I recently read a quote from Thomas Edison that basically said only the most insincere person calls himself happy. Whoa! Someone as creative, accomplished and wealthy as Mr. Edison said when you scratch beneath the surface, no one is really happy? How can that be true? He explained that even those people we’d assume […]

Here’s the latest from my friend Gail Gaymer Martin – and it’s a bonus: two stories in one! I don’t know about the weather around you, but up here in Chicagoland there has been a definite nip in the air lately. No wonder the stores are already putting out their Christmas decorations. Here’s something to […]

  One of the most exciting things about being a writer is when pieces of the real world around me fit, reflect, teach or enhance various parts of whatever project I happen to be working on.   I’ll hear about a principle that one of my characters struggles with, or a song that reflects something […]

Someone recently suggested to me a “worship style” test that would reveal the way God designed me to worship Him. Actually it was recommended by a fellow author, who thought it would be a good resource not only for ourselves but to dwell on as we develop our characters. (That’s a writer for you, taking […]

  Here’s a good example of one of the timeless lessons in publishing. The book I just finished stirred a new idea for me, a novel I wanted to set here in Chicago. Not only was the prospect of vast and easy research appealing, but there was a character in Bees In The Butterfly Garden […]

  Not long ago I experimented with the idea of writing a novella. Although the project didn’t end up going anywhere, my thought process during the brief encounter swung somewhere between excitement of a challenge and outright fear. The fear might surprise someone who doesn’t normally write under deadline. For me, there is some element […]