Blog
Story behind the Story: Diana Symons
A few years ago, I had been laid off from work and wasn't sure what to do with myself. I started a novel, which sadly, I didn't finish. Then one day, like a bolt from the sky, I realized that I had forgotten my best friend's birthday - not by days or weeks, but...
Story Behind the Story: Caitlin Muir
Goodbye Mr. 7:45 was sparked by a game of "what if." As a young and bored barista, I met many men at the coffee shop that I worked at. Some were good, some were horrible, and all of them had stories. Mr. 7:45 is based on a specific guy I had the hugest crush on but...
Review: The Witness
Description: From Monte Carlo to Morocco to Egypt and into Petra, Marwan Accad is pursued by authorities for murders he did not commit. Tracked by advanced intelligence-surveillance technology, his every location is eventually found out, His closest friend and ally...
The Story Behind the Story: Lydia Tsirozidis
"I live in Athens, Greece, and many of my sisters in Christ, here, are Filipina housekeepers for wealthy Greek families. The Lord moved me to write Skipping Mountains after hearing countless testimonies from these women about the abuses they suffer at the hands of the...
The Story Behind the Story: Deborah Raney
Deborah Raney - The "story" behind The Hanover Falls novels: "My husband is always clipping stories out of the newspaper that he thinks I’ll find interesting––that he thinks might hold the seed of an idea for a future novel. One day he placed the story of nine heroic...
My “story” behind the story
In my childhood, my head was always filled with stories like the Chronicles of Narnia, the BFG, Call of the Wild and so many more. I gobbled up all the horse stories I could find. When I hit the sixth grade, I ran out of books that interested me, so I started reading...
Plans in the works
I'm working on gathering stories from authors of all stages - published or unpublished - to learn the history behind their first novel. What was it that sparked their first urge to write the story, character or plot. Know of someone with a fun story to share? Want to...
Blog Highlights: Agent Rachelle Gardner
Here is a repost of an excellent post by literary agent Rachelle Gardner, the ultimate resource for writers who are serious about publication. 11 Completely Non-Writing-Related Ideas (On becoming a better writer!) 1. Be creative any way you can. Cook new recipes....
Reflections on the 4th
I had the privilege of going to four rodeos, a parade and a pageant fashion show over the past weekend and my head is still a-spinnin'. But it was a wonderful time and brings about a time of reflection for me. The Fourth of July symbolizes the birth of our nation, but...
Distractions for a down day
It is a time of transition at my workplace these days and there are a lot of uncertainties ahead. I also found out a good friend of mine who moved to Texas won't be returning for the summer conference where we first met and forged a friendship. And, it's July and...