A happy Monday to you from Bonnie Leon. Signs of Christmas are everywhere and gift ideas have been tumbling through my mind. What should I get for my husband, children and grandchildren? I’ve also been thinking about the greatest gift of all—Jesus Christ. What must it have been like to be Mary when she looked upon her son, God’s son? The Christ child lay in her arms only because she’d bowed her will to God. When she chose to obey did she know the sacrifices and heartache that lay before her?
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read latest news from our blogOutline #4 – Developing Subplot Arcs
It's another writing blog day and I'm a day late, but better late than you know what. . .as they say. First I want to wish you a blessed Christmas and joy in the new year, and next I want to continue talking to you about the fourth point on the Outline series I've been sharing with you which is Subplot Arcs. At the Gideon conference, I had the opportunity to hear about some interesting concepts that work while outlining plot elements for a dynamic film or book. The fourth point under outlining dealt with developing subplot arcs. 4. Develop subplot arcs affect…
Live to Write about it
Hello from Jeanette! Today my family woke up to our first major winter storm of the season. It closed schools (including the University) and kept most people home shoveling snow. My sons and I had to scoop the driveway twice before my husband got home from work and then he still had to clear more. Early in the day we got hit with another type of storm—the news that the store where my husband works will be closing in four weeks. They promised to transfer employees to other stores but we know there is a chance that some will find…
Joy in the Midst of Messy Situations
Dianne Neal Matthews here, taking a break from decorating the tree. Last night I helped with a Christmas party for the women in my church. Since the theme was "Christmas Memories", we invited the ladies to write down and turn in favorite Christmas memories to be read throughout the evening. As always, my mind returned to a long-ago scene that still helps me keep my focus in the right place during this hectic month of December.
Marketing Lessons from the World of Retail
Tracy (T.L.) Higley here, posting another marketing lesson I’ve learned from my years in online retail sales. As I 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 through #3 here. So, on to Principle #4… Repeated contact through social networks drives sales.
Free Gift Available!
Hey, friends! Jennifer Devlin here, wishing you a wonderful season of joy and peace. I love this time of year, especially these few weeks between thankful celebrations and the anticipated gifts under a tree. As Christians, we’ve so much to be thankful for, and we’ve so much to celebrate — much more than a mere trinket under a tree. In this season God has me thinking of gifts. God places gifts inside the body of believers that glorify Him and build up the Church as a whole all year long! Not just a quick tearing of paper and a glimpse…
Great Expectations!
Happy Thanksgiving, Friends! Susie Larson here… I doubt very many of you will be visiting this blog in light of the holiday but it’s my day to post and I hope to encourage whoever stops by! I’m scheduled to post on the fourth Thursday of every month. I apologize for being AWOL last month. Between my travels and my work load, I just couldn’t get it done. So sorry. Today I want to explore the idea of expectations. By definition, expectation is a belief that someone will or should achieve something. We’ve all felt the pain of disappointment when someone…
Books Make Great Gifts
Aloha from Karen It's hard to think that the Christmas season is here. I just celebrated meeting my husband 38 years ago and it's hard to think how fast the time has gone by. Our oldest son leaves for Iraq in less than two months. His wife and two little ones will move in with us while he is deployed so life will change! As treasurer of CAN I've enjoyed getting to know many authors in this network. We try to help promote one anothers books. That's part of being in the body of…
Thriving Through the Holidays
Jan here, hoping to offer a few encouraging thoughts and ideas to help you as writers thrive through the approaching holidays. The past five or more years, I’ve headed into the Christmas season with either book deadlines or December speaking engagements (or both). I loved the work and ministry involved, but it made an already busy season extra busy. In some ways, I approached it by doing what I could to survive and get through to other side. I want to do it differently from now on. How about you? There’s the usual excitement and activity of the season, the family events and traditions…
Are You Craving Boring?
Happy Tuesday from CAN Secretary Jeanette Hanscome. Do you ever catch yourself wishing that God would give you a little break from all the excitement? I’m not talking new contracts, speaking engagements, and writer’s conferences. I mean the “Is this my life or a made-for-T.V. movie” kind of excitement. You know—the events that you eventually use in books and speaking topics.
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