Friday Book Pick: Calico Canyon by Mary Connealy

February 4, 2011By Karen Barnett 2 Comments

So, are you in one of those regions of our country that are buried in snow? Are you feeling a little stir-crazy? Or snow-crazy? I just found the perfect book for you. Historical romance author, Mary Connealy has a gift for weaving together romance and humor. And her book, Calico Canyon is all about being … Read More

Friday Book Pick: Lady in Waiting by Susan Meissner

January 28, 2011By Karen Barnett No Comments

Two stories, two women–centuries apart. What connects them? A name, a ring and their ability to choose their own destinies. Author Susan Meissner weaves a spectacular story in her newest novel, Lady in Waiting. Jane Lindsay can do nothing but watch as her husband walks away from their twenty-two year marriage. Returning, heartbroken, to her job as … Read More

Crazy? Then You Just Might Be a Writer.

January 20, 2011By Karen Barnett No Comments

Writers are all crazy. We have invisible friends. We lie on a regular basis–and get paid for it (sometimes). We can bring ourselves to tears while writing imaginary scenes. We actually feel guilty when we have to write a scene in which a favorite character has to experience something horrible. Face it, crazy comes with the business. My … Read More

When Characters Lie

January 18, 2011By Karen Barnett 2 Comments

I’ve been burning a lot of midnight oil lately, in the name of research. Okay, that’s a lie–I’ve been watching a lot of TV. I have a new favorite show, Lie to Me, on FOX (and yes, I posted about this show last week, too). Thanks to Netflix, I’ve wasted away many hours catching up on the previous … Read More

The Devil is in the Details

January 10, 2011By Karen Barnett 1 Comment

Details enrich story. They help to create a story world in which your reader can dwell for the length of your book. They can also throw them out. A few days ago, I was watching an episode from the television series, Lie to Me (A big favorite of mine). A young girl had gone missing … Read More

E-Book Addicts

January 6, 2011By Karen Barnett 2 Comments

There’s a fascinating discussion going on over on the Between the Lines blog, written by Books & Such Literary Agency’s Janet Kobobel Grant. It pertains to the surge in e-readers and electronic books and how they are reshaping the way people read and how books are sold. In the comments section, several people have brought … Read More

Friday Book Pick: Blind Hope by Kim Meeder and Laurie Sacher

December 31, 2010By Karen Barnett 1 Comment

When Laurie Sacher decided to adopt an unwanted dog, she thought that she was going to be the hero. She soon discovered that this ugly, sick, blind, bad-breath dog was really God’s way of rescuing her. Blind Hope: An Unwanted Dog and the Woman She Rescued (Multnomah Books, July 20, 2010) is a wonderful, inspirational story written by Kim … Read More

Great Reads of 2010

December 29, 2010By Karen Barnett 3 Comments

In the spirit of those end-of-the-year top ten lists, I thought I’d organize a list of my favorite Christian novels that I read during 2010. Not all of them were published in 2010, I just happened to read them this year. If you click on the link, it will take you the “Book Pick Friday” where … Read More

Christmas Confusion

December 22, 2010By Karen Barnett No Comments

My alarm clock went off early on Sunday morning, reminding me that it was my week to play on the worship team. I shut it off and rolled out of bed, groaning. But by the time I made it to the shower, a song was already dancing through my head. At first, I couldn’t identify … Read More