We binge-watch episodes of our favorite shows and binge-listen to episodes of our favorite podcasts. Why not binge-read episodes in our favorite genre? In July 2021, Amazon launched Kindle Vella as a way to offer avid readers an alternative to reading news or surfing social media on their phones for short spurts of time. I’m…
My first radio experience
Watch – 3:42 minutes Listen – 17:24 minutes I’ve delivered countless presentations through Toastmasters, my various jobs, and at volunteer events. I’ve headed zillions of meetings and dealt with the media. But never have I ever had such a case of nerves as before Bob Crittenden interviewed me on Faith Radio. I’d spent a good…
A torn meniscus has sidelined me
My left knee’s meniscus is a lemon. I’ve now torn it three times. The first happened in late 2010 in a gym with a leg curling machine. Yes, the weights were too heavy. Lesson learned:Lighter weights with more reps equal healthier joints. An insurance-approved orthopedist stitched the meniscus back together. That lasted about two months…
Teens need our collective prayers
We’re always praying for our kids. Right? We worry a lot. There’s so much that can go wrong in an instant. Our worry levels escalate toward the end of Spring Semester, especially with our seniors. What if they fail a class? What if something awful happens during or after a senior party? What if the…
The Workhorses of Publishing: Software Writing Programs
Once in a while a reader will ask what program I use to write. After I answer, I expect a follow up question: “And what program do you use to edit?” Never once have I received that follow-up question. I’m guessing that most readers assume that writers pound out copy in a Word doc and…
The Christian Product Expo: A Novel Experience
A week ago today, I gave a safe-travels hug to a Florida Christian bookseller, then hefted the two-pound bag of Phoenix Roasters coffee that I’d won in a drawing and headed to my car. It was time to leave the Christian Product Expo (CPE) in Concord, North Carolina, where I’d spent the last three action-packed…
An Interview with Candice Yamnitz
I’m so blessed that Candice Yamnitz is a member of my American Christian Fiction Writers online critique group, the Storyteller Squad. A Chicago native, this strong Christian mom of three gives gentle but honest critiques and generously shares her vast knowledge of social media. She has 6,200 Instagram followers! Her beautiful debut YA novel, Unbetrothed,…
Counting Blessings
At this time last year, we couldn’t wait for 2020 to end. It had been such a strange, challenging season of our lives. We couldn’t wait for the bright sparkles promised with 2021. Then when COVID continued to rage, our hopes faded. We sighed with regret as vacations got cancelled, supply chain issues kept essentials…
Biting my nails…
Last month the unwitting members of the North Georgia Chapter of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) elected me as their 2022 president. I tried to explain that online technology baffles me and I’ll be unable to lead those highly popular hybrid online meetings. They firmly replied that the vice president ALWAYS ascends to the…
Tinsel in a Twist
Ribbons and bows! I’m excited to interview fellow Storyteller Squad member, Laurie Germaine, about her newly released young adult Christmas novel, Tinsel in a Twist. It’s a thrilling sequel to Tinsel in a Tangle. Tinsel, a clumsy elf and reindeer whisperer, has embarked on a dangerous adventure to help her boyfriend, Santa’s grandson, sort out…