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My Thankfuls (and My Unthankfuls)
I’ve often told the story of how when my sons were growing up, we used to pass the candle around the dinner table on Sunday nights and talk about what we felt thankful for. One Sunday, our younger son announced, “Let me just start with my un-thankfuls.” Of course, he was right. There are invariably…
Read MoreForty Novels and Still Counting! An Interview with Prolific Mystery Author Kassandra Lamb
I’m delighted to welcome Kassandra Lamb back to my blog today to celebrate a very special occasion, the release this month of her 40th novel, MALIGNANT MEMORIES. I’m amazed and inspired by her productivity! Below are her responses to my interview questions, followed by her bio/contact links and book descriptions/buy links: First off, congratulations on…
Read MoreNo Shortage of Novel Ideas (Or Tattoos): Meet Fantasy Author Shaelynn Long
One of the pleasures of featuring authors on my blog is meeting folks who write in entirely different genres than I do as a mystery author. Today I’m delighted to welcome fantasy writer Shaelynn Long. Below are her responses to my interview questions, followed by her bio and contact/buy links: Can you share with our…
Read MoreBad Examples Also Make Big Impressions
From an early age, I knew I wanted to teach. I adored my second-grade teacher. Her name was Gladys Louden. She was warm and kind and read out loud to us every day. My favorite was The Boxcar Children, and I attribute much of my lifelong love of reading to Miss Louden. I wanted to…
Read MoreThe Strange Thing About Writing
Do you ever have weeks where a bunch of little things go wrong and somehow, it feels overwhelmingly distracting and frustrating? Well, I had one of those weeks recently. My PayPal account was hacked, and suddenly, I was sending out hundreds of invoices for hundreds of dollars to folks I’d never heard of. It took…
Read MoreThe Value of Fiction in a Random World
Few things irk me more than pious pronouncements that whatever transpires must be “God’s will” or “God’s plan.” I invariably want to scream, “Are you kidding me?” Evidence abounds that painful and challenging things happen to people all the time that surely no loving God would allow, or worse, would have planned. Take my writing…
Read MoreUnplugged
I’ve always been fascinated by those personal experience pieces in which folks report that their lives have been rejuvenated by the simple act of unplugging their mobile phones. The idea of replacing endless texts, emails, and Facebook messages with face-to-face interactions, not to mention eliminating interruptions while writing, is so appealing to me. The problem…
Read MoreJenny Adams Releases Her Debut Historical Mystery, A DEADLY ENDEAVOR
Throughout my life, I’ve especially admired and been inspired by folks who are librarians, and those who are authors. Jenny Adams is both, so it is a special pleasure to interview her about the debut release of A DEADLY ENDEAVOR. Below are her responses to my interview questions, followed by her bio and contact/buy links:…
Read MoreThe Joy of Making a Difference
A college professor I had years ago pointed out that there was no such thing as pure altruism or purely altruistic folks. “What about Mother Theresa?” I asked. “She enjoyed the appreciation and adulation of millions for her sacrificial behavior, not to mention the comfort of feeling she was doing God’s work,” he replied. I’m…
Read MoreThinking About New Year’s Resolutions
When I asked my husband about whether he ever made New Year’s resolutions, he said, “Absolutely. I have one resolution, which is to never make any.” I laughed and decided he had a point. Resolutions feel great at the time you’re making them, but they can be a lot tougher to keep. Life and our…
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