Who Are You?

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Jan here, writing to you on one of CAN’s devotional Fridays. I have a question for you: Who are you and what are you doing here? I ask that with a chuckle because it stirs a memory of when that very question was asked by my daughter, about three-years-old at the time, to an adult who was attending a dinner at our ministry. She asked the question entirely out of innocent curiosity. Not a bad question to consider. I met with a young man last week who is preparing to transition from the residential ministry where my husband and I live and work. One of…

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Remain Faithful

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Hello from Bonnie here in soggy Oregon. I'm still waiting for spring.     When I first started creating stories it was just a hobby, something I did for fun once in a while. I never dreamed it would be anything more. But after being side-lined by an auto accident God gave me a new vision, a new way to serve Him. It was through the gift of writing. Though I didn’t fully understand what I was saying yes to, I was committed to the call. God threw open every door, and it was clear that writing books was part of His plan for…

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In the Trenches, Part 1

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Jan here joining you from sunny California. In March, I had the delightful opportunity to mentor writers for one of the Head Start Clinics at Mount Hermon’s Christian Writer’s Conference. A “ridiculous” delight—to use one of my student’s favorite expressions. If you asked any of those in my nonfiction clinic to state one of the most important factors in our writing of successful nonfiction, I have no doubt what their answer would be. They would tell you . . .

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Marketing Lessons from the World of Retail

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Tracy (T.L.) Higley here, posting another marketing lesson I’ve learned from my years in online retail sales. As I’ve mentioned in previous months, I’m currently in the midst of an experimental year, applying principles from my retail business to the marketing of my fiction. If you’ve missed earlier posts, and would like a better explanation of my background and what these posts are about, please see Principles #1-#7 here.   So, on to Principle #8… Find a niche for your books.  

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Sticking to the Plan

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Happy Monday from Jeanette. I’m finally getting caught up after the Mount Hermon Writers Conference. This year I didn’t come home nearly as exhausted as I have in the past. Knowing that I could not afford to return to my family completely wiped out, I made up my mind to pace myself. And this time I actually did it.

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A Balancing Act

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What a difference a few feet can make. After writing at the kitchen table for several years, I upgraded to my very own desk in our spare bedroom. The move made my work easier but I missed being next to double windows. I had a great view of the hallway, but I kept wondering how the desk would fit in that small corner between the two bedroom windows. Last month I finally made the switch—and now that I have a window on the world, I’m seeing some interesting things…

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CAN Book Feature: More Than Conquerors by Kathi Macias

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More than Conquerors  Book two of the four-book Extreme Devotion series from New Hope Publishers ISBN-10: 1596692839  ISBN-13: 978-1596692831  Release Date: April 5, 2010   With violent crime on the rise and the political climate changing throughout certain parts of Mexico, the opportunity for open Christian witness, particularly in some areas of Chiapas State, is rapidly decreasing. Hector Rodriguez pastors a small church in the tourist-popular border town of Tijuana. He also routinely carries Bibles deeper into the hostile areas of Mexico, where he ministers despite increasing difficulty and persecution. Hector’s mother accompanied him on one of those trips and felt God called her to stay in…

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Tips from the Pros: Sarah Sundin

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 Hello, I’m Mildred Colvin. I’ve come to interview Sarah Sundin, who has written a series of historical novels set in the 1940s. Sarah received a degree in chemistry from UCLA and a doctorate in pharmacy from UC San Francisco. She lives in northern California with her husband, three children, an antisocial cat, and a very social Labrador. She works on-call as a hospital pharmacist, teaches Sunday school to fourth and fifth graders, and teaches women's Bible studies. She is a member of Diablo Valley Christian Writers' Group and American Christian Fiction Writers. Her first novel, A DISTANT MELODY, will be released…

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Conference Blessings

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Aloha from the CAN Treasurer Karen Whiting          I recently returned from the Florida Christian Writer’s Conference and know many friends will be leaving this week for the Mount Hermon Writers Conference in California. These are two large conferences with many editors and writers attending. Conferences have shaped my writing career.

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CAN Book Feature: No Greater Love by Kathi Macias

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 No Greater Love  Book one of the four-book Extreme Devotion series from New Hope Publishers ISBN-10: 1596692774  ISBN-13: 978-1596692770  Release date: April 5, 2010   Orphaned four years earlier when their parents, active in the African National Congress (ANC) movement against Apartheid, were murdered, 16-year-old Chioma and her 15-year-old brother, Masozi, now live and work on an Afrikaner family’s farm. When Chioma and Andrew, the farm owner’s son, find themselves attracted to one another, tragedy revisits their lives. Chioma escapes to join an ANC rebel band in her effort to survive and gain revenge for her family and race. When cultures clash…

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