Look Down by Guest Blogger, Sarah Hope
Sweat drips down my back. I can actually see the heat rising in a misty line from the asphalt of the streets. But we have to keep going. I hike my backpack higher on my shoulders, hoping for some relief from the weight of the water bottles inside it and turn to my three […]
Finding Comfort in our Crisis with Les Misérables by Jarm Del Boccio
Do you hear the people sing? Well, no. But I do hear fears expressed and complaints a-plenty! There was trouble during the French Revolution, and there is trouble today in the form of a virus — the coronavirus. Although many are in dread of the contagious enemy, we as Christians know we have nothing to […]
Writing Down Under by Guest Blogger Penny Reeve
Last week our teen reviewer, Kathryn Cover, reviewed Penny Reeve’s book, CAMP MAX. This week, we welcome Penny back to our blog for an inside look at being a Christian children’s writer in Australia. I am a Christian children’s and YA author living and writing in Sydney, Australia. My little red brick house is about an hour’s […]
Wait in Hope by Ava Pennington
Waiting is hard for most of us. And right now most of us are practicing some form of “sheltering in place” to distance ourselves from COVID-19 as we wait for the SARS-CoV-2 virus to fade away. Whether it’s waiting out COVID-19 or waiting for a writing-related project, you may be in God’s waiting room today. […]
Maintaining Focus While Social-Distancing by Deborah DeCiantis
How can a social-distancing writer focus on 1) writing progress and 2) spiritual wellbeing? If you’re getting plenty of alone time, writing should be easy, right? But you’re still living in unfamiliar circumstances, perhaps removed from routines or places that inspire you. If you’re surrounded by children or other adults who suddenly find themselves without […]
CAMP MAX – Book Review by Kathryn Dover
I enjoyed reading the delightful children’s story, Camp Max by Penny Reeve. The illustrations drew me into the book. The first page is an illustration of the main character, Tania Abbey, and several more exist throughout the book. Camp Max goes beyond being a simple children’s story; it reveals powerful life lessons. Through Tania’s point […]
Why You Should Write Your Book Proposal Now by Leah Jordan Meahl
If you are gung ho on getting a book published, be it your first or 20th, one essential component you’ll need is a book proposal. Whether you’re in the brainstorming process or just about to type “the end,” I suggest that writing the proposal sooner rather than later will help sharpen your manuscript in […]
Barking with The Big Dogs: Hope and Honesty for Children by Karley Conklin
“It is necessary to be hopeful to write successfully for children, yes, because children themselves are generically hopeful, but the quality of hopefulness is not an immature quality.” -Natalie Babbitt ( pp 42) Natalie Babbitt’s book Barking with the Big Dogs is a collection of her essays and speeches written over several years. In all the […]
Shelter in Place, by Carol Baldwin
Majestic Lord, Ruler of the Universe, Help me to find shelter in You this day. You are my rock, my hiding place. a high tower to whom I can run. Always. Underneath the cover of your almighty wings, Let me know your protection. Love. Mercy. and comfort. “Be still and know that I am […]
Social-Distancing for Writers
This week has been a turning point for the COVID-19 crisis in the United States. Many governors have enacted stay-at-home-orders, New York is erecting temporary field hospitals, and American manufacturers have pledged to build ventilators and protective equipment. All of this made me wonder: what does social-distancing for writers look like? As writers, we […]