By the title I’m sure you gathered I’m writing a proposal. I really should have titled it in reverse order. Ideas (for me) are usually sparked by some dream or idea captured as I read something else. In this case a non-fiction book. Gasp, yes, it’s true. Fiction writers read non-fiction. I read a book that tells an under-told aspect …
Waiting and Anticipating
Ever have those seasons in life when you know you’re in a season of waiting? That God has placed you there for whatever reason? I’ve got a couple of those going… In the next four to six weeks (I’m voting for four!), our little boy will join us. Since this is the last time I’ll be pregnant, I’m trying to …
Fighting Fatigue
Tonight (Tuesday) I’m tired. I can tell I’m 31+ weeks pregnant and still maintaining a full life. Edits are going great! Yeah!!! The FBI Academy was another fascinating look behind the scenes. Yeah! But I’m wiped out. Can you tell with this goofy photo I took Monday? It doesn’t matter. The light at the end of this tunnel comes next …
The Joys of Edits
Edits are a necessary…even critical part of writing. But not my favorite part. I love the work of taking a story and making it better. I love that my editors always catch things that I miss, threads that get dropped, characters that are cardboard, etc. But I hate the getting into them. It usually takes me a couple days after …
Roots: the keys to our pasts and futures
Isn’t this a cute group of kids? My dad’s buried under the pile. I’m probably eight, since I’m guessing Joel is about one. Eric pulled this photo out last week. You can learn a lot about me by this photo. And I got to thinking about what that means for the characters I create. This week, I plan/hope to work …
ICRS!
This is a photo taken by my publicist –how weird to say that! — while I was signing at ICRS (the International Christian Retail Show. Summerside really made the experience a dream come true. You see, I’m a bit of a Christian fiction geek. I grew up with stories of my best friend and her family going to what was …
The Countdown is on…
Stars in the Night releases July 1st. To say I’m excited is an understatement. To say I’m nervous is another understatement. To say I am so glad that God is in charge of my career is a relief. I’ve said it before, and I’m sure I’ll say it again. I know that one reason God has me on this road …
Goals Redux
Remember that elaborate goals post I had earlier this month. It looked so good! Well, it all went out the window when my editors asked me to rehash a book again. I’m glad to do it, but it means I won’t start writing the next book this month. Bye-bye, that goal. And I won’t get to the synopsis I wanted …
Reader Letters
Writing is a ministry for me. Poise my hands over the keyboard and type. Spend hours thinking about the characters and plot. What will challenge readers? What will make for a page-turning, entertaining novel? What will readers connect with? Usually, there’s something I learn as I write each novel. I don’t always know ahead of time what that will be, …
Writing Transitions
This week I’ve been in Texas at a writer’s retreat. I’m in edit mode for my first book in a Guidepost mystery series, and I’m in dream mode for books after this one. I’m sitting in a beautiful retreat center, surrounded by gorgeous antiques and amazing historical authors. They cover the gambit of CBA fiction and time periods. And here …