June 2025 New ReleasesMore in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website Children’s/ Picture Book: If Jesus Came To My School by April Graney — A young girl learns how Jesus’s love can shine at school through her compassion, kindness, and inclusion. (Children’s Picture Book from Waterbrook/Multnomah [Penguin Random House]) Phooey Kerflooey vs the …
Visible Virtues: Fearless Fortitude
By Christine Sunderland @Chrisunderland Today is Memorial Day, a national day of memory, thanking those who possessed the Classical and Christian virtue of fortitude in their fight for our freedom. Through their courage defending our nation, these men and women ensured peace in our land of law and order. We must teach our children such fortitude, one of the cardinal …
A New Headshot?
by Marilyn Turk At a recent writers’ conference, one of the speakers advised the attendees to get new headshots to keep their profiles up to date. A headshot, in case you didn’t know, is the photo of just your head, the picture of you that goes on the back of a book or on your website, Facebook page, etc. It …
Baking a Novel
by Roxanne Hicks I run a tearoom in my backyard during the summer months for the same reason I write novels. Creativity is a kick, and even more so when I bring a smile to a friend’s face. Writing is as diverse as baking, and almost as flavorful. Some flavor combinations work well together, and others, not so much. As …
The Gift of Deadlines
By Jane Kirkpatrick My first novel was sold before I wrote it. Somehow, I convinced a publisher that I had this great story to tell. That’s the good news. The bad news is that I didn’t know if I could actually write that story well enough to get published. My 41st novel comes out this May and it too was …
Using Family Stories in Historical Fiction
by Cherie Dargan I’ve written four books in the Grandmother’s Treasures series, set in Iowa, using my family’s history, my mother’s essays and photos, and some of our quilts. Each one has dual narrators and timelines. Book One, The Gift, (2022, WordCrafts Press) is set in WWII. My mother, Charlotte, taught in a country school before taking the train to …
An Odd Verse about Writing
by Dwight David Croy Let me share with you a verse that you may think is counterintuitive to fiction writing. II John 1:12 says, “Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete.” This …
The Invisible Pillar of Author Platform: Money
By Barbara M. Britton Does social media sell books? In the recent webinars I have attended, the answer is no. Social media may help in the “Rule of Seven” where a reader has to see a book seven times before they buy it, but purchases from social media do not seem to be significant. Not to mention the horror stories …
Research Doesn’t Stop with Publication
by Glynn Young @gyoung9751 It was a year ago that the manuscript for my historical novel was attached to an email and sent to the publisher who requested it. I felt an incredible sense of relief. The thing was done. I could take a break from literally years of reading and research about the Civil War. Nine years of reading …
What on Earth is This Thing Called Deep POV?
by Linda Glaz (Linda S. Glaz Literary Agency) I hear it all the time: at conferences, on social media, and from other authors, but what is it? And why should I care? What happens when you incorporate Deep POV into your novel? The READER becomes completely immersed in the character’s point of view/voice rather than the author’s voice. So much …