Winters’ Day In
Time to spill the tea. Wanna cuppa?
Photo Friday: Behind the Stories, and a Sneak Preview
Translating imaginary people into the real world can require quite a bit of research. My hope is that while I entertain, my story makes a difference. My current novel is set in San Francisco, Edmonton, and Mumbai. Here's a sneak preview...
Endings and Beginnings
As a reader, I always thought that the ending was the goal. And it is. But it never occurred to me that it was the well-written middle that actually got me there as inevitably as a cart on a roller coaster track.
If only life had someone writing me out of my "swampy middles."
The Cost of Talent
I am a strong believer in being the best person you can be. Not in some humanist, "you-aren't-living-unless-you-achieve-your-full-potential" way. But in an "I'm-grateful-for-the-person-I-am" way.
Are you grateful for the talents you have?
Want a Friday Night Date with a sweet new book?
One cold winter's night in 2013, I was sewing myself a summer dress (because that is completely logical, right?), and for the first time ever, I used the couture technique of setting my zipper in by hand.
And as I sat and hand-stitched my zipper, I wondered what might inspire someone to self-teach themselves to be a top-level designer.
How long would that take? And why would they do it?
Thus, the spark of an idea for The Friday Night Date Dress was born.
What About Christian Fantasy?
I haven't read a ton of "Christian fantasy" books, but I have read some. And I always wonder afterwards if the real God of the Universe would behave as the author imagined he would. And I wonder if I really have the right while "playing God" with my own characters to cast the real God as one of them.
An Open Letter to Matt Walsh and My Fellow "Christians"
Let's re-imagine a key scene from the gospels together, shall we?
The gathered crowd shouted in a frenzy of righteous indignation. Shouts of "stone her" and "kill the b__" rose into a cacophonic haze of hatred that all centred on the one young woman, barely clothed, who trembled in terror on the rough ground at their centre.
The Teacher started making his way through the crowd, and when men and women saw the look on his face, they fell back from his path in silence, wondering what he was going to do.
The woman squinted up at him, too, wondering what new terror was upon her.
It's Coming...
I am getting so excited about my upcoming book! Last week, my editor (Lora) contacted me with a super deal to help get my book formatted for print and eBook. I would have been an idiot to turn her down. So starting this weekend, my book will be getting formatted--and I can still work on my taxes! (Not sure if I'm excited about that last part, or not.)
Here is a teaser excerpt from the first chapter to whet your appetite:
Something Beautiful
Crisis is hard. Grief hurts. But I would much rather be a strong, tall sunflower, or an intricate and complex bonsai, each a masterpiece of beauty, than a poor, coddled sprout that dies young in the luxury of inadversity.
Life Happens
Over the last few weeks, I have had opportunity to reflect on both the ferocity and fragility of life.