The battered journal sported several places where pages had been tipped back in with washi tape. Still, Aggie flipped back and forth from her hand-printed index to the coordinating pages, comparing original Christmas ideas with the shopping list she’d created. Luke popped his head in the door and Continue Reading
Blog
How My Heart Attack Sent My Husband to the ER
Christmas Adam 2016. Balmy weather, palm trees, beautiful houses built into the side of a hill—every traditionalist’s Christmas dream, right? I’ll confess. I didn’t want to be there, and not just because I’m a natural homebody. Perhaps if it had been a Currier and Ives scene. A farmhouse, Continue Reading
3 Simple Ways to Destroy Romance in Marriage
Or: The Lessons Learned in Tarnished Silver. Five years ago I released a book on our silver wedding anniversary. Tarnished Silver. Though it wasn’t “our story,” I did put certain elements in the book that were influenced by or directly ripped from our lives. Things like the “cattle drive” feel of Continue Reading
3 Excellent Things I found in Strategem
“NCIS? Yeah. Love it. You?” I nodded. Despite watching each of my favorite characters leave, one by one, I still love the show. All of the shows, actually. “Yep. And Los Angeles—” “Yeah, that one’s okay. I like Hetty a lot.” So do I. I call her Edna Mode when I want to be silly. “She’s Continue Reading
Who Will Love These Stories the Most?
The stack of books wasn’t that tall, and there weren’t many kids who would want them—not when there were Barbies and Legos in the offing, anyway. Still, as they got to know the kids and tried to find the perfect gift for the perfect child, the woman’s lips stretched thinner. Tighter. Her heart Continue Reading
3 Ways Cassie Solved the Christmas Stocking Nightmare
Confession time. Cassie hasn’t dealt with Christmas stockings yet. I mean, c’mon. April Fool’s Day just passed. And for all her faults, Cassie’s no fool. So why’s she spouting off about Christmas in April? Well, because in this alternate timeline, I’m in November, and stocking season is just Continue Reading
How Beating Cancer Inspired Me
“I hate sin.” It might be an unusual response to hearing that someone has cancer, but I say it every time. And for the record, I don’t think cancer is some Divine punishment for sin. That’s not what I’m saying. But because sin entered our world and corrupted God’s creation, we have things Continue Reading
What Did I Think Of Chosen People & Do I Recommend It?
I’ve read a lot of his work in the past, so signing up for a review copy of Robert Whitlow’s Chosen People was kind of a no-brainer. A story about a law firm going after terrorists in the wake of an American woman losing her life while saving her daughter’s? What’s not to love? So, once the Continue Reading
Is the Nantucket Legacy Worth the Time to Read?
Usually, when I hear anything remotely related to “Daylight Savings Time,” I want to throw things. Last night, however, it occurred to me that I’d have an extra hour to get my next review read--The Light Before Day. And that’s a good thing. Because when it comes to Suzanne Woods Fisher, I tend Continue Reading
Just How Did My Hours Get Spent Last Night?
One night of the year is “my night.” While the rest of the family is off doing their thing, I remain at home eating Chinese food, cleaning the house, and writing ridiculous parodies in an effort to bide my time for midnight. Time drags slower than it does when you’re five and it’s bedtime on Continue Reading
How Is My Dad Spinning in His Grave but Not Dead?
It began innocently enough with a parody on the "If you give a mouse a cookie" books. Just an innocent look into the mind of an author with a new character idea. The next year, on October 31, while I was handing out candy to ghouls masquerading as kids--or vice versa, it's hard to tell which Continue Reading
What Do You Do When You Want to Love a Book but Don’t
Sometimes, you get the chance to review more than one book in a series. It’s a gamble on several fronts. Often, the first book in a series is great, but the next one or two… not so much. Other times the first isn’t so good but subsequent ones in the series got progressively better—particularly Continue Reading