Book Review: Children’s Advent Stories for Bedtime by Julie & David Lavender

, by

Children’s Advent Stories for Bedtime by Julie & David Lavender Genre: Children’s literature Description of Children’s Advent Stories for Bedtime: “Christmas is more than just presents under the tree, candy canes, and mistletoe. It’s a special time to discover and celebrate what Christmas really means – the promise of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Children’s Advent Stories for Bedtime delivers a joyful collection of 25 stories that help you connect with what this season is truly about while counting down the days until Jesus’ birthday. Cozy up to God’s messages of joy, peace, and love with the following: true biblical retellings, thoughtful…

Read More

Book Review: Flourish: Grace-Centered Practices to Protect and Grow a Fruitful Life in Christ by Ava Pennington

, by

Flourish: Grace-Centered Practices to Protect and Grow a Fruitful Life in Christ Genre: Nonfiction: Christian Living If the fruit of the Spirit is promised to every Christian, then why do so many believers wish they were filled with more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? Where is the disconnect? Why is there a disconnect? What are we missing? These questions inspired me to explore the fruit of the Spirit more deeply. What I learned became the basis for Flourish: Grace-Centered Practices to Protect and Grow a Fruitful Life in Christ. Nurturing the fruit of the Spirit…

Read More

Fascinating Friday Feature – The Beautiful Mess of My Writing Life

, by

by Jodi Hendricks When I first dreamed of becoming an author, I pictured long mornings with a steaming cup of coffee, quiet hours of uninterrupted study, and afternoons spent at my desk letting words flow free onto a page. In my imagination, the life of a writer looked peaceful, contemplative, and wonderfully distraction free—a rhythm where inspirationand productivity danced hand in hand. The reality couldn’t be further from that picture. I am a mother of four. I homeschool each of them, which means my days are filled with math lessons, science experiments, and history discussions often conducted while folding laundry…

Read More

Fascinating Friday Feature

, by

by Jill Chapman  Writing has been an adventure for me in a multitude of ways. From the stories I wrote as a middle-school preteen to the weird stuff I drafted as a teenager, from newsletters, lesson plans, and Sunday school lessons to novels, my writing has been straight from my heart. When I began to write my middle-grade novel at age fifty-nine, I knew I wanted a mystery story with adventure that kids would love to read. The first drafts were not great. Several drafts later, I had the story ready. So, when I pitched it and sent the manuscript…

Read More

Fascinating Friday Feature – The Big ‘Yes’ Continues

, by

by Linda Wood Rondeau I am forever fascinated by how God continues to affirm our calling, even within the worst discouragement and doubt. “Lord, I can’t do this anymore. It hurts too much,” I cried. “I wasn’t meant to be a writer.” I looked up at the wall of award certificates for unpublished work and thought I heard the room laughing at me. How many times have I wanted to quit? Every time I view my royalty checks or realize the non-existence thereof. My first career had been in human services, but I wanted to reach people outside the government…

Read More

2025 CAN Excellence in Marketing Awards: First Place in Nonfiction Physical Media

, by

2025 CAN Excellence in Marketing Awards: First Place in Nonfiction Physical Media Next in a series of posts featuring the winners of the 2025 Christian Authors Network (CAN) Excellence in Marketing Awards. Allen Taylor won first place in the Nonfiction Physical Media category and describes his activities here. The 2026 marketing awards will open in November 2025. Be thinking of how you can enter the awards! See the guidelines at:  https://christianauthorsnetwork.com/marketing-award/ How I Sold 1,500 Books in Kroger Grocery Stores (and What It Taught Me About Being an Indie Author) By Allen Taylor   It’s harder being an independent author today…

Read More

2025 CAN Excellence in Marketing Awards: Second Place in Fiction Online Presence

, by

2025 CAN Excellence in Marketing Awards: Second Place in Fiction Online Presence Next in a series of posts featuring the winners of the 2025 Christian Authors Network (CAN) Excellence in Marketing Awards. Julie Lavender won second place in the Fiction Online Presence category and describes her activities in this interview. The 2026 marketing awards will open in November 2025. CAN members, be thinking of how you can enter the awards. See the guidelines at:  https://christianauthorsnetwork.com/marketing-award/ 1. Congratulations on your second-place win in the Fiction Online Presence of the CAN Excellence in Marketing Awards! What book were you marketing? A Gingerbread…

Read More

2025 CAN Excellence in Marketing Awards: First Place in Fiction Physical Media

, by

2025 CAN Excellence in Marketing Awards: First Place in Fiction Physical Media Next in a series of posts featuring the winners of the 2025 Christian Authors Network (CAN) Excellence in Marketing Awards. Sally Cressman won first place in the fiction Physical Media category and describes her activities here. The 2026 marketing awards will open in November 2025. Be thinking of how you can enter the awards! See the guidelines at:  https://christianauthorsnetwork.com/marketing-award/ Rethink Your Approach to Print Marketing by Sally Cressman You might think print media is dead and online is king, but that’s not entirely true. Rethinking your approach to print…

Read More

Fascinating Friday Feature – I Never Thought I’d Write a Children’s Book

, by

by April Graney I never thought I’d write a children’s book. My high school friend told me after graduation that she wanted to write children’s books. I thought that was weird. I’d never heard of anyone who wanted to do that. I wasn’t sure what I was going to pursue, but it sure wasn’t writing for sticky-faced little kids! I thought I’d be a journalist, or a novelist, or write for magazines. But for job security, I pursued a degree in English Education. After college and marriage, we moved to Dallas Seminary, where I fell in love with studying the…

Read More

2025 CAN Excellence in Marketing Awards: First Place in Fiction Broadcast Media

, by

2025 CAN Excellence in Marketing Awards: First Place in Fiction Broadcast Media Next in a series of posts featuring the winners of the 2025 Christian Authors Network (CAN) Excellence in Marketing Awards. Carissa Lovvorn won first place in the fiction Broadcast Media category and describes her activities here. The 2026 marketing awards will open in November 2025. Be thinking of how you can enter the awards! See the guidelines at:  https://christianauthorsnetwork.com/marketing-award/ Congratulations on winning first place in Fiction Broadcast Media, Carissa! Tell us about the book(s) you marketed. The Sharing Sisters children’s picture book series. Titles include: Seeds for Sharing, Lemons…

Read More