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
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
The wait is over! Sarah Sundin‘s newest title, Blue Skies Tomorrow, releases today. I fell in love with Sundin’s writing with her debut book, A Distant Melody (see Book Pick, 4/8/2010). Her second book, A Memory Between Us, was equally good or better than the first (see Book Pick 9/17/2010). But this third book, Blue … Read More
What do you do if you’re ready for a vacation, but can’t afford to take one? My solution is to pick up a book by award-winning Christian author, Robin Jones Gunn. Each of the books in her much-loved “Sisterchicks” series was a mini-vacation in itself, and her newest title, Canary Island Song (Howard Books; July … Read More
On Tuesday, I shared with you my first attempt at using video content to improve my blog and to talk about my writing. Today, I’d like to share my second video with you. This one tells the story of why I like to write Christian historical fiction and how I first got the idea for … Read More
I’m excited to begin adding some video content to my blog and have been playing around with editing software. So far, I have designed two short videos for my current (in progress) book, First Impressions. It feels a little silly making video content for a book that’s not yet complete, but it has been a great learning … Read More
Writing historical fiction can be challenging. How do you write a scene in a prohibition-era soda fountain (for my up-coming novel, Mistaken) if you’ve never tried a cherry phosphate and can’t even imagine why anyone would order something called an “egg cream?” The answer? A road trip that involved consuming more calories than anyone should–all in the … Read More
It’s a gorgeous day here in the Pacific Northwest–the kind that makes me long for one of two things: a road trip or an afternoon sitting in the sun with a good novel. Today’s book pick fulfills both of those dreams. Author Sherry Kyle has served up a delightful story with her debut novel, Delivered … Read More
I’ve finally unpacked and sorted through my memories of the 2011 Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference. In past years, I’ve tried to update my blog during the conference with updates, but things were just too hectic this year. That, and I couldn’t seem to get my computer to stay connected to the internet for more … Read More
Every week, the freebie Kindle e-book offerings from Amazon get more exciting. This week I’m thrilled to see the debut novel from Christian author Sherry Kyle, Delivered With Love. Her non-fiction book for tweens, The Christian Girl’s Guide to Style, was a big hit in my house last year (See Book Pick from Nov. 19, … Read More