Brilliant

Box Office

Faith Like Potatoes

Always a great lover of books, I’ve read to entertain myself or educate myself or sometimes simply to escape the stress and busyness of life. I love it when I am reading and realize that the story is giving me something more than just entertainment. Some books give me a new perspective on an aspect of life or make me a better writer. And on a rare occasion, I read a book that makes me a better person. Faith Like Potatoes went one step beyond that: It made me a better Christian.

Author By Night

Author by Night by Elizabeth Ludwig

It conjures up images of dedicated, driven writers pounding away on their antique typewriters, or squinting at their computer screens, their faces lit by the soft glow of their monitors.

The truth is distractions are common in my household. You see, by day I work full time at a public school as the Employee Benefits...

Write Real

The Prayer and Paradox Marketing Strategy

Last night I asked via Twitter and Facebook this question:

How do you balance blessing the kingdom of God with marketing your wares? Is there such a thing?

Here are the responses:

Making A Scene

Creating a Pitch for Your Novel

If you’re attending the ACFW conference this month, or if you’re querying agents, you may be struggling with how to create a pitch for your story. The guidelines below can help.

First, remember that a pitch is a hook. It has one goal only: to make the editor (or agent) at the conference want to know more about your story. Just as a chapter hook makes the reader turn the page, your pitch hook makes the editor ask a follow-up question.

For Writers

My Surrendered Heart

Over the years many have asked, “What’s it like to be a writer?” In fact, I get the gamut of comments and questions—everything from “How does anybody write a one-inch-thick book when I can barely write a one-paragraph e-mail?” to “How long does it take to write a book?” to “Have you always been a writer?” to “How in the i>world do you come up with all those ideas?”

Short Stories

Blessed Stranger, what have I done?

Daymonde shut his chamber door. The startled manservant straightened from laying out Daymonde’s wedding finery. As the man offered a...

I could do this. Yeah, why not? I mean I’ve got a billion stories in my head. All I have to do is write them down.