by Sue Brower Executive Editor – Zondervan (a division of Harper Collins) My editing world was turned upside down last week. I thought I knew what was best to deliver the “satisfying ending to a great story.” Hopefully, we want the reader, or movie-goer to sit back, hold on to the last moments and then let go a sigh. “Ohhh, …
Thinking Time
by Rachelle Gardner Books & Such Literary Agency Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (Gen. 1:2, NIV) I’ve always loved that tiny pause right there in Genesis 1:2, were it says “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” It …
Book Review: Stealing Jake
Title: Stealing Jake Author: Pam Hillman Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers Date: June 2011 ASIN: B0057Z87DK Genre: Historical Romance Reviewed by: Lena Nelson Dooley Stealing Jake, Pam Hillman’s debut novel, reveals an evil situation prevalent in the 1800s. By 1874, child labor laws had been passed, but the practice of working children in sweatshops hadn’t been eradicated. Her book reveals the …
Book Review: The Chair
Title: The Chair: A Novel Author: James L. Rubart Publisher: B&H Date: September 2011 ISBN: 978-1433671524 Genre: Suspense Reviewed by: Lisa Lickel When antique shopkeeper and furniture restorer Corin Roscoe receives a handcrafted chair from a mysterious elderly woman, his extreme addiction to sports is nothing compared to the rush of trying to stay alive. Corin, who carries a huge …
Contests: Not About Winning
by Christine Lindsay The season of contests is upon us. There’s is nothing better than being nominated for an award, or even better winning an award to boost your chances of publication or selling your books. But what if year after year your submission doesn’t even make it to the finals? Just yesterday a friend said her submission wasn’t ready …
ACFW Volunteer Spotlight
This week I want to turn the volunteer spotlight on Carol McClain. She is responsible for running the Online Courses and is doing a great job. She recruits the instructors, sends out reminders to the main loop about the new course coming up for the month. She facilitates the running of the course and oversees the loop where the instruction …
The Outline: Love It or Leave It
By Julie Cantrell When I wrote my first novel, Into the Free, I didn’t write an outline. Instead, the story came to me organically, and I didn’t know what would happen until I typed the words on the page. I enjoyed every minute of the process from start to finish, and the element of surprise kept me returning to the …
Silly Love Songs
by Ami McConnell Thomas Nelson, Inc. John Lennon’s iconic self-portrait hung on my cubical wall for years. His whimsical art was a wink to my arty inner-poet. But I have turned a corner recently. I’m wearing my (virtual) Paul McCartney jersey now. Here’s why. Paul McCartney wrote “Silly Love Songs” in response to critics’ accusation that he wrote lightweight songs-and …
Tackling a Writer’s Fears
by Les Stobbe Leslie H. Stobbe Literary Agency Fear, like a ghostly apparition haunts all of us as writers. For some it is a memory of a parent’s or teachers deprecating comment, like “Don’t ever consider becoming a writer.” For others it’s the ghost of past failures that produced an involuntary response-shelving a project. For some it haunts the writer …
Just Do It
by Daniella Ojo Last Sunday I went to a church I sometimes visit that’s closer to where I live. It’s been a particularly cold winter so far and the night before we had about 3 or 4 inches of snow. That may not be much to people living in other parts of the world, but for London that’s a lot. …