I’d just finished pouring a cup of water over my head and another down my shirt after sweating out two sets of singles in 93 degree heat. Sounds messy, I know, but us diehard tennis players who stubbornly insist on playing through central Florida summers do it often to prevent heatstroke. If you’re already slathered ...
Now I get it.
As a writing late bloomer (I started writing professionally at age 45), it never ceases to amaze me how many people think they can just jump in and write a book without doing their homework. I spent three years researching, writing articles, attending writing conferences and consuming every industry how-to I could get my hands ...
An Unexpected Twist in Events
I just returned from two weeks in a mt cabin enjoying the hummingbirds, little brown field bunnies, chipmonks, and 60 degree mornings. It was a very beneficial time of prayer, communion with my Creator within the beauty of His creation, contemplation, study, writing, and spiritual renewal. Oh, did I mention near-death? Twice within the same ...
Living by Hope
This is a good week despite marathon work days and lack of sleep. I received my advance for the 2-book deal offered me by Barbour Books a few months ago. Yay! There’s just something about holding that check in your hand that affirms your call to write and swells your heart with gratitude more than ...
Playing Chicken with a Duck
As I was driving down a narrow, seldom traveled back road today, late as usual, I spied something moving in the road ahead. Partially obscured by tree shadows, it wasn’t until I was nearly upon it that I recognized the object in my path as a fat black and white duck waddling toward me down ...
Balancing Act
A literary agent’s blog I follow has been running a series on finding the right balance between accepting criticism and praise (for writers). A thought-provoking conundrum for real life, too, don’t you think? Most of us feel as though we get much more criticism than praise, or at least we remember the criticism more clearly ...
Want a Bun with that Beef?
I’ve got a new pet peeve. The cyber-selfish. I’ve always felt a bit annoyed when people with whom you’re chatting speak only of themselves. You know the type – a conversation consists of you asking them one question after another about their recent exploits because it never occurs to them to ask you anything personal ...
A Title is Born
Sooo excited to finalize the title of my newest Barbour book this week. After bantering back and forth, my wonderful editor and I agreed on a doozy: Too Blessed to Stay Stressed. It’s the first book of a series for frazzled women and I’ve been amazed about the feedback I’ve received in the few days ...
Squashed
I was riding my bike out in the country today when something caught my eye in the road. It was a colorful little snake coiled in a patch of sunshine in the middle of my lane. Traffic was very light – almost nonexistant – on this tree-lined back road late on a Saturday afternoon, so ...
Feeling Your Pain
I was preparing to speak about the healing power of empathy last week when God brought the point home in a very moving object lesson. Our neighborhood ladies Bible Study had just gotten under way Friday when Lynn (name changed) appeared at the front door, visibly shaken and puffy-eyed. “Can you please pray for me?” ...