My friend Mary DeMuth will be on Point of View with Kerby Anderson and Carmen Pate on Thursday. The time is from 1-3 p.m. Mary will be discussing her new book Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture. I am looking forward to reading this book, and thought you might be interested in catching the broadcast.

Yesterday contained one of those had to be there moments. Of course, as a writer, I’ll try to describe it. We’d just returned home from a friend’s house, and the kids were outside while I put on casual clothes. Confession – I got distracted by email – and next thing I know my daughter is standing in front of me …

To learn even more about ACFW and our conference in September, check out these sites this month: Date name address 7/1 Christa Allen www.cballan.wordpress.com 7/1 Angie Bredenbach http://godusesbrokenvessels.blogspot.com 7/3 Linda Fulkerson http://fictionfundamentals.com/ 7/4 Jennifer Hudson Taylor http://jenniferswriting.blogspot.com 7/5 Marjorie Vawter http://marjorievawter.blogspot.com/ 7/6 Lena Nelson Dooley http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com 7/9 Rose McCauley http://rosemccauley.blogspot.com 7/10 Peg Phifer http://peggyblannphifer.com/blog 7/11 & 7/12 Robin Miller http://robinswritingworld.blogspot.com/ …

A couple weeks ago I sold my first suspense. I am beyond excited. This is the first book I started when I decided to try my hand at writing. It’s also the second book I completed. I still remember the rush of reaching the end and feeling so excited. Originally, this was a 85,000 word book. The editor who looked …

When a case reaches the US Supreme Court, it has already traveled a complicated path. First, it usually has to survive to a hearing or trial. At a minimum the judge has made some sort of final decision that is appealable. Then the case has to travel through to a Court of Appeals. If one side still isn’t happy, and …

I got my first revision letter from Steeple Hill yesterday. I know this is going to sound crazy, but I LOVED reading it. My editor has a fantastic reputation for pushing writers to improve their stories and characterization. If you want to learn to write, many authors have told me to write for her. After reading this letter, I agree. …

I love summer. And in a week, my summer will be lazy for the first time in a long time. Sure I have two book deadlines in August – Ack! But I’ll be done teaching a summer class at Purdue, and I won’t be at the law firm. The kids and I will have two months of hanging out and …

I’m a Nebraskan at heart, and as I’m sitting here working on Sandhill Dreams — set in, you guessed it, Nebraska — I was doing some quick research on Nebraska authors to make sure their books were in print in 1943. As I did that I ran across this quote from Bess Streeter Aldrich. Some of you may have read …

Gina asked the other day how many words I try to write a day. My bare minimum when I am under deadline is 1500 a day or almost a chapter. I find that if I am able to focus and not get distracted by anything and everything, I can write 1000 words in an hour. And those words will be …

I should be set. The kids are finally in bed. The puppy has been run all around the yard. And the clock reads 9:38 p.m. Scratch that, Jonathan is up and out of bed…again. Sigh. You wonder when the books you read get written? Often in either the early hours of the morning — some of my friends get up …