Sometimes the characters in a story bury themselves so deeply in your heart, it hurts to close the cover on them. Joanne Bischof, author of the Cadence of Grace series has accomplished that with her characters, Gideon and Lonnie O’Riley. Back in August of 2012, I recommended the first book of the series, Be Still … Read More
Author: Karen Barnett
My five favorite writing tools
Every writer has their own favorite things–the tools of the trade which help them shine. Here are a few of mine. Laptop Cushion. Yes, I know they CALL them laptops, but after a few hours they turn into toast-your-thigh-tops. Also, the cushion lifts the computer up to a more comfortable height for typing. I’m not … Read More
Hitting the Road to History
For me, historical research usually entails hours spent chasing rabbit trails through Google or leafing through dusty history books. But every once in awhile, authors get to hit the road and experience history first-hand and it is sheer joy. This past weekend I got to do just that by visiting LeMay America’s Car Museum in … Read More
Big, Big, BIG News!
It is an honor and thrill to make this announcement… I have officially signed my first book contract! My 1920s era novel, MISTAKEN, will be published by Abingdon Press this coming July 2013. A few days before Christmas, I was doing some last minute shopping at Burst’s Chocolates in Corvallis, Oregon when my wonderful agent … Read More
Friday Book Pick: Flight of the Earls by Michael K. Reynolds
I’m not sure what the weather has been like where you are, but here in the Pacific Northwest it is C-O-L-D. Perfect weather for tossing a log in the fireplace and curling up with a good book. Flight of the Earls, the debut novel by new Christian author Michael K. Reynolds, is the ideal choice. I … Read More
Friday Book Pick: The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow by Olivia Newport
If you follow me on Facebook, you already know I am a hopeless Downton Abbey fan (read why in this blog post from 2012). I was excited to crack open this new novel by Olivia Newport and discover a story that felt like an American version of Downton. The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow is set in Chicago, … Read More
How to Balance When Your Life is Spinning
My family is going NUTS. It’s Nutcracker week for the Barnett household and everything is spinning around my ten-year-old daughter, the ballerina. It started back in September with auditions and ends this week with tech rehearsals, dress rehearsals, and five performances. We rush home from school and go into production mode. Hair, makeup, a rushed dinner, … Read More
12 Ideas to Fertilize Your Writing Muse
December 12, 2012–the day many people have been anticipating for… well, probably for a few weeks. Since the last interesting number date, like 10-11-12, or something. My agriculturally-minded friend Arwen (owner of The Tech Chef) posted to Facebook that 12-12-12 is also a common type of fertilizer (12% nitrogen, 12% phosphorus, and 12% potassium). So … Read More
Friday Book Pick: ME, MYSELF, & BOB by Phil Vischer
Most Fridays I reserve this blog post to promote great titles in Christian fiction. Today I want to offer you a story so big, so crazy, it’s got to be true. A bible-college dropout who likes to tinker with computers and animation has a big idea–create a CGI video series for children that will teach … Read More
Book Pick Friday: COURTING CATE by Leslie Gould
Now that Thanksgiving is over and shoppers are trickling back from Black Friday sales, it’s time to kick back and enjoy the weekend. Go grab another slice of pie and crack open a good book. Right? My Friday Book Pick for this week is Leslie Gould‘s newest Amish novel, Courting Cate, the first book in … Read More