by Donna Wichelman “Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You, too? Thought I was the only one.’” —C. S. Lewis I live in the Northern Hemisphere—the State of Colorado in the United States. Every August, I joyfully anticipate fall—my favorite time of year. I love the colors of fall, the deep reds, vibrant …
Doing it His Way
By Mitchell S. Karnes In 1969, Frank Sinatra released “My Way,” in which the singer faces his final stage (end of his life) and declares that through the hills and valleys of life, “I did it my way.” On the surface, it is a wonderful thought. No matter what life threw against me, I did not buckle. I made my …
The Writing Harvest You Can’t Measure in Book Sales
by Elle E. Kay @ElleEKay777 Book sales and page reads are useful metrics to track. They help us determine what advertising is working and where we’re wasting our money. They can offer clues about whether a book or series is resonating with readers. They can also show our progress year over year when we might otherwise get discouraged. Yet some things can’t …
I Wanted To Be Hidden. Then God Gave Me The Mic.
By Valerie Carr I remember the first time I had to use a microphone on a stage in front of a large group of lunching ladies. All eyes were on me as I announced the winners of the raffle we had held for the charity we were supporting. For most people, this would not have been an issue. They would …
The Conference Butterfly Writer
By Darlene Corbett @darlenemcorbett I love butterflies. I love writing. And I love conferences. What does one have to do with the other? To make it simple, I’m like a butterfly who flits to as many writing conferences as possible. My wings flutter as I immerse myself in the nectar of learning. On closer examination, complexity streams through the parallel …
Behind A Writer’s Books
By Dr. Dwight David Croy Life-changing events are priorities to be told. As a Christian writer, my first priority is to tell how I was saved by Jesus Christ. When invited as a guest speaker at a church, I often start with how I came to Christ because that is my authority for speaking. A book is like a platform …
ACFW New Releases: October 2026
October 2026 New ReleasesMore in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website Children’s/Middle-Grade Chapter Books: Charly’s Volcano by Lorisa D. Wiedenheft — It’s the fall of 1993 in small-town North Carolina. Twelve-year-old Charly is in seventh grade and excited to be in junior high. But then her best friends start trying new things. Wya …
Writing Contests: Stepping out of the Boat (Part 1)
by Linda Dindzans My writing journey began in early 2013 when I decided that what I had planned as a sabbatical from my ENT practice was actually retirement. The call to put down my scalpel and pick up my pen was clear, but the journey ahead was entirely uncharted. Early on, I committed to developing my craft through conferences, online …
Don’t Ignore Setting
by Steven Rogers @SRBooksForHope In my younger days, I often feared being the “third wheel” – the “extra” person when two people were on a date or starting to connect romantically. In these situations, I often felt superfluous and ignored. What does being a “third wheel” have to do with writing fiction? Well, let’s start with this premise—a good novel …
Geeks Read Books!
By Bruce Hennigan @bhennigan55 I recently took a big risk. In my region of the South, there is a large convention called “GeekD Con” featuring anime, superheroes, fantasy, cosplaying, and more. Average attendance over the three-day weekend is in the tens of thousands. Last year, I attended GeekD Con because my adult daughter wanted to cosplay an anime character. At the …