Writer’s Block. You often hear this term mentioned as if that inner mechanism that helps writers spew out strings of meaningful words is somehow turned off. Stuck. Out of order until further notice. This may happen at times, but for me, it goes much deeper than that. Personally, I can always write. Give me a blank journal page, and I’ll ask enough questions to figure out how I’m thinking and the reason for it. My handwritten notes are part prayer and part praise. A partial download of the heaviest parts of the previous day, along with a partial discovery of…
Category: Inspiration for Writers
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Fascinating Friday Feature –
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,…
Who said I wanted to be an author?
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…
CAN Members – Seen and Heard
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…
9-1-1. What is your emergency?
“This is 9-1-1. What is your emergency?” I don’t often reflect publicly on the fifteen years I served as a 9-1-1 Operator and Police Dispatcher for the city of Nashville. This was my first career-type job as a somewhat sheltered eighteen-year-old girl, and I was quickly stationed on the midnight shift where all the action took place. Each night at 10:00 p.m., I proudly donned my navy blue civilian uniform and entered through security gates, metal detectors, and controlled access doors into a windowless room with nothing but computer screens in every direction. We served as the hub of activity…
How Can God Be Jealous?
by Ava Pennington In the process of writing Reflections on the Names of God, I enjoyed exploring so many familiar names and attributes of our awesome God. But as I continued to dig deeper into His names and attributes, I came across several that were difficult to understand. For example, Exodus 34:14 tells us one of God’s names is Jealous because He is a jealous God. Saying God is jealous sounds strange, doesn’t it? Jealousy is a powerful emotion. It can devastate relationships and destroy lives. So why would the eternal, sovereign, almighty God name Himself jealous? When God says He is a jealous…
Picture Anyone?
By Susan G Mathis As a child, I used to play with a Brownie that I found in my attic. At the time, I thought many of the old things in the attic were “junk,” but now I see them as treasures and write many of my childhood finds into my stories. In Rachel’s Reunion, a photographer uses the professional Century Camera to take a portrait of Rachel. But he more often uses his trusty Brownie. George Eastman’s invention of photographic film camera changed the world. By 1900, the company had developed box and folding cameras. The most popular, simple,…
Fan Fun
by Susan Mathis I grew up just twenty minutes from the Thousand Islands—the setting for all my stories—in upstate New York. Actually, half of the 1,864 islands are in NY and the other half in Ontario, Canada. I spent every summer and more exploring the beautiful region. I’ve stayed on several of the islands and camped and rented cottages there. So, after I wrote my debut novel about the largest island, Wolfe Island, I was hooked. There are so many fascinating stories to tell. All my novels are based on a specific place in the Thousand Islands and are the…
Right On Time
by Michelle Medlock Adams I was in the window seat, thumbing through a magazine, just waiting for the plane to take off when a mother and her young daughter sat down next to me. “Don’t worry, babe,” the mom comforted. “You’re going to be all right.” But the little girl didn’t seem so sure. She fidgeted, hid her face in her stuffed unicorn, and eventually, her tears flowed. She was afraid. Very afraid. The mom in me wanted to help. I was so thankful I had listened to that still small Voice when I packed my…
A Missing Persons Primer
by Sarah Hamaker As a writer of romantic suspense, I’ve always been fascinated by missing persons, especially adults who simply disappear into thin air, leaving behind more questions than answers. According to Statista Research Department, more males than females go missing in the 21 and older category, while the opposite is true in the younger than 21 category. According to the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Missing Person and Unidentified Person Statistics as of December 31, 2021, the NCIC registered 93,718 active missing person records. Juveniles under 18 years of age account for 30,400 (32 percent) of the records…