So Wednesday morning, at o’dark-thirty, I got horrible news. The day only got worse from there. What began with a publishing mess morphed into a missed deadline, compounded into wasted time, and finally ended with a helpful reminder email.You’ve got a book review due.Drat!If it didn’t mean Continue Reading
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How to Ruin a Great Book Review in 5 Simple Steps
The review burned holes into my eyes. On my youth adventure fantasy novel, Shadows & Secrets the insanely short, 1-star review mortified me. I can’t even bring myself to go look it up again, so I’m going on memory with my best recollection of the one-line review. “It was okay, but there was too Continue Reading
“Time, Time!” She’ll Cry, but There Is No Time!
“Where’s Madeline? I’m going crazy!!!” It’s encouraging when you get emails from readers who saw you say somewhere that you planned to release a book on February 20, 2018 and then they can’t find it anywhere. Add to this the fact that I have a blog tour for this book beginning… um… tomorrow, and Continue Reading
Important Thoughts on Faith, Fellowship, and Mirrors
A few years ago, I saw something happening in homeschooling circles. I saw people excluding others because they weren’t “godly enough.” I saw people withdrawing more and more from the world around them until they became isolated mini-clusters. Look. It’s appealing to people like me. I like being Continue Reading
3 Delightful Things You’ll Love about Phoebe’s Light
“I’m a Quaker.” To be honest, I hadn’t thought of people being Quakers anymore, but there she was, a girl from my town walking to school talking about being a Quaker right then in 1986! I tended to think of Quakers as historical figures. William Penn. Dolly Madison. Then I thought of Benjamin Continue Reading
Why I Refuse to Apologize for Stealing a Brilliant Idea
I was an innocent bystander. Really! I was. I just sat there, reading a fabulous book (you can read my review HERE), and cracking up over the heroine’s hijinks when it happened. There, described in brilliant detail (without too much, mind you) emerged a scene that transformed itself in my mind. Continue Reading
A Love Letter? What’s In It For You?
I opened the missive with fear and more than a little trepidation. After all, it isn’t often you get a letter with bold, beautiful script and sealing wax on the back. From an admiral in the Royal Navy! EEEP! Have you ever broken the seal on a letter like that? Talk about ominous. And a bit Continue Reading
2 Simple but Effective Rules That Changed My Life
It might surprise you to learn that I was a rather talkative and, frankly, arrogant child. Hang on while I jerk my tongue from my cheek... In fact, I coined the term “thunder puppy” to define that sense of “I’ve gotta fix the world” attitude that kids like me get. Dad saw it in me at a Continue Reading
Last Words in the Last 5 Minutes of Life:
You’re dying. No, really. You are. We all are. But what if you were dying… now? What if you only had five minutes to convey your last message to those you love most? Just a “time out” before death to write the one message that fills your soul. This was an exercise at last year’s retreat. Continue Reading
More Unlikely Mentors & Their Incredible Lessons
Quiet, steady, hardworking, sincere. I’ve always admired him. The love he showed his family, his never-wavering commitment to provision and protection. His smile. Music fills my mind. Dah-dee-dah-dee-dee-dah…dah-dee-dee-dah-dee-dah… An old Model AA pickup appears. The smiling faces of Continue Reading
Why Is It That People NEVER Read?: A Rant
The post appeared in my feed. Just a short story about how my friend’s mail guy had a Monday Moment and took out her mailbox—splintered post and all. She posted with just a picture and a comment that read something like, “Pray for our poor mail guy. He’s having a tough day today.” Followed by cute Continue Reading
What Happens to Your Life When the Word Is the Standard
We sat across from each other in the booth at Denny’s. While she looked at the menu and chatted about something funny she saw on Facebook, I second-guessed my decision to get her opinion on my dilemma. What I had to ask wouldn’t be popular—even with someone as clearly committed to Biblical thinking Continue Reading
