this was the first book I'd sampled. Being an author myself, the whole writer vibe intrigued me. She did a masterful job of weaving these two stories to a satisfying conclusion.

Don't miss this well-written and researched book. I'll be reading more from this author. 5 Stars!

Disclaimer:  I did not receive any remuneration for this review. All opinions are mine and mine alone, as always. 

Writers: Does the idea of two stories within one seem daunting? How would you go about crafting such a book?


Readers:  Have you read any dual timeframe novels? What was your opinion of them? Did you find them difficult to follow of did the curiosity of how the two stories would merge keep you reading?

Friday, March 23, 2018

Character Voice/Guy's POV/Preemie/Devo/Orchids


1. Writers are always told to use all five senses in their work. This post shows the great resources available on Pinterest. Here's a list of words to describe a character's voice.

2.  Another gem found on Pinterest is from Ink and Quills. Do you novelists have difficulty writing from a guy's POV? Here are some great insights.

3.  Breaking Christian News reports on a viral video, showing a baby born at 24 weeks.

4.  Edie Melson, at The Write Conversation, urges us to Beware How We Talk to Ourselves.

5.  I have a couple of orchid plants. The one has bloomed every year since I received it as a gift. This year, it's not being cooperative, so I did some research. Pinterest to the rescue. :) Check out this article on watering your orchid. Apparently, I've been doing it all wrong.

Writers:  What resources do you use when trying to find the right word to describe some aspect of a character's voice?

Readers:  What types of indoor plants do you have (if any)? Do you have any advice on keeping them blooming?

Photo Credit:  Jenny Kennedy-Olsen


Monday, March 19, 2018

How To Overcome Decision Paralysis

I like having options, but too many cause sensory overload. As a writer, I'm bombarded with social media, blogs, and emails offering ways to improve my writing.

At one point in my life, a close friend and I decided to start a craft business. We would make and sell Christian Christmas ornaments. It sounded like a plan, but then other items were added to an ever-growing list. Why not make wreaths? And centerpieces? And gift items? The list of supplies grew, and we hit the craft stores.

"Oh, look, at these cute cutouts. We could paint them and add them to the ornaments." The selection, bargains, and ideas were dizzying. We bought so much stuff that deciding what to use for a simple ornament became a challenge.

Finally, we called a halt to the buying spree. "Let's use what we have and get the finished products sold."

We learned:

1.  To enjoy looking without making a buying decision.
2.  To observe what colors/items we truly liked.
3.  To have a specific project in mind before making a purchase.

Applying these lessons to writing educational opportunities wasn't so easy. The Internet and hundreds of books, online courses, writers conferences, etc. provide more resources than I could use in a lifetime. It's enough to bring on a bad case of decision paralysis. Here's my process:

1.  Slow down and take a deep breath.
2.  Pray and ask God to direct you. 
3.  I narrow down the choices to several reliable sources, look over the materials, and see if anything jumps out at me. This can be either positive or negative.

Example 1:  I went on a free webinar which gave some good information. Of course, they were selling an expensive course. I asked myself: If you do this, can you commit the time and energy it requires to succeed? This is usually my primary concern with any resource. My second question concerns the actual value of the course and whether or not I could afford it. I've begun avoiding these so-called free webinars because of the high pressure (offer good today only) and the expense (only $1,000 even though it's worth $3,000).

Example 2:  I heard about a book on deep point of view. (For the non-writers, this relates to which character's thoughts you get to see and their perspective on a situation.) The resource was reasonably priced, covered a single topic, and didn't require the next two years of my life. I learned a lot from that small volume. I also discovered that I'm a nugget learner. A focused exploration of a single topic helped me remember the lessons learned.

Writers and Readers:  Please share your experience with too many choices and how you narrowed them down.

Photo Credit:  Jean Scheljen