Eighth grade. We were moving. Again. But this time, I’d read about autograph books in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and remembered how Francie had been so surprised that all the girls had wanted to write in hers—had liked her. It was probably “too good to be true”—for me at least—but I’ve always been Continue Reading
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Do I Really Think This Book Will Help Fight Sexual Impurity?
I didn’t understand pornography. My understanding of it was rather… simplistic. A picture of a woman—half or less dressed. Provocative position or possibly outright sexual posing. That’s what I assumed. Look, I’ve never really seen anything that labels itself as “porn.” I’ve seen stuff I consider Continue Reading
How to Recognize and Be One of Life’s Small Miracles
There’s this line in the movie, While You Were Sleeping. Sandra Bullock is talking to Peter Gallagher about saving people (and squirrels) and when Gallagher says he has never had a chance to be a real hero, she comments that he gives up his seat on the train every day. Peter says, “Well… but that’s Continue Reading
Did I Love or Hate Shadow Sister and Why?
The synopsis of Shadow Sister grabbed me. C’mon, Spanish, vineyards, vinters, and family? It’s like my Legacy of the Vines series but in Washington. I had to read it. Women’s fiction? Awesome! It wouldn’t be steeped in heavy romance. Score! I signed up to request a review copy within seconds Continue Reading
Why Write “Lies” When the Simple Truth Should Suffice?
I’ve shared before that my favorite server, Angela the Wonder Server, once told a man that a “famous author” spends time writing at Denny’s every night. That would be me—the “famous” author. Impressed, the man asked what genre I write in, and Angela knowledgeably said, “Christian fiction.” His Continue Reading
So, What Made Me Decide to Read a Book Like This?
There are specific reasons that I don’t lay out my personal understanding of Scripture with detailed exegesis here on my blog or in my writing. As I’ve stated numerous times, I also have my characters do and believe things that I disagree with. I do it because I have brothers and sisters in the Continue Reading
How to Use This Special Quote Challenge to Begin a Commonplace Book
So, a couple of years ago, I heard about commonplace books again (something I vaguely remember being mentioned in my childhood--for reasons, I can't remember). So, I decided I wanted to do this. But how? Ronald Reagan's file boxes of index cards so tempted me. I mean, wow. How cool is that? I Continue Reading
So, Did I Find a Great New Series?
Like anyone, I love when I find a new author’s work, love it, and then discover there are half a dozen more books… in the same series! WOOT! It’s like my favorite thing. So, when I requested a review copy of Ashley Dawn’s Shadows from the Past, I might have squealed a bit when I saw the Continue Reading
The Best Thing about Motherhood Is Learning from My Kids
The Facebook post looked like one many of us have seen. A picture of toys and shoes strewn across the floor followed by the caption of a harried mother. The poster? My oldest daughter. She’s a wise girl. She’s also rather raw and “real” in the best sense usually. She’s human. She got that from Continue Reading
Why Would Grief Make You Dance with Jesus?
Why Would Grief Make You Dance with Jesus? I don’t know the answer to that. But I suspect it’s similar to why tears heal. Or, perhaps it’s just backwards—that when someone “dances with Jesus” in heaven, someone here grieves a loss. But Dance with Jesus claims to take the reader from grief to Continue Reading
How to Destroy Your Life in 3 Super-Easy Steps
I wanted this to be “Ella’s Best Tips for Creating an Exciting New Life.” And to be fair, when you have no memory of life at all, anything is exciting. I get that. Still, if anyone knows how to “reinvent” herself, it’s Ella. So, I sat down and talked to her. This was supposed to be an interview, but Continue Reading
What Happens When North Korea Puts You in Time Out?
The cursor winked at me. Mocked me. I’ll admit it, my head connected with the trackpad on my laptop. The cursor skittered across the page leaving spaces and a choppy mess of Bs and Vs in its wake. She stepped into my room and stood there. “What are you doing?” “Writing a book Continue Reading
