Blog Stories
Why and How to Write a Book Review
Writing a Book Review: Why and How You see a book that triggers your attention, but you don’t know the author. You might take a chance if the book’s on sale or free. Why Reviews Are Important to Both Authors and Readers Another influence is a review or taking note of the number of stars a book has. In the exponentially growing world of online book sales, reviews are important to both authors and readers. As a reader, I don’t need to tell you how useful it is when you look...
Falling Trees and Book News
It’s been quite the year for trees. Last summer, I had to take 4 down. Then two more fell right after Christmas. What’s going on with the trees? I had to find out. I learned that the type of tree that kept falling, a beautiful type of cypress, also had shallow roots, even at physical maturity. Although they’d grown tall and lush with evergreen foliage, their roots didn’t go very deep. Once rains and winds came for a few days, down they went. (My long-suffering neighbor has had two of them fall...
New Book! New Series! 50% off
Hope your holidays were full of joy and fun! Now, the lull. But wait, there's a new book out...it's the book I've been telling you about. The one I just finished. Good Gifts It's the first book in a brand-new series, the Brenner Falls Series. Brenner Falls is a small but up-and-coming town in the Susquehanna River Valley, Pennsylvania. The series starts with Nathan and Leah. (And will continue with a bunch of new friends you'll want to meet!) Read about their story! Nathan Chisholm’s...
Welcome to Brenner Falls!
A new series is just around the corner, so stay tuned! I hope you’re enjoying the holiday season and the joy, family time, and busyness that brings. I enjoy decorating, baking, and inviting friends. But it can be tiring to do all that! Which makes it even more important to remember God’s Good Gift to us, Jesus, who is the one that changed everything in history and in our lives. That’s one of the meanings behind the title of my new book, Good Gifts, which will be available soon. I hope you’re...
Lines and Spaces
Hello! By this time, we’ve seen the back of summer and are facing the new season, with all the mix of festivities and temperature changes. Let’s reframe this: fall gives you additional indoor time to read, and winter even more! Lines and Spaces A few months ago, God impressed me with the idea of lines and spaces in my life. There are times when I’m juggling too many balls, and wearing too many hats. Excuse the clichés, but I’m sure you can (at least sometimes) relate! One of the problems I was...
Your Dreams…on a Dream Board
Dream Boards Hi! Here’s a fun topic. Have you ever heard of a dream board? It’s a fun way to make a visual reminder of the things you dream about for your future. God for sure has great plans for us, but he doesn’t mind at all if we dream a little! (Lots of our dreams come from him anyway!) As long as we hold them loosely, we can dream big, wide, and far. A few years ago, at a church women’s event, we made dream boards. Inside, I scoffed just a little bit, because it didn’t seem like something...
A Gifted Masterpiece
A Gifted Masterpiece The first time I saw a photo of this sculpture, I was amazed at the intricate beauty and marveled at the artistic skill of the sculptor, known as David d’Angers. His real name was Pierre-Jean David, and he was born in 1788 in the city of Angers in France. His impressive works are on display in a museum there. He was world-renowned for his beautiful creations, and in his day was commissioned for works by many countries. He even contributed to the Louvre and the Arc of...
The Crux of the Matter
Jesus wasn’t only a great man. He came for a purpose etched throughout eternity past and future. The ‘crux’ of his life was the cross. Crux means cross. A cross is a form that intersects itself. This was the intersection of God reaching to man, opening wide the long-promised door of fellowship and forgiveness. The shadow became clear. The mist of cryptic prophecies lifted away as Jesus hung on the cross, as the barrier of the temple veil was ripped by God himself from top to bottom. This was...
Another Way to Flourish
Do you have a special theme word for 2022? I thought mine would be “flourish” because I’d chosen that one last year and wasn’t sure it had happened. So, I chose it again. But God gave me a different one: solidification. Not as pretty a word as “flourish”. “Flourish” conjures images of dew-kissed flowers and feathery ferns sprouting by a bubbling spring. There is a lot of plant imagery in Scripture, symbolizing growth and vitality as well as fruitfulness. What images does “solidification” bring...
Goodbye, 2021! (And Happy New Year!)
Are you glad to see 2021 go away? (And didn’t we feel the same way after 2020?) This time we might be less optimistic as we transition to a new calendar year. After all, we had high hopes last year that Covid would be a thing of the past but here we find ourselves in the midst of a new variant. One day this post will be history, evidence of a scary time in our lives, only a bad memory. We’ll all say, “I’m glad that’s over!” But not yet. So, how do we face the coming year? With enthusiasm about...
Points on a Timeline
It’s the norm for us to think of our lives as complete units instead of points on a timeline, isn’t it? Unless we step back once in a while and take a look at the sweep of years. Enjoy a memory. Notice how things have changed. A timeline has become more front of mind for me lately as I observe changes in the country and world around us, including a planet in the grip of a worldwide disease affecting everyone. I often wonder what our reality will be in two or five years, and what the big...
Remember, Mental Habits for Believers is on sale until Nov. 9
Just a quick reminder for you, in case you missed the date. Mental Habits for Believers: 28 Days to New Thought Patterns is on sale between November 2 and 9 for 99 cents in eBook format. I hope you'll take advantage of this special sale and this special book, which can improve your outlook for the rest of your life. You are more accustomed to my fiction and to hear (read) me talking to you about characters, settings, or upcoming novels. I guess I'm primarily a fiction writer. But really,...