Thoughtful Thursdays
Musings on faith, family, & fiction
Though a novelist by trade, one of the trademarks of my books is the spiritual depth and exploration I includes as my characters work through what it really means to walk out their faith. Faith, in fact, is one of the things I like to ponder most. In these once-a-week articles, I gets thoughtful at the crossroads of faith, family, and fiction.
Thoughtful About . . . Gearing Up
With the official release of A Stray Drop of Blood only two and a half weeks out, I'm getting pretty darn anxious and excited. And it occurs to me that I have lots of stuff to announce to my three faithful readers! ;-)First, Stray Drop is available for pre-order at...
Thoughtful About . . . The Potter and the Dried Out Play-Doh
When I was younger, one of my favorite songs was "The Potter and the Clay." I had the sheet music for it, and I would sit down and play and sing that song until my family was probably ready to snatch it from my piano and toss it out the window. In high school, I got a...
Thoughtful About . . . Growing Up
It's a phrase we've heard, and which I've tossed around a few times: "Oh, grow up." And lately, I've had a few moments of "Wow. I feel like an adult all of a sudden." Like when we finally bit the bullet and bought insurance. Do you have any idea how grown-up it feels...
Thoughtful About . . . Extra Stuff
I confess. I'm one of those writers that just wants to write. When I was first informed that I'd have to market, I said something like, "Grooooooaaaaaan." I've mostly gotten over that, but I still had a few pockets of Hold-Out in my little brain.For some reason, one...
Thoughtful About . . . Things Autumnal
Ever since I can remember, I loved fall. I love the colors on the trees, I love the bite in the air, I love the smell. I love that last hoorah of harvest before the doldrums of winter sets in. Here in the mountains of Maryland, we don't get a ton of snow, so winter is...
Thoughtful About . . . A Toddler’s Focus
The deeper I get into the toddler years with my second child, the more I gotta wonder. I mean, really. How is it that this kid can't sit still for a diaper change, but he can spend an HOUR playing in my silverware drawer? Why will he not let me eat my dinner without a...
Thoughtful About . . . Progress
How do you measure your progress? It depends a lot on the project, obviously, on the type of work. But it's something I think we all do. Who doesn't end their day with the thought of, "What did I get done today?"My husband has a job that can be measured in monetary...
Thoughtful About . . . My Family
Yesterday a couple things happened. Though I spent my free-time de-adverbing Yesterday's Tides so that it can go out to the editors who requested it today (I'm addicted to adverbs, I swear), I spent the rest of my day with family.For starters, my awesome and gorgeous...
Thoughtful About . . . Finding Your Place
With the ACFW Conference in Denver only a week away (woo hoo!), my thoughts have inevitably turned to the dual hope/fear of finding that perfect editor (or not) for the book I'll be pitching.Up until two days ago, I didn't even know what I would pitch. I have a few...
Thoughtful About . . . Rewrites
Many, many moons ago I started writing a book. Well, it started as a short story, which pivoted around the crucifixion. As I went through college, I kept bringing it out over holidays and summer breaks, writing, writing, writing. I had a hard time writing it when...
Thoughtful About . . . New Things
This has been a landmark week. For a family whose method of budgeting is usually "Don't spend any money!" we've gone on a spending spree. A necessary one, granted. But still.A goodly little while ago, our fridge started leaking. Leaking rusty water, that is. My...
Thoughtful About . . . Angels
When I was very little (as in, from 2 to 4 1/2 years old) my family lived in a split-foyer house. There are things I remember about this house--my room. The kitchen with the breakfast bar separating it from the dining room.The stairs.Why, you ask, do I remember the...
Thoughtful . . . About Romance
It's a topic I've written about before. Romance in novels--what we expect from them, what we expect from life because of them. There are some people who have been adversely affected by them, drawn astray or given unrealistic expectations. There are others who had...
Thoughtful . . . On the Moon
My daughter has this thing. Instead of, you know, looking to see where I am, she'll call out, "Mommy! Where are you?" Now, usually I'm about two feet away, just behind her. So I'm obligated to give a silly answer, right? I mean, I can't just say, "Right here." That's...
Thoughtful . . . About What to Write
As I near the end of a manuscript (which I'm doing now), my mind starts moving ahead to the next project. With me, there are always other projects waiting. If someone were to look in my My Docs folder, they may just shake their head. In addition to the three dozen or...
Thoughtful . . . About Optimism
I confess. I'm an optimist. Not just a fleeting optimist, mind you, an eternal one. As the hero in my Work In Progress just said to the heroine, "You go way beyond optimist. You don’t just see the glass half full–even when it’s empty, you say, ‘Yay! Now I get to fill...