I just came back from a writers conference. Besides the word “Hello,” — usually accompanied by lots of laughter and hugs — do you want to know what the most repeated phrase/question was? “What are you writing?” Yeah, get in a hotel full of writers and there’s going to be a lot of people talking about story. But you know …
In Others’ Words: What’s the Point?
What are we waiting for? How often do we spend our days dodging the pain, sidestepping the challenges, declining the invitation to live out loud because it might hurt too much? Living life real means tears and laughter, disappointment and contentment, missing the mark so badly that we completely lose sight of it and dreams coming true in a blinding …
In Others’ Words: Worth a Thousand – 2014 ACFW Conference
I’m just back from St. Louis and the 2014 ACFW Conference. I’ll let the pictures tell the story, as I’m staring down an October 6 deadline for turning in rewrites on my novel, Crazy Little Thing Called Love — the first one in my Destination Wedding series that releases in 2015. While I didn’t win the Carol Award for …
In Others’ Words: Too Great a Burden
Love is a choice. I’ve heard that phrase so many times that it can slip past me like a will-o’-the-wisp. I nod my head in a “yes, that’s true” kind of fashion … but I don’t acknowledge the truth of the words. The challenge inherent in them. Sometimes you must choose to love … and in doing so, you …
In Others’ Words: The Bravest Among Us
My friend, author Melissa Tagg, read the book Let’s All Be Brave by Annie F. Downs. And then she raved about on Facebook and in a few IMs we shared back and forth and she even wrote a blog series about it. And so I bought the book. I love and respect Melissa and when she raves about something, …
In Others’ Words: A Wealth of Dreams
I’ve had this quote in the Draft section of my blog for several years. Yep. Years. Sometimes a quote strikes me in an “I like it” kind of way and when I try to write my thoughts about it, the words stutter to a stop on the page. I’ve got nothing. But I decided to pull this quote out of …
In Others’ Words: Finding Home
I travel some — to writers conferences, mostly. And I enjoy the chance to be with people who “get” me. People who can have entire conversations about imaginary people. Yeah, we do that. But this is inevitable: Even as I pack my bags for the trip, anticipating the workshops and the almost nonstop conversations and the hugs and the …
In Others’ Words: Are You Scared?
Fear likes to tell us no. No, you can’t (fill in the blank). No, you can’t learn to dance — you’re not coordinated enough. No, you can’t sing well enough to try out for school chorus. No, you can’t try out for that sports team. What makes you think you’re good enough to compete with those other kids? No, you …
In Others’ Words: Be Optimistic
Helen Keller was an amazing woman. Born in 1880, an illness left her deaf and blind when she was all of 19 months old. Helen had limited communication with her family until she was 7 years old — when Annie Sullivan arrived and worked with her to teach her sign language. Fast forward to 1904, when Helen was 24 years …
In Others’ Words: Sing It Loud
Truth be told, I do most of my singing in the car, not the shower. One of my favorite memories of years gone by is driving around town doing errands and singing with my two daughters, Katie Beth and Amy. In the very early years we sang along to the radio or cassette tapes (yes, yes, we did!) and then …