Reflections on a Decade of Writing Fiction: How It All Began

What is the inspiration that started you writing? Have you been a storyteller since your youth, or did you write your first novel as an older adult with many years of life perspective? How does our history influence the kind of stories that play in our minds before we turn them into words on screen …

Seasons of Writing: Lessons from the Farm

As Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes, “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.” (Ecc. 3:1 NKJV) As I’ve grown older, I’ve seen the truth of that in so many areas of life. Lately, I’ve been pondering my own seasons of writing: where I’ve been as an author, where I am …

New Releases | November 2023 New Releases

Welcome to November 2023 new releases. We have 3 new releases, congratulations. Core Values: Joy by Rebekah Robinson and Anne Hamilton Publisher: Beckon Creative (Release date: 28 November 2023) The Kingdom of God is a matter of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. This is a direct reflection of the nature of its …

Let’s Invest Our Time, Not Just Spend It

Every one of us is here for a reason beyond ourselves. It’s easy to forget that sometimes. We get so caught up in the demands of daily life that it’s easy to lose sight of the longer timeline, the broader view, the deeper perspective. Time is precious. There’s a set limit to how much we …

God Gives First So We Can Give Our Best

When I set aside working on the next book in my Roman-era Light in the Empire series to write this ACW blog post, I found myself thinking about the gifts God gives us so we can serve Him well. Like many Christian writers, I know in my heart that this is a calling from God, …

How to make your story’s setting feel real

Characters, setting, plot―these are the three main building blocks of a great story. In my last blog post here, I shared how I find the characters for my next story. Today, I’d like to share some things I do to create memorable settings for my historical novels. Some of these tips could work just as …

Writing the next story: how to choose the right characters

Does anything satisfy more than writing “The End”?  In my case, it’s writing “Finis” for my Roman-era stories. It’s time for a celebratory cup of tea, a special dinner, a relaxing stroll…and planning the next story. How do we know what that next story should be? The characters, the setting, the plot, the theme…how do …

New Releases | January New Releases and Giveaway Winners

Welcome to a January’s new releases. Today we have 2 new releases this month. Congratulations. Check at the end to see if you were one of our winners for December. Truth and Honor by Carol Ashby Publisher: Cerrillo Press (Released: 2 Jan, 2023) Is truth worth the price if it costs you everything? For Tribune …

Adding Front and Back Matter to Give Our Readers More

When we create a novel for our readers to enjoy, we might start with the first sentence of chapter one, but we shouldn’t consider it finished when we type “The End” after the last sentence of the story. It’s time to write the front and back matter to give our readers more. We can add …

How to Design Covers Both Men and Women Love

For a man to check out a book online or in a store, the cover must hold the promise of a story men would enjoy. Historical novels where romance isn’t the most important plot focus are often enjoyed by both men and women. So, how can our choice of cover let men know our story …