In my work-in-progress novella, Zen of Tea, Mrs. Chao treats her guests with a famous Cantonese dessert known as “sweet mud soup” (more properly called Black Sesame Soup, 芝麻糊, zhī má hú). This humble yet luxurious treat is a beloved comfort food in southern China, particularly in Guangdong, where it’s enjoyed as a warming dessert…
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Making the Most of Second Chances by Beth Steury
Who hasn’t wanted the opportunity for a do over. The chance to go back to the beginning of a day, a week, a year and start again. But since time travel only affords such luxuries in fantasy fiction, the best we can hope for in our earthly lives is a second chance. An opportunity to…
Love Bravely in this Cruel World by Emma Donovan
On social media, I see lots of young writers wanting more soft heroines, more female characters who like dresses and pretty things, more gentle and loving girls. And I wanted that too. So I wrote one: Evelina Fairchild, the female main character in my upcoming Sleeping Beauty retelling, These Lying Dreams. Evelina’s…
We Can All Be Encouragers by Terri Wangard
Marie waited until the doctor left the ward before approaching the sailor propped up against the wall. He stared at his bandaged hands lying limp on his lap. She’d never seen a more woebegone expression. She summoned a bright smile. “I understand you’re ready to exercise your hands.” A spark of emotion crossed the young…
Souvenirs of the Heart by Mary L. Hamilton
Cleaning out the home of a loved one who has passed away is never easy. Besides coping with the grief, there are hundreds of decisions on what to keep, what to give away, and what to dispose of. Too often, guilt accompanies those decisions. When my mother died, she left a house so cluttered it…
Preparing a Table for Others by Donna Wichelman
Why Hospitality Toward Our Readers Should be Our First Priority Over Selling Books A few years ago, while listening to a webinar hosted by Thomas Umstattd, Jr., he said something that impressed me and motivated me to write two questions on a Post-It note that still hangs on my computer monitor today. How do you…
God’s Provision in your Life by Bettie Boswell
Using My Not-So-Suspenseful Life in a Christian Romantic Suspense My newest book, Hidden Witness, is a Christian Romantic Suspense, but as I created it, I took a journey to the past. The far west tip of the state of Virginia is comprised of Lee County. It was there that I got my first public school…
Esther—Present Challenges, Future Blessings by Paula K. Parker
If you’re familiar with the Bible, then the title of my novel— IF I PERISH; A Queen’s Sacrifice–is a dead giveaway. It’s a retelling of the story of Queen Esther. I love history, especially ancient history. I love researching historical, cultural, and biblical scholars. I spent two years researching and writing this novel and, in…
Window on the Empty Tomb by R.F. Whong
My husband and I volunteered for eight weeks at the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem before the pandemic. The Garden Tomb, tucked away just outside the old city walls of Jerusalem, is revered by many as the site of Jesus’ burial and resurrection. During our time there, every morning as sunlight filtered through olive branches and…
How I got to Writing Now by Dr. Dwight Croy
Writing for Dr. Dwight Croy was first, desperation and survival in my early years of school. Late in the 1960’s creativity was emphasized over proper English writing. After the practical matter of writing to get good grades at various levels of education, writing came out of a development of faith and God’s leading. A life…