A Writer’s Senses

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  Gracious God, thank you for the smell of pencil shavings, the elegance of a good fountain pen, and the click-clack of ancient typewriter keys… for the intoxication of creative juices, the sweetness of a well-turned phrase… for the creak of the office chair, and the surprise of a catch in the throat and the salty track of a tear on the cheek… for the hum of a computer, for the thrum of a printer, for the agony of the blank page, the ecstasy of the last line, the terror of hitting “send” and the fragrance of fresh ink on…

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Sunday Reflection: A Heart after God

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It is all about the heart: “the LORD looks at the heart.“ (1 Sam. 16:7) David was called “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam 13:14) And we pray with the Psalmist,  “Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” (Psalm 86:11) A few of the Psalms in my Discovering Hope in the Psalms Bible study captures the kind of heart God is looking for: God is looking for thirsty hearts. As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O…

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CAN Authors Have Much to Offer!

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Your CAN authors are award winning, prolific, and sharing what’s on their hearts! Check out this weeks’ round up of good news and happenings in our writing community. Davalynn Spencer’s 2017 Western romance, An Improper Proposal, won the 2018 Christian Indie Award for Romance. An Improper Proposal is Book 1 in the Front Range Brides series. Book 2, An Unexpected Redemption, released April 26. *** New Release: No Safe Place by H. L. Wegley Releases May 21 Genre: Romantic Suspense Publisher: Trinity Press International ISBN-13:   978-0-9964937-6-5 About the book: A young man returning from the far country trying to regain his honor, and a young woman with a heart broken by…

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A Chat with Author Linda Gilden

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Greetings from Sarah Sundin in California! Today I have the privilege of chatting with prolific nonfiction writer Linda Gilden. Linda has written six books, 26 collaborative books, and hundreds of articles, as well as being a speaker and a personality trainer! Today she’s sharing with us from her wealth of experience. Linda, tell us about your most recent book, Articles, Articles, Articles! Why write articles? Articles can change lives, instruct, inform, and inspire. For writers, articles can be an exercise to hone your craft, help build your platform, and reach more people than books. Articles, Articles, Articles! will show you…

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In The New

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The Christian Small Publishers Association (CSPA) recently announced the winning titles for the 2018 Christian Indie Awards. The Christian Indie Awards honor books produced by small publishers and independent authors each year for outstanding contribution to Christian life. Congratulations to our own Davalynn Spencer, who won in the romance category with , “An Improper Proposal.”

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Taking Obedience Seriously

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  The handmade collection of misshapen guitars, ukuleles, and banjos  made me wonder. Is the museum desperate for displays? About half of the instruments hanging on the walls were painted barn-red. Others had obviously been pieced together from two or three different types of wood. But the story of the man who crafted them changed my whole perspective. In the 1960s Arkansas farmer Ed Stilley had difficulty supporting his wife and five children. One day, while plowing his field behind a donkey, he thought he was having a heart attack. Lying on the ground with no one around to hear…

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Sunday Reflection : Green Pastures

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I am a Bo Peep. Yes, I grew up on a Suffolk sheep farm– so Psalm 23 is very personal to this Shepherdess’ heart. Let’s just glimpse at the first few verses: The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,  he refreshes my soul. One of the common heart cries of the human race is for greener pastures- a life better, brighter, quieter or calmer. God knows this is dream is on our hearts. When I read, “He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside…

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Awards and Speaking Engagements

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Your CAN authors have good news to share as well as opportunities for readers to engage! Vindicating the Vixens: Revisiting Sexualized, Vilified, and Marginalized Women of the Bible has been named a finalist in the adult non-fiction religion category of the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards! The book is the brainchild of CAN member Dr. Sandra Glahn. INDIES recognize works by individual authors and independent publishing houses, including academic presses such as Stanford University.  More than 2,000 entries spread across 68 genres were submitted for consideration. The list of finalists was determined by Foreword’s editorial team. Winners are now being decided…

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Glorious Colors

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  Almost everyone has a favorite color. Mine is yellow. I love the yellow sun, yellow buttercups, and yellow sweet corn. But I also like blue. I love going to the beach to see the vast blue sky and various shades of blue in the ocean. I’m not sure why those colors appeal to me—they just do. What amazes me is that God is the only One who could think of all the different colors. What is even more amazing is they have been in existence since the beginning of time. The sun is yellow, the grass is green, and…

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Sunday Reflection : Light in the Darkness

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As storm clouds gather, they often cover the sun and a harsh greyness vails the light. This was the place B ill and I found outselves for three long years, as Bill commuted back and forth almost weekly through gridlock Los Angeles traffic to care for his againg parents, all while we worked to keep up with our acre of land, and our Love-Wise ministry of writing, speaking, and travel. While our marriage was weathering the storm, we both we tired of the treadmill that seemed to have now end. A darkness of depression was trying to cover over our…

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