Tips From the Pros: David E. Fessenden

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Greetings from Colorado this colorful season. Davalynn Spencer here to introduce David E. Fessenden, author, editor, and teacher. Welcome, David. Tell us how you got into writing? I have always loved words and been good at expressing myself in written form. So when I prayed about what major to pursue in college, I sensed God saying, “How about a writer?” and so I studied journalism.

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Daily Reflections on the Names of God by Ava Pennington

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Every name God calls Himself and every name His people called Him holds clues to who He is, how He relates to His children, and the promises He has made – and kept. Daily Reflections on the Names of God offers you a wonderful opportunity to spend time each day getting to know God more intimately by exploring 122 of His names and attributes. Using three individual devotions for each name, you will discover something new about who God is, who you are, and how you relate to others. One year from now, will you be able to say that…

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Three keys to help claim God’s miracles

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“Nana,” my 4-year-old granddaughter ran to me. I got on one knee and spread my arms wide to catch her dainty body. I lift her up, hug her tight, twirl her around and we both squeal with joy. That’s our usual greeting. But not today. She snuggled in her daddy’s arms. Her voice faint and her forehead burning. I placed her on my bed. Her body limp and her thin arms dropped to the side like a rag-doll. I spread a wet washcloth across her forehead and whispered in her ear. “Nana is here, I’ll take care of you.” But…

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No Time Like the Present

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Hi! Maureen Pratt here with my monthly blog. Usually, I write in this space about the craft of writing. But today, I want to take a bit of time out to ask: Are you ready for the flurry of the holiday season? Or, more to the point, are you looking ahead to the next couple of months to make sure that writing commitments can be fulfilled in a quality way while the social and spiritual whirl of November and December move all about? I find this time of year one of the most inspirational, but also one of the most…

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Tips from the Pros: Crystal Bowman

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A warm greeting from sunny Florida, where fall means cooler days, shorter nights, and (as my teenage daughters say), choosing the flip-flops with the wider straps. Today, I have the privilege of sharing an interview with fellow Florida author Crystal Bowman. I first met Crystal when we taught together at the Florida Christian Writers Conference, and I’m delighted to share her words of wisdom today. How did you get into writing, Crystal?                                 I started writing when I was 10 years old. I loved writing…

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What Do You Say When Asked What Your Book is About?

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Hi everyone!   Pamela S. Meyers here with my monthly post about marketing your books. I feel like I’ve been in the school of hard knocks for most of the summer as I’ve worked steadily on marketing my book “in the field.” I’ve seen some really great results and some not-so-great. But that’s okay. I’m learning. Earlier this summer a marketing book by Rob Eager called Sell Your Book like Wildfire was recommended to me. It’s been sitting on my shelf for at least four months now. High time I opened it! Last week I read the first chapter and…

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Are You Stretching Yourself?

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Hi, Dave Fessenden here, with a question for my fellow Christian writers: Are you stretching yourself? There are many times in my ministry as a Christian writer in which I feel like I’m becoming stagnant, like I’m writing with my eyes closed. When I feel that way, I try to counteract it by delving into a genre of writing with which I am unfamiliar. Though this is hard, it can be be a great growing experience. No, I don’t always come up with something publishable that way, but that’s OK; the purpose of the exercise is not to produce great…

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Tips from the Pros: Marlene Banks

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Greetings from Sarah Sundin in California. Today I have the joy of interviewing novelist Marlene Banks, who has written both historical and contemporary novels. Marlene, how did you get into writing? I have always loved writing since childhood. I have written all my life but only considered doing it professionally in the last eighteen years or so. I realized I was a divinely designed storyteller and writer to serve God’s Kingdom. Writing is my foundational gift and calling. So with little to no knowledge of what it took, the industry or the particulars of the crafts (other than the mere…

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Review: The Bride Next Door by Winnie Griggs

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Review by Vickie McDonough, author of Whispers on the Prairie The Bride Next Door pits spunky, down-home Daisy against Everett, a stuffy newspaper publisher. Daisy longs for a home, family, and roots, but Everett only sees the small town of Turnabout as a step to bigger and better things. When the town gossip reveals a secret, Daisy and Everett are forced into a very inconvenient marriage-of-convenience.

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