The Fascinating (Condensed) History of Alaska

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By Donna Schlachter In keeping with celebrating my second Switchboard Sisterhood book, Morgana, I thought I’d sharesome history of Alaska this month. While the area was likely settled thousands of years ago by emigrants from Asia and Eastern Europewho perhaps crossed a land passage, few details are available about these early settlers. They eventuallyestablished themselves and spread out over the area, becoming unique in their language and culture.In 1728. Vitus Bering from Denmark traveled into the area and discovered the strait now namedafter him. He returned in 1741 and explored the North American coastline. In 1776, the year the United…

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Fascinating Friday Feature – Trimming the Edges

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Slice. Turn. Slice. I can hear the sharp sound of that long metal blade so clearly in my mind, along with my school-teacher mother’s soft voice. “Watch your fingers. Take your time. Line it up to the gridlines so it will be straight.” She had brought home a sheet of laminated math flashcards that showed everything from fractions to multiplication and division on them. The answer to each problem could be found on the back. They were lined side by side, but linked together by the sheets of plastic and needed to be separated. At age six, I was too…

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Fascinating Friday Feature – The Mafia in America

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Pre 1890s While researching my recent release, Claire, I uncovered several interesting facts about the mafia in America. In my book, Claire boards a train to flee New York after her mafia father is murdered and a contract is placed on her head. Toby, an undercover Pinkerton operative, heads for Denver, finding himself on a train with a woman who is vaguely familiar to him. Toby, to add to his cover story, has placed an ad for a mail-order bride. Claire replies to the ad, neither realizing their connection. Can they solve the mystery of who is trying to kill…

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Seen and Heard – May and June Happenings

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Many among our Christian Author Network have been seen and heard; spotted out and about spreading the word on their books, their message, and most importantly, the love and provision of our precious Father. Here’s where you may catch them: Joan Benson appeared on Storytellers with Cristy Lou to discuss her historical fiction novel, His Gift. Attached is the link to hear the full one-hour interview. https://www.facebook.com/christy.lindsay.714/videos/1167724997227945 For additional information on Joan, visit her website at https://www.joancbenson.com/ Growing Hearts with Karen Whiting Karen Whiting has published several articles and has been interviewed on multiple radio stations recently. Catch her if…

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Fascinating Friday Feature –

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A behind-the-scenes peek at writing. I begin each new book with…get ready for it… “Now, how do I do this?” Every single book. One would think after sixteen novels, I wouldn’t have to ask this question. So, why would I? That’s another question I ask at the start of each book. Why is this so hard? Well, if it were easy, everyone would write a book, right? Still…even when I follow the brief synopsis I submit to my publisher for the book, I struggle with getting started, mostly because the actual story rarely follows what I submitted. Take Counter Attack,…

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Seen and Heard – April and May Happenings

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Many among our Christian Authors Network have been seen and heard, caught out and about spreading the word on their books, their message, and most importantly, the love and provision of our precious Father. Here’s where you may catch them: Susan Neal, CEO of Christian Authors Network (CAN) and Christian Indie Publishing Association (CIPA), was a featured speaker at The Well Conference for Creatives in Hudsonville, Michigan in April. In addition to her faculty sessions, Susan announced the winners of the Christian Indie Awards and the CAN Marketing Awards with a live presentation for the first time during their awards…

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Girl’s Weekend Inspires Girlfriend Gathering Series

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Several years ago a few of my close friends decided we would meet in Colorado for a girl’s weekend. The Fall leaves lit the mountains with brilliant colors. The four of us met for time to relax, refresh and revive. We laughed together, cried together, prayed together, looked at scripture together and did some fun activities together. It was an amazing weekend and each of us left refreshed. We felt such comradery that weekend. Though each of us have busy schedules, we know we can count on each other to be there to support, encourage, and pray. Soon after that…

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Who said I wanted to be an author?

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I was in fifth grade when my teacher interrupted my daydream, “Linda, I don’t care if you do grow upto be a famous author, I’m going to teach you math so you can balance your royalty statements.” My classmates turned to stare at me, while I stared back at my teacher in shock, thinking, An author? Who ever said I wanted to be an author? Even though Mrs. Davis’ words foretold my future, I didn’t get it, dream about it, or add ‘writing abook’ to my life’s goals. Instead, when I graduated from college, I got a job in the…

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CAN Members – Seen and Heard

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Many among our Christian Author Network have been seen and heard, caught out and about spreading the word on their books, their message, and most importantly, the love and provision of our precious Father. Here’s where you may catch them: Tina Yeager launched a new radio program in January on Christian Mix 106. Flourish Today airs at 10 AM and 3 PM Eastern every Thursday, covering such topics as parenting, mental health, relationships, and other issues to live your best daily. To listen live online, click this link: https://christianmix106.com/ For more information on Tina, visit her website at https://tinayeager.com/ Several…

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