Did I mention that Siri Mitchell and I will be exchanging our manuscripts, to critique each other? We did this with our last books, A Constant Heart for her and My Sister Dilly for me. We met briefly at the Christy banquet last year and some time after that I asked her what she thought […]

I still can’t see my heroine. Well, I can’t see my hero, either, but for the moment I’m more concerned about her. Let me give you a little glimpse into some of the details of my work-in-progress. As I mentioned, this novel is set during the First World War. That took place in the early […]

So I finally sit down to write. In the midst of all my recent insecurities, I know it’s going to be tough. I’ve come to believe these insecurities are like buyer’s remorse, only I’m having it vicariously for my publisher. I tell myself it’s only a feeling, perhaps made worse by some spiritual warfare going […]

I know many writers who write every day—or close to it, at least when they’re under a deadline. Others have “real” jobs during the week so weekends hold marathon writing days for them. For me, since my family is home with me, weekends are days I spend trying to catch up on things around here. […]

Have you ever imagined creating something, convinced your rendition of it will be something almost magical—the best it can be? Maybe you’re an artist and envision creating something only you could design. Or a really great cook with recipe ideas others will salivate over. Or a teacher who’s come up with innovative ways to teach […]

I was raised with the notion that time + work = a paycheck and sitting around having fun thinking up stories surely cannot be considered work. On some days I might actually agree with that statement. Writing really is fun, or I don’t think I’d have a passion for it. But on other days I […]