Thinking about gifting books to your favorite young adult for Christmas? This year, because of COVID, most students will enjoy a longer holiday vacation. My son, for example, finished his first semester before Thanksgiving. He won’t go back until the first full week in January. Students now can enjoy a longer period to read books…
Author: Jill Willis
Writer
A Bright—not Black—Friday
Last year’s Thanksgiving made me dig deep to hitch up a smile. Both my children celebrated the holiday away from my husband and me for the first time in their lives—my daughter with her in-laws in Texas and my son with his Marine unit in Afghanistan. Tough year. Thanksgiving is our gig. We always host…
When a cell tower becomes a symbol of Jesus’ love
I made a new friend this week. His name is Wes. He punches the meal tickets at the Ridgecrest Conference Center near Asheville, NC. My new friend is a talker. Since the number of attendees at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference shrank from 500 to 200 due to COVID concerns, he was able…
How Christianity and books launched Friday the 13th
Are you hunkering down in your home today, worried that bad luck might befall you? Don’t feel alone, one in four Americans say they’re superstitious. How did Friday the 13th become the spookiest calendar date? Early Christians were the first to acknowledge Friday as an unlucky day. After all, Jesus was crucified on a Friday….
NaNoWriMo Makes Me Nervous
Friends, I need a little prayer. For the past four years, I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo . . . with dismal results. This year, for once, I’d love to meet my goal. NaNoWriMo is short for National Novel Writing Month. It takes place in November for some strange reason. I don’t know about other writers, but…
Zeta tried to steal our joy
Yesterday started off with frightening thuds around 5 a.m. when straight-line winds from Tropical Storm Zeta tore through our yard, felling part of our wooden fence and two trees. My husband and I jolted from our bed to the howls of my daughter’s dogs. North Atlanta should not be a target for diluted hurricanes. My…
7 Free Audiobook Platforms
Listening to audiobooks can get pricey. Check out these seven platforms to download free audiobooks.
The 100 Most Frequently Banned Books of the Decade
I must live under a rock because I didn’t realize libraries are still banning books. In fact, I didn’t know that the American Library Association (ALA) hosted an annual Banned Book Week, formed to draw attention to the harms of censorship. Mark your calendars, folks, it’s September 26 – October 2 in 2021. Last week,…
My Top Five Spooky Book Picks
It’s the season to read spooky books!
Syncing Audible & ebooks
Syncing Audible and ebooks combines the best of both worlds: listening to stories and reading them.