Should a novel have a prologue or not? That’s one of the great debates among fiction writers these days. Some insist an effective prologue can jumpstart a story, hook a reader, or provide important background information. Others claim it slows everything down. Distracts, even detracts, from the principal plot. When I’m the reader, I confess…
It happened again last week—I read another Christian book that started out with SOOO much potential. Until it petered out in a light gloss of forgiveness and a pinch of repentance. Well, okay. We surely need to forgive and sometimes we ought to repent. But whatever happened to a life-changing crisis of character? Without a…
Although during nearly 40 years as a missionary I’ve visited 12 American countries, I’ve only once traveled outside the Western Hemisphere. A trip around the world—or at least to a few places on the other side of the globe—definitely has a spot near the top of my Bucket List. Along the way in my travels,…
Can I share a secret? Hiding behind my mask, I’ve saved a bundle this year on face cream, lipstick, and even (gasp!) toothpaste. What I’ll look like when I finally emerge from the cocoon may alarm the neighbors. We so often leave unattended what nobody else can see, where no outsider will notice. You…
Among the many themes in my books, the motif of HOME—or perhaps more precisely, houses—surprises me most with its broad-spectrum presence. I never planned to weave those ideas into the writing, was hardly even aware of them. But in this homesick world, maybe that’s not unexpected at all. Recently I suffered an attack…of nostalgia. Did…
Good sport that he is, my husband cheerfully endures watching the occasional chick flick or romantic comedy with me. But as Lord Byron said: “Man’s love is of man’s life a thing apart, ’Tis woman’s whole existence.” There’s a reason why love stories creep into (or take over) most of what I write–and why Romance continues…
We’re familiar with many of the precious names of God, such as El Elyon (Most High God) and Adonai (Lord), because of their use in some contemporary Christian songs. El Shaddai–All-Sufficient God–is another of these, and in its complex Hebrew meanings of both “mountain” and “breast,” we discover the majestic protection and tender provision of…
Don’t laugh because this unathletic writer has found more to say about soccer. The fútbol theme makes its cameo appearance in so many of my stories. I just noted it’s on page 18 of my very first book, Destiny at Dolphin Bay, which isn’t remotely about sports. So I didn’t plan that. Soccer just pops…
The glory of God’s created world—the birds and beasts, flowers and trees—glistens as one of my favorite story motifs. Along with the sea and sky, I’m enchanted by mountains, meadows, and woodland marvels. As the hymnwriter Maltbie Babcock told his wife when heading for a walk along the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario, l just…
Are you ever afraid of the dark? Darkness can fill us with anxiety and even terror if we think of it as the abode of demons and bogeymen, but we should realize that it’s also the dwelling place of God, His pavilion. God stores many treasures in the darkness that He only displays at special…
My mother-in-law (AKA Mrs. Cleanhouse) has always had an obsession with washing windows. Smudges and fingerprints I never would have noticed, she attacked with more than a vengeance—a passion. No wonder her solarium grew lush and verdant. The secret lay in keeping those huge windows clean. Last week I talked of stained clothes, today it’s…
What’s your biggest challenge with discovering good Christian books? I confess I’ve struggled, sometimes wondering if everyone has crossed over to secular ideals and maybe I should just jump off the bridge. 🙂 Where is that bridge over troubled water for you? What do you seek in a book? Especially one labelled and marketed as…
