By MD House What is the difference between having a fertile mind and an agile mind? As writers, or rather, creators of linguistic art, we boast a great deal of creativity and ingenuity. We may rightly be said to have fertile minds. But what about agility, and how do we define that? In a physical sense, we think of agility …
ACFW Announces 2022 Christian Fiction and Industry Awards
Palm Bay, FL: The American Christian Fiction Writers in person conference at the Hyatt Regency at the Arch, St. Louis included their 2022 Awards Gala with a number of significant industry awards. Prolific author and devoted mentor and teacher Gayle Roper was honored with ACFW’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Among other recognitions are the following winners of the Carol Awards, …
5 Tips for Speaking at Your Local Library
by Lisa Jordan After my debut novel released over ten years ago, a close friend mentioned her book club was reading Lakeside Reunion, and she asked if I’d talk at their get-together. I agreed and enjoyed the conversation. One of the book club attendees worked at our public library and asked if I’d be interested in speaking to another book …
Finding a Work-Life Balance
Turning sixty kicked my butt. I’m not certain why. Birthdays have never held much significance to me, and anyone who knows me knows I am more likely to forget my birthday than to celebrate it. But sixty? It started me thinking. Time was slipping away. Twenty years goes by in the blink of an eye, and before you know it, …
Contemplation
By Henry McLaughlin I’ve been doing a lot of contemplating and pondering lately. About my writing. About life. About God. About making changes. Not really at a crossroads, but definitely a time of reassessment. Why? What’s the point? For me, it’s about getting priorities straight and getting myself right with God. I’m learning that too often I get private and …
A Different Way to Look at Books
By Deborah Raney “. . . he who destroys a good book kills reason itself.” ~John Milton There is something about books and bookshelves lined with favorite books that just make a house feel cozier and more welcoming. But books don’t have to be only for reading. As a writer of books and an avid reader of books, I’ve begun to …
September 2022 New Releases
September 2022 New Releases More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website Contemporary Romance: A Heart to Trust by Judith McNees — Can two broken hearts learn to trust each other…and God? Grace Morgan has a closely guarded secret. One that also makes her good at guarding her heart. After all, she has …
How HiFi is Your Hi-Fi?
By Gordon Saunders That is: How High Fidelity Is Your Historical Fiction? Historical fiction is tricky. On the one hand, you must tell a great story. On the other hand, you mustn’t rewrite history. Or mustn’t you? Because if you read lots of biographies and historical commentaries, you can’t find just one history. And if the history is far enough …
Say It Loud, Say It Proud with Your Email Signature
By Jill K Willis You’re a writer! Don’t be shy. Brand yourself as one even if you’re pre-published. No, especially if you’re pre-published. Build credibility for your work while you work. An easy, inexpensive way to do this is with your email signature. Every time you send an email, add your special writer’s signature to it. This reinforces your chosen …
How Research Fills the Gaps in a Family Story
By Glynn Young The idea has been in my head for years – a story about my great-grandfather. But I knew only a few facts about him, passed down by my father. Research has filled it in – a little bit. Too young to enlist as a regular soldier, he’d been a messenger boy in the Civil War. He’d lost …