I was supposed to be a Christian, growing up in a family who went to church. Mom, Dad, and four kids. I earned pins for Sunday School attendance. I believed in Jesus as the Savior of the world. And yet. Something was missing. An indefinable empty space. My rebellious...
A giveaway for readers who love fiction. I would love your help. Sparkles from Silence needs a new title. And if you can come up with a title that resonates with me and the message of the book, you can win a $10 Amazon gift card! Here's what's wrong with the original...
Whenever I pick up The Bronze Bow, a beautiful novel by Elizabeth George Speare, another vital life lesson strikes home. I used to read it every year to my fifth grade class. And every year, I couldn’t make it through the whole book without breaking down into tears...
“I’ve prayed and prayed, and God doesn’t answer.” How many times have I heard that from frustrated people? I have voiced the same complaint. Faith and hope beckon to me with peaceful smiles on one side of an abyss while disappointment sighs and resentment scowls on...
My initiation into the world of sports began thirty-five years ago when my oldest son ventured into the world of t-ball. As each brother reached the grand old age of four, he joined the ranks of youth baseball teams. Sitting on uncomfortable bleachers was no...
The granddaughters had walked their baby dolls in the stroller, put together some puzzles, played catch with the giant ball, cooked dinner in their miniature kitchen, and scanned groceries into their cash register. Nona (me) was exhausted. The girls showed no signs of...
"Families aren't like that anymore." I've heard this comment repeatedly from my critique groups and beta readers of Sparkles from Silence as Debbie and her family pull together as a team. I understand what they mean, and their comment saddens me. What has changed?...
Earlier this week, I reviewed a picture book that has the potential to be loved for generations. Today, I interview the author of Under the Dancing Tree, Chip Mattis. What was the seed of this story? What got it started? In 2010 my family moved my dad into a nursing...
Under the Dancing Tree is one of those rare picture books that caresses my heartstrings with the same tenderness of a harpist's fingers creating a gentle glissando. You may know that I contribute to a book review blog site called Scriblerians. Every once in a while, I...
Have you ever seen a mouse cornered by a cat? credit to http://www.flickr.com/jenniferbarnard Aug. 20, 2007 Not by a dog. Rover sniffs and snuffles, overjoyed that he’s closing in on the prey. With a dog there’s still hope to use lightning speed for an escape. But a...
Babies are born. They suckle at the breast. They thrive on milk. Then they become toddlers. Toddlers want sweets. And hot dogs. They turn up their noses at spinach. They spit out filet mignon and inhale canned circles of spaghetti. Mothers panic over possible...
SUBMISSIONS I have spent December revising and polishing Sparkles from Silence because... I was working on deadline! Right after Thanksgiving, both an agent and an editor asked to see the complete manuscript. You can see why the novel took priority over every other...
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