Blog

As a homeschooling veteran, I review middle-grade stories to help parents, librarians, and teachers choose good books.

Look for author news here too!

 

Trusting God

Imagine that you are Rebekah, a young Aramean woman, not yet married. You live in Haran in a household that includes your elderly father but is run by your brother Laban. You have a comfortable niche, with friends and servants, a mother, maybe sisters. Life is looking...

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Focusing on God

Why is paying attention to God so difficult? I have great intentions every day to pray a lot and let the Lord guide me through my decisions of the day: how I will spend my time, what I will focus on. But things degenerate pretty quickly. Soon I'm making choices...

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Focusing on God

Why is paying attention to God so difficult? I have great intentions every day to pray a lot and let the Lord guide me through my decisions of the day: how I will spend my time, what I will focus on. But things degenerate pretty quickly. Soon I'm making choices...

read more

What do disciples, writers, and faith have in common?

How many times have we as writers been discouraged, passed over for a book contract, received a rejection letter or fought writer’s block? What did we do? Peter gives us a great example of what we should do. His faith inspires us to step out of our comfort zone and meet Jesus. But we can all relate to what happened next. Peter turned his attention to the storm.

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The editorial process for writers

I was reading a blog post by Steve Laube, a literary agent well known in ACFW circles. He was describing the editorial process, which proceeds in several stages. First, your editor gives you a big-picture edit, also known as a developmental edit or a substantive edit. This addresses plot and other large issues.

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The editorial process for writers

I was reading a blog post by Steve Laube, a literary agent well known in ACFW circles. He was describing the editorial process, which proceeds in several stages. First, your editor gives you a big-picture edit, also known as a developmental edit or a substantive edit. This addresses plot and other large issues.

read more

A lesson from Abel

You remember the story of Cain and Abel, no doubt. At least, you remember how it ended, in the world’s first murder. But how did it begin? Where was the root of the festering anger that took hold of Cain?

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Christian fantasy ebook free today

Finding Angel by Kat Heckenbach, published by Splashdown Press, is free on Kindle today, but not tomorrow.

I’ve got my copy! Can’t wait to read it. Grace Bridges’ Splashdown Books is making a place for itself publishing Christian fantasy and science fiction. I really liked Keven Newsome’s Winter, and I’m sure I’ll like this one too.

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Entrepreneurship: how to guide your kids

I wrote an article that’s in this month’s issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, a premier magazine for homeschoolers. In it I discuss various ways you can encourage your child, even a young child, to think like an entrepreneur, drawing on my own experience as well as that of a very enterprising homeschooling mom I know.

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Angel in the Storm by Lisa Grace, a review

In the current book, Jude kidnaps Megan’s 9-year-old brother Max and sells him into sex slavery. Jude (really Lucifer) decides he wants Megan, who’s exotic to him in two ways: as a believer she is protected, and as someone who can see angels and demons, she can see through him. Jude offers her a choice: kiss him and he tells what he did with Max, or walk away.

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