Dianne Barker here with a few thoughts about the presence of God with us. Long ago the prophet Isaiah wrote, “…The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14), which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). What difference does his presence make in an ordinary life?
Month: December 2016
This is our archive pageThe Gift You Already Own
This time of year we’re consumed with purchasing, wrapping, and giving gifts. We stretch our budgets, schedules, and sanity to position piles of colorful boxes and bags underneath glittery trees. And if we’re honest, we wonder about gifts we’ll receive. Will they be anything we want and like? As writers, in between we struggle to put words on paper and meet deadlines, wondering and worrying if we’ll finish everything on time. Why did we agree to write during Christmastime, anyway? Why push ourselves through this? Because we’ve been handed a remarkable gift. A gift from God. Midst the stress, we…
Tips from the Pros: Marlene Banks
Merry Christmas from Sarah Sundin! Today I have the joy of interviewing author Marlene Banks, whose novels span from the Civil War to the Wild West to the Roaring Twenties to today! You’ll love what Marlene has to share about keeping your focus where it belongs. Marlene, how many books do you have published? What are a few of your latest titles? Seven published works, including Ruth’s Redemption, Son of a Preacherman, Greenwood and Archer, Gunmen of Nicodemus, and the Bea Happy series.
How to Become an Expert
by Sarah Hamaker, reluctant marketer Being an expert can be fruitful in many ways, such as introducing you to new audiences and building your credibility. The Internet and email has made it easy to connect with writers to offer your services as an expert in your field or subject matter.
Advent Family Project You’ll Love
Hello from Kathy Collard Miller in the Southern California desert near Palm Springs where it’s finally cooling down. I’m looking forward to our “winter” that is never a winter wonderland, but still wonderful. Years ago I created an Advent family activity I called, “Box of Blessings.” It helped our family’s thoughts focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Here are the directions to create it. Wrap a large box with Christmas paper, wrapping the lid separate. Gather 24 visual aids, wrap each one individually, write out tags for each with an object lesson, Scripture and discussion question. (On each tag,…
Tips From the Pros with Janet Chester Bly
Good morning. Davalynn Spencer, here, and absolutely thrilled to be introducing our encore interviewee, Janet Bly. Years ago when writing was merely one of my unrealized dreams, I intersected with Janet and her husband, Steven, through the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys for whom I worked. The Blys graciously offered guidance and suggestions – via that nearly extinct method of communication called hand-written letters and postage stamps. I’ve never forgotten their generosity of time and their heart for Christian authors.
Identifying Your North Star
Marketing Tips From Cheri Cowell The Star of Bethlehem, sometimes referred to as the Christmas North Star, revealed the birth of Jesus. The star appears only in the Gospel of Matthew, where astrologers from the east are led to the Christ child. As writers we, too, have a North Star–perhaps several North Stars–that lead us on our journey. Christmas is a perfect time to examine our various North Stars and reaffirm our dependency on our True North Star..
How (NOT) to pick an editor
“Nutty with a Dash of Meat” Jeanette Levellie here with a crazy story of how God saved me from my ditzy method of picking an editor to pitch my book idea to… At my first writers conference since deciding to author a book, I was thrilled for the opportunity to meet with real live editors. I had already worn out the brochure detailing each one’s credentials and what they needed. Not a researcher by nature, I patted myself on the back for all the time I’d taken to pick the editors I knew would fall in love with my book…
Tips from the Pros: Bob Hostettler
Greetings from Sarah Sundin in California! For some reason, I feel I should use Elizabethan English, but I’d fail so I won’t try. Today I’m pleased to interview Bob Hostetler, multi-published author of many classic titles you’ll recognize. His most recent book delves into Shakespeare and the King James Version—and today he’s sharing some of the delightful ways he’s used his topic to connect with readers. Bob, how many books do you have published? What are a few of your latest titles? The Bard and the Bible: A Shakespeare Devotional is my 45th book. It’s a one-year devotional that draws…
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