The robot spun helplessly in circles as the kids turned and looked at us (their coaches) in panic. Our LEGO robotics team had been practicing for months for this event. Ten students (4th-7th grade) and three coaches had come together to design, build and program a robot to compete in the First LEGO League tournament. … Read More
Have you ever noticed God’s gifts sometimes show up in strange places or at surprising moments in time? This past summer, we fostered a dachshund puppy. She struggled with potty training and no matter what we tried, she would wake in the middle of the night and NEED to go out to do her business. … Read More
The winner of the Book Of Dreams contest is… Pamela J. Congratulations Pamela! I’ll be contacting you by email to find out your mailing address.You will be receiving a new copy of Davis Bunn’s Book of Dreams courtesy of Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. The Book Pick for today is Brandilyn Collins’ … Read More
A few years ago I remember finding my son sitting straight up in bed in the middle of the night, eyes wide. “What’s wrong? Nightmare?” “Kraken,” he croaked. I sighed and made a note to not let him play any more “Ocean Hunter” at the pizza place. The Kraken is a mythological creature attributed to Norse sailors … Read More
Davis Bunn’s newest novel, Book of Dreams, releases this week to a world struggling with economic woes. Appropriately enough, Book of Dreams focuses on corruption within the banking industry and a select team who, because of dreams and visions, feel called to challenge the status quo. Book of Dreams is a thrilling page-turner that kept me reading (rather than … Read More
(Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress) I am ridiculously excited about this upcoming documentary, set to air on PBS October 2nd-4th. Directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, Prohibition is a three-part, five-and-a-half-hour documentary film series that tells the story of the rise, rule, and fall of the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and … Read More
I had an amazing time at the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) 2011 conference in St. Louis–talking with editors, dining with my agent and rubbing elbows with some of the most talented writers in the business. Does that sound like I’m bragging? I don’t mean to, I’m just always amazed at what happens at national … Read More
Summer is drawing to a close, and with it comes news of wildfires raging throughout the West. In his newest novel Falls Like Lightning, novelist/firefighter Shawn Grady describes the life of one of the our country’s unsung heroes–the smoke jumper. Here is the plot summary, courtesy of Bethany House: Smokejumper Silas Kent never expected to … Read More
Have you noticed how the school supply lists have changed in recent years? School starts next week (in our region) and I always marvel at how different the lists are from when I was a kid. Paper, crayons, folders and scissors are still on the list. Glue sticks have replaced the paste. Remember paste? My kids don’t even know what … Read More
I apologize for being uncharacteristically quiet these past two weeks. I’ve been busy with writing conference preparations. This week I attended the Oregon Christian Writers Summer Conference and in a few more weeks (see the countdown clock to the lower right) I will be flying off to St. Louis for the American Christian Writers Conference … Read More