Seven Ways to Find Joy

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It was our favorite Mexican restaurant and hubby and I sat across the table from friends with whom we re-connected after decades. And in the lively conversation a comment was made that jolted my senses. I positioned the wheelchair beside the table (I still couldn’t put weight on the foot with the broken bone). The comment came innocently, I’m sure. “Janet is blind and now lame,” he chuckled. “So… so much for this Jesus thing.” Although it was a comment in jest, he had a point. Amigos, does the world think that when you become a Christ follower, life is…

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Let It Unfold

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In the Book of Genesis, God created the world – all of it! - in 6 days and rested on the 7th (and I daresay He's been busy ever since)! Was it then that began humankind's fascination, or perhaps sometimes obsession, with things "faster, bigger, greater?" Biblical reference aside (God is, after all, above and beyond us mere mortals), all around us, we hear of the things people accomplish in seemingly, amazingly brief periods of time. As workers in the written word, we marvel at bookstore shelves where certain authors take up whole rows, or whose volumes even ripple down to…

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Tips from the Pros: Jan Kern

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Greetings from Sarah Sundin in California, where we’re welcoming cooler temperatures. I have the joy of interviewing multi-published nonfiction author Jan Kern today. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Jan at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, where she serves on the faculty. She has a true heart for following God’s lead in her writing, covering difficult but crucial topics—and now following Him into an uncertain transition period. As so many writers are in transition nowadays, you’re sure to be inspired by her example. Jan, how did you get into writing? I’ve always loved books and playing with words. As a…

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Marketing Lessons Learned in the Middle of a Boat Ride

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Pamela S. Meyers here with another post about book marketing. Since last March I’ve been on a promotion blitz for my April 1 release, Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, a historical romance set in one of the most beautiful vacation spots in Wisconsin. I’ve held speaking and signing engagements, given a slideshow presentation on the history of my setting at a museum, a library and even a retirement home. I’ve also held speaking and signing events, and much more. Last March, I visited the gift shop run by the boat company that gives guided tours of the lake….

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Why waste time with a book proposal?

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My current nonfiction project is a book on writing that was solicited by a publisher. Since I have already been given a contract for the book, and I have a tight deadline, you may be surprised to hear that one of my earliest steps in the process is writing a proposal. What?

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Learn How to Write Fiction From Short Stories

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Wishing you a blessed Friday from Gail Gaymer Martin at www.gailgaymermartin.com I'm at a conference in Indianapolis and all of my writing blogs are on my office computer so I decided to do something different for you this month. Though I'm a novelist, I have sold a number of short stories years ago when I first began to write so today, I want to share one of these stories with you. I think we can learn from short stories too.  The technique needed in a short story to set up characters and provide a conflict, but in a short time period.  Short…

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Tips From the Pros

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Davalynn Spencer, here, from Colorado, and so excited to be introducing Linda Evans Shepherd today. Linda, you have an interesting writing journey, particularly the beginning. Share a little with us, please. I was set to be a youth director, but when I got kicked out of seminary for marrying an engineering student instead of a seminary student, I somehow landed a job as a high tech writer, writing The F 14 Documentation Guide as my first assignment. But after my children came along, God clearly called me to write for him.

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Cheering Each Other Onward

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Aloha from Karen, I’m wearing a crown to celebrate my new release: The One Year My Princess Devotions. I’m thankful for CAN as part of the team that helps me spread the word on new books like this one with retweeting my appearances, having me guest blog, and some group activities that include speaking and signing books at a retailer event. Being part of a group is valuable in marketing. There’s so much competition with books that it helps to be part of a team. That’s what makes CAN work well, but you can also assemble your own team. Last…

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BuckSkin Bride by Vickie McDonough

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Mattie’s father is missing, and she now has the responsibility of protecting and feeding her two sisters. She prefers buckskin to calico and a rifle to a soup spoon but she never wanted to be head of the family. They live in a tipi, always traveling, and her father kept them away from other people. He always warned her not to trust men. But when her youngest sister is injured, can she set aside her reservations, and seek help from the handsome Irish man on whose land they are illegally living?… A Pioneer Christmas–an anthology A Pioneer Christmas is an anthology of stories. Journey…

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PUGS Pointers #25

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Hi! I’m Kathy Ide. In addition to being a published author, I’m a full-time professional freelance editor. For CAN, I’m blogging about "PUGS"–Punctuation, Usage, Grammar, and Spelling…tips for writers based on the most common mistakes I see in the manuscripts I edit. Each blog post will have one tip for each of the four categories. (For more PUGS tips, check out my website, or get a copy of my book Polishing the PUGS (available through the website or at the conferences where I teach). If you’re interested in working with a freelance editor (or know someone who is), e-mail me…

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