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Daring Dialogue
I have to confess that dialogue is one of my favorite things to write. It also is the easiest for me. Often times when I start a scene, I’ll just lay out the dialogue first. My love of dialogue likely...
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Kismet
I have a confession to make. I’m a control freak. Not just the neat and tidy, either. More the type who gave my daughter a lecture when she rearranged some Christmas decorations and I told her she...
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The Loss of Words
1 John: 1-5. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God; 3 all things were made through him, and without him was not anything...
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What Are You Putting on Hold?
I have worked out with a personal trainer for a number of years. No, this doesn’t mean I’m wealthy or a single digit size (though I still would like to be!). One day as I concluded my training session...
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Are Your Margins Too Thin?
A curious thing happened as I was trolling Facebook one day–a fellow author had posted about what she wasn’t doing for Christmas. “I’m not baking the seven different types of cookies that I normally do...
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How to Maximize Your Social Media Time
Early in my wanting-to-pursue-publication journey, I heard a woman give a talk about maximizing your time. She said, “Nothing you do should go to waste. If I see a movie, I’ll figure out a way to use...
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When to Consult a Medical Expert
Although I’ve always helped authors along the way with medical questions, it’s been one of my primary focuses for the last three years since the invention of Redwood’s Medical Edge—my medical blog for...
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Is God Talking to Me?
As Christian authors, we often view our books as a way to get God’s Word out in a non-threatening manner. Novels are easier to hand to someone than a Bible and generally an easier way to start a...
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Six Things Writers Need to Know About Email Marketing
Not long ago I was procrastinating my writing duties perusing Facebook and a fellow author (whom I know and love and who therefore will remain anonymous) was spouting off about how much she hates to...
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ACFW 2014 Wrap-Up
Fall brings not only great weather (autumn is my favorite season!) but also several big-name writers conferences. The American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) gather every September to celebrate great...
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Christmas Need List
I was out shopping and feeling a little overwhelmed by the financial pressure of the holiday season. Organizations begging for donation money. My shopping list for friends and family and my own...
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Failure Analysis
Whenever the New Year rolls around everyone gets caught up in the newness of a potentially fresh start. Many are busy fashioning resolutions or, the new trend, picking a word to focus on for the rest...
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Five Possible Reasons Why I Didn’t Endorse Your Novel
This title could also be used for a few other things. Why I didn’t influence for your novel. Why I didn’t review your novel. I’m going to go from the most important reason to the least. I think it’s...
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How I Discover New Books– Hint, Not in a Bookstore
It’s been said that the reason an author should stick to traditional publishing is book discoverability and distribution by way of a publisher’s marketing budget and sales staff. I was fortunate to get...
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Winning Writing Contests
I’ve both entered and judged several writing contests over the last four years. Not only that, but have been asked to review a myriad of early manuscripts for newer writers. Most recently, I entered...
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Dangerous Curves Ahead
You hear a lot in writing circles in regards to the pursuit of publication—just persevere. Keep at it. You’ll get there. I heard this a lot when I was going for my ultimate job in nursing. I really...
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Mars versus Venus: Attracting Readers of the Opposite Sex 1/2
A couple of months ago, I noticed that Peter posted to FaceBook a blog post that he and some other male authors had written giving reasons why females should read their novels. I’d been feeling this...
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Mars versus Venus: Attracting Readers of the Opposite Sex 2/2
Today, we’re continuing our discussion on reading novels by the opposite sex and what we can learn from that experience. Western historical author Peter Leavell talks about his experience reading my...
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When is it Good to Indie Publish?
When I first began going to writers conferences around 2003, vanity publishing (where you pay someone to produce your book) was considered only a dire writer’s avenue to get his poorly written...
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Surviving the Valley
You hear a lot on the writing journey that it’s filled with highs and lows—probably more so in publishing because it’s rapidly changing and I personally wouldn’t consider any part of the industry...
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