Writing Resources: Before and After the Book Deal by Karley Conklin

“Remember that ‘author’ is always a temporary job description . . . Your permanent job description is ‘writer’ and that’s what you are even when no one else is looking.” —Author Kristoper Jansma (quoted in Before and After the Book Deal, pp. 333) Today’s publishing world offers a plethora of writing resources. A simple search […]
COMFORT: A Book Review by Kathryn Dover (and a Giveaway!)

Comfort, the third book in Joyce Moyer Hostetter’s Bakers Mountain series, picks up almost exactly where the previous novel, Blue, left off. Ann Fay Honeycutt narrates this novel as well. The polio epidemic and World War II have left her family shattered, and Ann Fay must pick up the pieces. The beginning is intriguing, but […]
ON WRITING PLOT: What’s the Problem? by Joyce Moyer Hostetter

One of the most boring books I ever read was about Jesus. Okay – to be honest, I mostly said that to get your attention – please don’t get mad and click over to Facebook! But, the truth is, I never actually finished reading Joshua by Joseph Girzone because this modern-day portrayal of Jesus […]
3 Tips from “Self-Editing for Fiction Writers” by Karley Conklin

“The secret to editing your work is simple: you need to become its reader instead of its writer.”–Zadie Smith Write2Ignite’s 2020 Master class with Joyce Moyer Hostetter is only a month away. The Write2Ignite team has suggested checking out several chapters of Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King as a way […]
Viewpoint and Dialogue by Joyce Moyer Hostetter

In my book, Drive, Ida and Ellie Honeycutt are forced by difficult circumstances to step out of their natural roles. As identical twins, they see and experience the world differently but are so emotionally connected that they easily understand the other’s viewpoint. At one point Ida, the homebody, feels forced to take a trip that […]
BLUE: A Book Review by Kathryn Dover

I was excited to follow Junior Bledsoe’s journey in the second novel in the Baker Mountain series, Blue. Junior does not have as large a role in this novel as he does in the series’ previous novel, Aim, but his character is crucial because he helps his friend and neighbor, Ann Fay Honeycutt, who is […]
Inspired by History by Jarm Del Boccio

Paris is one of my favorite cities. Its history and ambiance intrigue me. There is something about strolling down the streets of Paris, crossing the bridges, or walking along the Seine, even in the rain, that can’t be experienced anywhere else in the world. It has a certain “Je ne sais pas” (I don’t know […]
AIM: A Book Review by Kathryn Dover and a Giveaway!

I have been interested in reading the Bakers Mountain series by Joyce Moyer Hostetter since I first heard about it at Write2Ignite 2018. When I was offered this opportunity to review all four books in the series, I gladly accepted. I am beginning my reviews with Aim, the first book, and will progress through the […]
Bird By Bird: A Timeless Writing Resource by Karley Conklin

“‘So why does our writing matter again?’ they ask. Because of the spirit, I say. Because of the heart. Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life: they feed the soul.” –Anne Lamott, pp. 237 Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott should be on every […]
5 Steps for Goal Recommitment by Ava Pennington

Think back to the resolutions or goals you set in January. Less than 5 months ago, yet it feels like years have passed! Did you write them down? Do you remember what they were…or would you rather forget? How well have you done with your goals? Perhaps you haven’t thought about them for months. Maybe […]