by Sarah Sundin @sarahsundin Shakespeare tells us, “All the world’s a stage.” For the novelist, the challenge is to take our setting from a cardboard cutout of a stage to illuminating depth. Choosing Your Setting The initial choice of setting is often driven by a story spark. We already know it’s set on the prairie in the 1880s or an …
ACFW New Releases: September 2026
September 2026 New ReleasesMore in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website Amish Romance: Her Amish Christmas Rescue by Amy Grochowski — For years, Rose Burkholder has lived in the shadow of a family tragedy. But one snowy day, she strays from her usual path and aids an injured deer in the woods. And …
When YA Isn’t Enough
By Daniel P. Warner The tone of the story has more of a YA feel than a book marketed to adults. I stared at the words in the rejection email, trying to make sense of them. Even at that early stage in my writing journey, I recognized how valuable it was to get feedback deeper than a form letter. But …
Accepting a Short Story Challenge
by Glynn Young Like most, if not all writers, I follow several writers who post and talk about the craft of writing. Like other writers, it’s helpful, encouraging, and instructive to see what others, Christian and non-Christian alike, are struggling with, learning, sharing, and figuring out. I published my last book in late 2024. What followed was a period of …
Countdown
By Mitchell S. Karnes They say, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” If that is true, I’m ecstatic. Book one of my Abbey Rhodes Mystery series, Water Grave, was released on January 29, 2025. One month ago, book four, Countdown, came out, and now I find myself in the depths of book five, which is currently titled Closure. It has …
ACFW New Releases: August 2026
August 2026 New ReleasesMore in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website Contemporary Romance: Not My Hero by Michelle Bolanger — She lost everything… except the chance to begin again. He has everything… except the freedom to follow his heart. “Not My Hero” is a modern retelling of the Biblical Book of Ruth. (Contemporary …
ACFW New Releases: July 2026
July 2026 New ReleasesMore in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website Contemporary Romance: New Beginnings in Shady Springs by Sarah Anne Crouch — When the storm passes, can two guarded hearts believe in love again? Perfect for fans of heartwarming Christian romance, this tender small-town story weaves together friendship, faith, grief, and healing …
Wons, Nones, and Dones: Know Your Audience
By Bruce Hennigan @bhennigan55 Do you know your potential audience? Jesus knew his audience well. In Matthew 22:15-22 (NIV), Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees about the question of should they pay their taxes. Jesus answered them: “But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying …
To Write, or Not to Write
by Melissa Wardwell For most of my life, writing has been a constant companion. In middle school, a friend and I would craft poetry during science class, exchanging one-liners instead of focusing on the lesson—though somehow, we managed to pass. English class was another outlet, where “journal time” became a space for short stories about sea creatures, underwater adventures, and …
Headline News Meets Mountain Heart
by Georgia Curtis Ling @GeorgiaCLing Every morning, I climb out of one dream only to crawl into another—trading the velvet drip of sleep for the blue glow of my computer screen, where I spend my days dreaming up a story for my next novel. The surrounding bluegrass countryside is peaceful outside my window when I begin, coaxing storylines out of …