Author Archive

Posted on February 9, 2012 - by Regina

LOVE Rejoices in the TRUTH

It (love) does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 1 Corinthians 13:6 NLT

Truth. What is it about this word that not only gives us a feeling of peace and confidence, but also a feeling of almost, well, dread?

Because, as a famous movie quote goes, “You can’t HANDLE the truth.”

It’s a fact. We go along trying to build ourselves or our situation up in our own minds, and then when something comes to light that is TRUTH, we’re surprised. Sometimes it’s pleasant, sometimes it convicts us down to our very toes.

That’s where I am right now. I want the truth, but can I handle it? Fortunately, with God, I CAN.

Here’s a song that I love, and always, ALWAYS makes me turn toward the light, The Voice of Truth. Listen. Enjoy. Shed a few praise-tears, or a few thank-you-for-pointing-that-out-Lord tears.

Voice Of Truth

But above all, REJOICE in the truth. After all, that’s what God deals in, isn’t it? God is LOVE. God is TRUTH.

Posted on January 26, 2012 - by Regina

A CHAT WITH SUSAN PAGE DAVIS

About a year ago, I went, in fear and trembling, to my first area writer’s group meeting, which at that time consisted of myself and three other ladies in the Western Kentucky/Western Tennessee area. I mean, two of these ladies were PUBLISHED authors! I mean, they even put their pants on differently, don’t they? Well, it didn’t take long, over Culver’s burgers and ice cream, to find out that published authors are regular folk, and that having a good friend like Susan Page Davis is sometimes the best encouragement an aspiring writer can have!

Susan is the author of thirty-seven published novels. Prairie Dreams is her new series from Barbour Publishing. A Maine native, Susan now lives in Kentucky with her husband, Jim. She’s a past winner of the Carol Award and the Inspirational Readers’ Choice Contest.

Welcome, Susan! What was it that inspired you to become a writer?

I have always made up stories, and I have written them since I learned to write. I’m not sure what got me started. But when it comes to seriously writing fiction and trying to get published as an author, I think I was inspired to try when I realized I had a full-length novel in my head. I wrote the story out and started trying to sell it.

You’ve lived in, and written about, so many places! If you could set a book anywhere in the USA, whether or not you’ve been there or not, where would it be, and why?

Right now, probably in Albuquerque. My father-in-law was born there, and I’d like to see it and learn more about it.

Speaking of places, how does living in my own state of Kentucky compare to other places you’ve lived?

Okay, here’s the scoop. It’s warmer, and it has more heavy rains and tornadoes, fewer blizzards and hurricanes. When it does snow, which isn’t often, nobody knows how to drive in it. Kentucky also looks different from Maine or Oregon or any of those other places. . .It’s got flat roads, for one thing. The birds look almost but not quite right. It has lizards and poisonous snakes. It has more ticks and fewer mosquitoes. It has no moose, but lots of possums. The sun never gets up as early or sets as late as it does in a Maine summer, but that’s understandable since Kentucky is a whole lot closer to the equator. At the grocery store, I can find canned okra and bourbon-flavored baked beans, but I often can’t find molasses or fresh seafood or buttercup squash. They put whipped cream on milkshakes here, which seems a bit “overkill” to me, and gravy on lots and lots of things. And I frequently have to ask someone to repeat what they said, or ask what they mean. But all in all, it’s a pretty cool place.

Hey, I recall trying to get a barbecue sandwich in Indiana – it’s not quite like we have in Western Kentucky, is it? I’m just glad to have you close by!

Now, back to writing –

What author, dead or alive, would you like to mentor you? Why?

Dick Francis. I love his mysteries, and I’d love to be as good at pulling clues together.

You have written historical, suspense, and romance. How do you approach different genres?

They all take a lot of planning and research. Historicals probably take a little more, as I have to check EVERYTHING. The 1857 book I just finished is an example. Yes, they had sleeping berths on some trains then, but Pullman cars came later. So did railroad dining cars. That put a cramp in my characters’ journey. I check words and phrases to be sure they were in use at the time. I look up types of fabrics to be sure they were available and plants to be sure they grew in that area at the time. But contemporaries take research too—the place, the occupations, the weapons—it just never ends. And I love it.

The research angle hit me when I realized I may have placed a stagecoach in an area that might have been served by a railroad! Thank goodness for Internet resources!

So, what’s next for Susan Page Davis fans?

I have four historicals coming out in 2012. The first, in March, is Almost Arizona, which will celebrate 100 years of statehood with an action-filled romance. In April and October, the second and third books of my Prairie Dreams series will release. A lot of people are waiting for Lady Anne’s Quest, to answer some questions about the Stone family and see if Lady Anne finds true love in the Wild West. In the final book, A Lady in the Making, you’ll see what happens to Uncle David, the new earl, as he heads out of Oregon and into danger. Also in April, you’ll see Cowgirl Trail, the next book in the Texas Trails series. It’s a lot of fun.

I can’t wait to see what’s next for Lady Anne – and the Texas Trails series is amazing.

What question would you like to ask our readers?

What book that you’ve read in the last year would you most like to see made into a movie?

Thanks so much for joining us, Susan, and our readers! Remember, leave a comment during our “Authorpalooza,” and you may have a shot at a pack of books, including Susan’s own The Lady’s Maid!

Back-cover of The Lady’s Maid:

An Aristocratic Brit searching for her lost uncle . . .

A German Maid determined to protect her mistress . . .

A disagreeable Scout waiting to see the ladies fail . . .

A Ruffian dogging their every step . . .

And the Prairie that challenges their very survival.

Lady Anne Stone’s uncle is the new Earl of Stoneford. The only problem is, he disappeared into America’s Wild West. With only her personal maid, Elise Finster, as determined chaperone, Anne embarks upon a quest to find David Stone. First stop, St. Louis, where the ladies discover their quarry went farther west five years ago. Resolute in their mission, Anne and Elise join a wagon train to Oregon. But will their prairie-dream adventure turn into a Wild West nightmare?

Scout Eb Bentley, initially skeptical that the women can survive the journey, soon finds himself falling for the determination, charm, and beauty of one lady in particular. Can he keep her alive long enough to win her love?

Or will the ladies succumb to the rigors, ruffians, and rustlers along the trail?

Posted on January 12, 2012 - by Regina

WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW

Write what you know.

I know. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? It’s one of those pieces of advice that I heard so long ago that I don’t have a clue where it came from. Along with BICHOK (Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard), “Just keep writing,” and “You can’t fix what you haven’t written,” “Write what you know” fits right in.

Maybe it’s cliché. Maybe it’s over-simplification of the task of writing. After all, what do I know? And if I write what I KNOW, wouldn’t that be a non-fiction treatise on how to run a library or how to make a chocolate pie? Perish the thought. I can whip out a blog post, newsletter article, or a little piece of a devotional in no time flat, but it’s fiction that I want to write. What I LONG to write.

In sifting through “what I know,” I find that I don’t use nearly all the tidbits I know in everyday life. For instance, I co-wrote a fanfiction story about under-cover FBI agents solving a jewelry heist on a cruise ship. Since neither my writing partner nor I had ever actually been FBI agents, a jewelry thief, or ever been on a cruise ship, why in the world would we want to write about that?

Simple. What I know is that I like books, TV shows, and movies about BOTH of those things. And when you like something, you research. You find out what is the FBI procedures for this, that, or the other thing. You find out where their field offices are, and where a certain building in downtown Charleston is located (yet another story, I’m afraid), and you find out the exact layout of a real cruise ship, especially the shopping areas and cabin layouts. Who knows? I may never solve a crime on a cruise ship, and I may never be “Julie McCall” from the Love Boat, but I can enjoy learning about cruises!

I daresay that those who write in the paranormal genre haven’t had first-hand experience with vampires and werewolves, but they’ve done their research, read books, watched movies. Then they write what they know, from their perspective.

You know A LOT.

Think of it this way. Remember all those bits and pieces of knowledge you find you have stored away, that only comes out when you pull out the Trivial Pursuit board? Someday, those can be classified as “stuff you know.”

And then it can turn into “stuff you can write about.”

Posted on December 29, 2011 - by Regina

CHRISTMAS LINGERS . . .

Welcome to my house! We’re the friendly-looking white bungalow on the left, if you’re coming from downtown! The icicle lights on the porch give us a nice glow, and if you slow down as you pass, you’ll see the lights of the Christmas tree and mantle through the windows! No, this picture wasn’t this Christmas – it was 2004 – but isn’t it beautiful in the snow, when we GET some!

When we bought our house nearly 10 years ago, I wasn’t sure about the gold tile on the enormous fireplace in our living room, but as we decorated around it, the generous mantle became the perfect place for my nativity scene. We received the set as a gift from my husband’s brother and sister-in-law either the first or second Christmas we were married, and I’ve treasured it ever since.

Plain cream-colored ceramic, I like to put lights and silk poinsettias around the pieces, making it sparkle. Baby Jesus has a place of honor sitting atop an olive-wood Bible brought to us by some friends who took a trip to Israel. Two small trees full of lights flank the mantle, and a large primitive angel watches over the group, making it an oasis of peace in the midst of the loving Christmas chaos!

Our tree is a beautiful conglomeration of family favorite ornaments, topped by an angel that I found at “Big Lots” a few years ago. Honestly, that eight-dollar angel is prettier than any I’ve seen anywhere! There are fancy ornaments, childhood ornaments, and then there are my favorites – a set of hand-painted ceramic ornaments that my mother and sister made for me, mailing them to us from Wyoming the first Christmas we were married. I still keep them in the box with the note that she included, telling me that the placemats that were also in the package might have a few cat hairs on them, because Freddie, our first housecat, was certain she was making a bed for her!

My snow village took a different turn this year. I have seven pieces, and have, in the past, tried to put them all together on top of Granny’s piano, or on the buffet in the dining room. This year, I decided to spread them out. I put one in the kitchen, a few in the living room, separately, and three on top of the piano with the Shaker boxes my dad made for me a few years ago. I’ve been able to enjoy them so much more this year!

The dining room is one of my favorite places to decorate. Being a 1916 Craftsman bungalow, it has a plate rail all the way around the room, which is a perfect place to put greenery and tuck in the Santas and Snowmen that didn’t have room with the main collections! I like to put garland around the light fixture in that room, also. This year, I actually had someone ask if the “Lowes Special” fixture that we installed 9 years ago, was original to the house! I think it was the greenery!

As you go through the house, you’ll see bits and pieces of Christmas here and there, from Christmas mugs collected over the years, to an ever-expanding snowman collection, to tins of candy and cookies. It will remain in place for a few days yet, and then comes the task of taking it down and storing it away until next year.

But I’m not going to think about that, now! Like literary figure Scarlet O’Hara, “I’ll think about it tomorrow!” Or, maybe, next week?

And if you slow down to peer in the windows at the lights, be sure and stop, OK? I’ve got some apple cider just BEGGING to be pulled out and heated up for company!

 

Posted on December 15, 2011 - by Regina

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I?

Who am I, that I should share the glorious news of Jesus’ birth? The GOOD NEWS? The GOSPEL?

I’m sure the shepherds felt the same way. One of my favorite old-time Christmas hymns is “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks,” depicting one of my favorite scenes in Luke’s account:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Luke 2:8-20

Why does this passage touch me so? Because I memorized part of it when I was in third grade, to recite to my Sunday-School teacher who was recovering from surgery. I remember that I wondered at the shepherds – who were, after all, just regular folk like ME – getting the message from ANGELS that JESUS, their MESSIAH, had arrived!

You know they had to be thinking to themselves, “Why me? Nobody’s going to listen to a lowly shepherd!”

Ah, but that’s exactly what Moses thought, wasn’t it? He may have been important once, but now he was just a shepherd.

Can you imagine Jacob, having stolen the birthright from his brother, wondering why God would choose HIM to honor His promise to Abraham to create a great nation?

And then there was Zacchaeus – forever known as a “wee little man” – the tax collector. He was dishonest, held in the lowest esteem for his shady business practices. But Jesus chose HIM to visit for dinner.

So, who am I? There’s a song I love entitled, “Who Am I,” by Casting Crowns, that, to me, exemplifies what the shepherds felt, and what I feel on a daily basis.

God chose us. He loves us. NOT because of anything we’ve done, but because of who HE is. He brought the Good News to shepherds AND wise men. To harlots and tax collectors. To business men and housewives. To mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers.

To you. To me. Why? Because of who HE IS.

May that thought bring you peace this holiday season.

 

Posted on December 1, 2011 - by Regina

CHRISTMAS NOVELTIES

It’s Christmastime and time for a novel,

Time to read about the little King,

To fill the mind and roll out a myst’ry,

Don’t want to miss a thing . . .

 

And that’s the whole point of reading books about Christmas, isn’t it? We don’t want to miss a moment of the joy, the festivity, the FEELING of Christmas!

I haven’t had a lot of time to read in the last few weeks, but I did manage to read a couple of novels that have been on my list for a while. The first is The Great Christmas Bowl by Susan May Warren. It’s a heartwarming read about a mom who just wants to make it the best Christmas ever for her family of grown children, something I’m identifying with more every day! Here’s the blurb:

Marianne Wallace loves the holidays. From dressing the tree to her traditional Christmas dinner, it’s all about creating memories for her family. But when her children begin to leave home – and their traditions – behind, she has one last chance to create a holiday they’ll never forget.

Unfortunately, she’s soon in over her head, and one impulsive decision leads to a string of events that will change the way her family – even her small Minnesota town – sees the Christmas season.

Hint: There will be football, and who DOESN’T like a good football story?

Another favorite that I read last year, and plan to read again this year, is Mary Connealy’s Cowboy Christmas. Full of Mary’s classic “romantic comedy with cowboys,” Annie and Elijah make for a great story of redemption and love. The back cover:

Singer Annette Talbot used her voice to spread the gospel with a traveling missionary troupe. When the Latrells take over and want Annie to dress provocatively and give up singing her beloved hymns, Annie flees to Ranger Bluff, Wyoming, dreaming of uniting with her father for Christmas. But trouble chases her – right off the edge of a cliff!

Elijah Walker’s heart turned as cold and barren as the high plains in December after his ex-fiancee betrayed him and caused his father’s death. But when he rescues Annie out of a freezing river, Walker’s instincts tell him he must help a stranger in need.

With her hermit father retreating to the high country and the Latrells intent on kidnapping her to make money off her singing, Annie may have no way out.

Has Annie hidden the truth about wanted posters bearing her face too long for anyone to believe her now?

Can Elijah overcome the painful past and learn to love again?

Will there ever be peace in their hearts in time for Christmas?

Such a good book!

Right now I’m reading Amy Clipston’s Naomi’s Gift, and waiting in the wings is Susan May Warren’s Baby It’s Cold Outside.

 

A few books I like to read most Christmases are John Grisham’s Skipping Christmas – which by the way, is much better than the movie, although it IS entertaining, and Grace Livingston Hill’s The Substitute Guest. If you get a chance, and just want a nice, tender read, this is the one for you!

 

Joanne Fluke also has some great Christmas cozies, The Candy Cane Murder and The Sugar Cookie Murder, and like a lot of Christmas books, are a little shorter than the average novel, which is great for this time of year! Oh, and Joanne’s books ALWAYS have recipes!!

Happy Christmas reading, everyone.

(more…)

Posted on November 17, 2011 - by Regina

DEAR TEEN ME . . .

Dear Teen Me,

Bless your heart.

Since I’m where I am, and you’re where you are, I see so many things that you have completely wrong, but then figuring those things out are what has made YOU what I am, today!

A few words of advice (I know, you don’t listen much at this point, but hang on to this – you might want to refer back to it someday):

You are not fat. You may think you are, but in years to come, you’ll pull out one of those plaid wool skirts that you wore in high school and wonder how on earth you ever thought of yourself as even “pleasingly plump” as a teen. You’ll figure out that God made you the way you are because that’s the way HE wanted you!

Don’t compare yourself to others. I know, easier said than done . . . Just because other people in your class – a particular favorite cousin, no less –  are valedictorian and you are not, does not mean that you are not intelligent. Remember that one nine-week grading period when you made two percentage points HIGHER than said valedictorian. (And yes, I love you, Cheryl!)

Be open to new experiences – the good kind, that is. When you’re 16, your parents will be called into the mission field. They will inform you that you are moving out of state. You will cry, you will be depressed, you will think your life is over. Guess what? It will enable you to embrace change later in life – much later, but at least you will have that experience under your belt to bolster you. Don’t let it drag you down, now. Pick a Bible verse and hang on to it for dear life. Might I suggest Psalm 37:4? Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” As hard as that time will be, think of it this way – it will make you the pianist you are, today!

Soak in as much of your childhood as you can – it doesn’t last long enough. When your parents suggest an extra day at Walt Disney World in Florida, don’t throw a fit because you have a date planned for Saturday. Enjoy your parents and sister while you can. I know. Sad, huh?

Never forget where you came from. You will be thankful for Facebook one of these days. It will reconnect you with classmates and relatives that you would otherwise have no contact with. You will find out that people at school really did like you, and didn’t think you were invisible. You will find out that part of your heritage is your smile, and the fact that you were nice to people.

And on the tail of that – keep smiling. There will be days when you think you just can’t smile, but you can. Even a small quirk of one side of your mouth will not only make someone else feel better, but will make you feel better, as well. You weren’t put on earth to make yourself happy – you were put here to glorify God and help others to be happy!

Now get out there and be the best teen you can be!!

 

Posted on November 3, 2011 - by Regina

CAPTAIN HOOK

Hooks.

Captain Hook’s hook doesn’t have much to do with the kind of hook I mean, but you might be surprised when he comes up again, later . . .

A hook is that part of a book, television show, movie, etc., that leaves you wanting more.

There’s a great writing exercise that points out just how important those first lines of a novel can be.  Go to a shelf in your library, or your home library, and look at first lines of your favorite novels. It is an amazing, eye-opening activity that certainly made me look at first lines differently.

In my first manuscript, I started out with a dream sequence:

There was restlessness within me as I made my way through the forest.

Since it was based on an actual dream that I had, it was the best way to start the book, right? WRONG. About three revisions later, I came up with this first line:

“Who needs a man when I have a great big hunk of dog to keep me company?”

Which one makes you want to read more?

Hooks aren’t just for the first line of a book. Another area where a hook is important is at the end of a scene – EVERY scene. “Scene and sequel,” or “what happens,” and “what happens next” can either keep your reader with you, or send them scurrying to another novel! Always know where you’re going – but don’t get there all at once.

Back to Captain Hook . . .When we first see him in the Disney version of “Peter Pan,” we know he’s evil, and we know he has a hook. We’re curious, but confident that he lost it in a violent fashion. Must learn more! We find out midway through the story of Peter Pan that Peter was the cause of his losing his hand, and gaining a hook. And of course, since he’s evil, he deserved it, right? Hmmm . . . but then we learn that Captain Hook has but one fear – a crocodile – and not only ANY crocodile, but the one that swallowed his clock AND his hand with it. The fact that the movie ends with Captain Hook being pursued by the croc is not only humorous, but satisfies all those little “hooks” we’ve experienced throughout the story.

If you’d like to learn about hooks from someone who really knows, check out the “Writing Series Index” on Kaye Dacus’ blog. And while you’re there, check out her other topics!

So, got a hook that you’d like to share? (the literary kind, if you please)

Posted on October 20, 2011 - by Regina

MY CUP RUNNETH OVER . . .

Thou anointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over. Psalm 23:5b KJV

Blessings.

David knew both sides of blessings. As a boy, he was low on the “pecking order” at his house. The little brother. The older boys probably called him “sheep boy” when they wanted to degrade him even more.

When Samuel came around looking for the king that would replace Saul, did anybody inform David when daddy Jesse was told to round up his boys and line them up for inspection? Of course not. He was the bottom of the heap.

Interestingly enough, when Samuel had made his way through the entire lineup of Jesse’s sons, God whispered in his ear that there was another one out there, and that he was THE ONE.

When he arrived, probably dirty, stinky, and followed by a flock of sheep, Samuel anointed his head with oil.

The boy who would be king.

I would imagine that it was after this that David, ahead of his time as usual, probably coined the idea of “glass half full/glass half empty.” We know from reading the historical accounts of David’s life and from reading his poetry, that it wasn’t smooth sailing from there.

Saul tried to kill him.

He made bad decisions in leadership that led to adultery, murder, and the death of a child.

His children conspired against him.

He was not allowed by God to build His temple.

And yet he wrote this: My cup overflows.

This tells me more about David and his relationship with God than anything else. He knew that God’s blessings were far and above anything he, in his human condition, could possibly fathom. David understood the foundation of God’s love.

Grace.

Grace says that we get what we don’t deserve. We don’t deserve a relationship with Jesus, but He’s offered it to us. We don’t deserve salvation, but He gives it to all that ask.

David was, after all, a man after God’s own heart. Just like us.

Glass half full? Glass half empty?

Glass running over.

Posted on October 6, 2011 - by Regina

SAME OR DIFFERENT?

This year, at ACFW, I learned that short women would not make good stagecoach drivers. I learned that green beans can be cooked a variety of ways and STILL not be what I consider “done.” I learned that a few minutes of prayer in the prayer room is an amazing way to start a full day.

It was my second conference. I wasn’t as nervous as last year, and I expected it to be similar. It was. It was also different. WHAT was different? The conference? Or ME?

 

What was the same:

• Amazing worship with author Rachel Hauck and company (I still feel sorry for the guy manning the computerized lyrics!)
• Master-of-ceremony duties by the inimitable Brandilyn Collins
• Inspirational sessions with an amazing keynote speaker – last year was “Bug man” novels author Tim Downs, this year premier historical author Tracie Peterson. What an amazing speaker and woman of God.
• Recurring-theme food – last year was asparagus at every meal. This year? Crunchy green beans. This Southern girl likes her green beans cooked DOWN, y’all.
• Wonderful classes that made me stop and think deeply about what I write, why I write, and for WHOM I write.

What was different:

• I went to the prayer room. Jim Peterson was on duty, and everyone who came in, he offered to pray with them, or not, whatever made them comfortable. I prayed alone, but when I left, I spoke to him, thanked him for being there. He grinned and said, “what part of New York did you say you were from?”
• I wasn’t a first-timer anymore. Besides my good friends, I saw others that I remembered, and that remembered me. What a great feeling!
• Instead of rooming with 3 other ladies, I took my husband with me. Last year was more chaotic and fun, but this year was more calm and relaxing – and I needed that.
• I got to eat at the AV guys’ table at the banquet – Yes, seating was a challenge, but personally, I think we ended up at just the right place. Those guys were great!

A few things about the conference made me feel like it was truly meant for me to be there. When Janice Thompson opened the first workshop with prayer, I cried. First, because I was finally THERE, and was going to meet Janice Thompson, one of my favorite authors, and second, because of her prayer. She truly ushered in the Holy Spirit. The name of the workshop was “Plotting Your Fiction Career.” What could have been an all-business, how-to-get-to-the-top how-to course, but it wasn’t. We heard Janice’s testimony about how she was called to write full-time.

That wasn’t the last I heard about plotting. DiAnn Mills’ sessions on “How To Write a Bestseller” focused on plot and how to dig DEEEEEEP within yourself, not just your character, to make your book the best it can be. Susan May Warren’s “Book Therapy Live” took a passage, piece by piece, and did a live critique. Janice’s other session, “A Merry Heart: Writing and Selling the Humorous Novel,” and Susan’s other session, “All Glammed Up,” helped me know how to put some polish on a story.

Needless to say, I’m still in information overload. I’m one of those people who try to glean as much learning as possible from any opportunity. Since I’ve been home, I’ve just today pulled up my manuscript. Would you believe I’ve already found things I want to change?

I was supposed to be at ACFW this year. I was supposed to get those amazing hugs from my sisters in Christ, and fellow-writers. I was supposed to meet the new people I met and with whom I enjoyed a meal, or a bit of downtime between sessions or appointments. I was supposed to grow as a writer, and as a Christian. I was supposed to meet God there, and I did.

There’s an old saying common in the Jewish faith: “Next year in Jerusalem.” For ACFW members, right now, it’s “Next year in Dallas.

What will be different next year?