Father's Day is only two days away, and it first occurred to me today that I never considered the pain Jill might have experienced on that day each year. The heroine in my novel series longed to know her birth father--even made up stories about him in her head--but she didn't know his name or anything about him. What was it like for her when she saw other little girls with their fathers? Or Father's… Read More
In honor of Memorial Day, I wore this red, white, and blue necklace. My sister Shelly made it for Mom, wife of a WWII vet. Among Mom's belongings when she died, the necklace might not have seemed important, but to me it symbolized her love for our country. Growing up in her house, I learned to be proud of our country, love its flag, and honor those who served and fought for our freedom. Even… Read More
You think you might like to write? You’re consumed with a burning idea but no clue how to take it from writing to publication? Maybe you’re sure you don’t write well enough yet. Don’t let that stop you! Go ahead and attend a Christian writers’ conference. The benefits are astronomical. Here are just a few. You will: Jumpstart your writing dream (You know you have one, right?) Be inspired by fantastic motivational speakers Learn from… Read More
Writers' retreats are one of the highlights of the writing life. Talk about joy and blessing! Last week ten of us bubbled over as we arrived at Green Lake Conference Center's Christian Writing Center. Yup, that's it. An eight-bedroom, half-timbered English mansion overlooking ... ah ... you guessed it ... Green Lake. (The windows under the two gables on the far right of the second floor mark the location of my room. The large window to… Read More