Are you a cheerleader or a nitpicker? by Linore Rose Burkhard Every author I know, myself included, wants to make readers happy, especially the cheerleaders who love our genre and stories. After all, by loving and reading our books, they keep us in business. Nevertheless, not all readers agree on what works for them, and some get downright nitpicky. What’s a writer to do when we are stymied by conflicting feedback? Case in point: my recent release (Miss Tavistock’s Mistake: Brides of Mayfair, Book One). Reader 1: “The Jane-esque language in this novel is exquisite.” Reader 2: “Kudos to Ms….
Tag: encouragement
This is our archive pageCombat Contagion of Fear
How are you spending this forced stay-cation? I’ve been baking, cleaning, and catching up on those “will-do-sometime” projects. Thumbing through a stack of magazines that I didn’t have time to read when they arrived over the past few months, I’m ready to discard a bunch and free up space. I appreciate having time to organize. Friends tell me they’re cleaning and organizing, too. In our normal, busy life, we handle the urgent and leave everything else until a day when our to-do list isn’t so jam-packed. That day has come. Meetings have been cancelled. Stadiums are empty. Churches are live-streaming…
God’s Creative Humbling
As I was talking with a women’s ministry director at a church training conference, I hoped she would invite me to speak at her women’s retreat. I enjoyed one of the freshly baked chocolate chip cookies set before us while we sat in the lounge of the convention center. When she asked my opinion on some important issues, I spoke with confident tones. I was thrilled to see her staring at my mouth, obviously eager to hear my every word. Surely, I was impressing her. All I have to do is say the right things, I assured myself, as I…
A Conversation with CAN Volunteer Linda Goldfarb
Happy Friday, CAN Family! I’m writing to you from deep within the Iowa farm country. It’s chilly, but a small price to pay while on my way to ride my horse this morning. To warm the heart and soul, I’m thrilled to share an interview with professional coach, author, speaker and teacher Linda Goldfarb. A favorite on the AWSA and CAN circuits, and serving as Regional Group Director for CAN, Linda blesses others with her thriving coaching practice. I caught up with her today and look forward to sharing the wisdom with you. Thank you for joining us today, Linda! Let’s start out learning about…
SKEE BALL, PIZZA FIGHTS, AND FUN!
I had been dating Roy for a while, and he decided the time had come for me to meet his children, Jill and James. Very apprehensive but knowing this was the essential next step, I flew down from New Jersey to Atlanta with him. You wouldn’t think a six-year-old girl and a three-year-old boy could terrify a thirty-plus-year-old woman, would you? I’d never been around children much, other than an occasional babysitting job while I was in high school. And having the approval of these two kids meant everything. We went to Chuckie Cheese for the afternoon and for dinner….
Double Jeopardy – Why This Story Will Change You as a Reader
By Donna Schlachter When I think about books from my childhood, I recall books like Black Beauty and Call of the Wild. What really sticks with me is both told stories of heartbreak and joy, of separation and reunion, or defeat and victory. Throughout these two books in particular, bad things happened for no good reason. People got sick. Died. Animals were mistreated. Lives were shattered. But then. . . In the end, all was set right with their world. When I sit down to write a book, I ask myself, “How bad can things get?” And then I put…
A Conversation with CAN Prayer Warrior Donn Taylor
Happy Friday CAN Members! Catherine Finger here with the great privilege of interviewing CAN Member Donn Taylor. Donn is a prayer warrior and serves our CAN members through his tireless prayers and encouragement. His faithful organization of the weekly online CAN prayer group blesses us all. When he’s not praying, Donn can be found inspiring others in person and via his daily Facebook posts. His wisdom, warmth and good humor is revealed in a new way today. Thank you for joining us today, Donn! And thank you for your tireless service of prayer over the members of CAN and encouragement. We…
Fulfill God’s Calling on Your Life
Recently, I was bummed out by some in the church who seemed to imply writing fiction is not a holy calling. They as much as said that if we aren’t engaged in outright evangelism, then we aren’t fulfilling the Great Commission. I did some soul-searching. Told God, “I quit. I’m done (writing).” He immediately began sending me encouragement, reminding me that I write because He called me to it, and it is no less legitimate a calling than my call as a wife, mother, or friend. But a reader’s note to me the very next day capped it and…
The Hands of Jesus
What a wonderful God we have—he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (TLB) People need hope more than advice. What a freedom to know that it is never necessary to have our life all in order before helping another. God does not expect us to be experts but He does call us to come alongside each other. All human beings have two things in common. We all experience pain and we all need a…
Joy is Transformation
Picture the contrast between a funeral and a wedding. A funeral is somber, reflective, full of sadness, grief, perhaps even remorse. A wedding, especially one between two godly believers, is full of gladness, delight, gless, bliss, rejoicing and packed with hope on the horizon. The wonderful majesty of God is that He has the ability and desire to turn our mourning into a wedding dance! You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy…(Psalm 30:11) I like to jump into the original language to dig…
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