Recently, I came across a guest blog at a popular website about Christian fiction. The author (who shall remain nameless) was talking about how she wrote her stories and mentioned that she’d written over one hundred books. Wow. That’s quite an achievement. I’m sure many of us would love to be in her shoes. Cold, Empty Feeling The post was informative and inspiring. But when I reached the final period, an emptiness echoed deep in my soul, reminding me of an audio interview I had listened to last spring. Another successful Christian author answered questions about his vast career and publishing fame. The conclusion of that interview had left me with the same cold, empty feeling. Now, let me pause and say this: I want to be very careful that readers don’t write me off as being harsh and judgmental. I don’t know the hearts of these authors, and I’m…
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. . . And a Chat about Discouragement Questions. Were you born with them the same way I was? Why does such and such happen? Why is life seemingly so much tougher for me than for ______ ? Why is life so hard? Recently I grappled with more questions when my publisher’s publicist e-mailed me. Due to circumstances beyond his control, the release of The Tenth Plague has been moved from the end of this September to January 15, 2013. Pardon Me While I Vent I could be very discouraged by this news. Why? The process of getting this second novel to any semblance of the printed page for readers has been one of the most frustrating and time-consuming trials in recent memory. I won’t bore you with the details. Suffice it to say, I’ve faced seemingly endless delays, constant rejection, false hopes, discouragement, lack of affirmation, the death of…
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For my birthday, I asked for a book several friends had recommended—and I’m so glad I did. Lately, I’ve become rather impressed with this little book (187 pages). Because each chapter is topical, focusing on a specific sin, I’ve been first going to the chapters that address areas I know are a struggle for me. The book is Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate by Jerry Bridges. If you’ve never read it, I highly recommend you go get a copy. Now and then you may find me referring to it here because that’s how impressed I am with it—and how much it has stirred my thinking about several key areas of my life. And how I love passing on its truths to others. Yesterday, I was reading the chapter about anxiety and frustration and came across this wonderful quotation from John Newton, author of “Amazing Grace.” “[One of the…
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Recently, a family member told me how much she liked the tagline “Meaning Suspense” I chose for my website. She asked me where I got the idea. While explaining my heart, I realized that others may also wonder about the two important words that not only define the novels I like to write but also embody my philosophy as a Christian author. Which is what exactly? I’m glad you asked. Let me answer that question by painting a picture in your mind. Imagine a crowd from all walks of life and worldviews crammed into the largest auditorium on the planet. Now, imagine you’ve been given a microphone and a request to tell them the most amazing story you can imagine. You have exactly one hour to speak. And no more. When the time’s up, you may never have opportunity to speak to these people again. If you’ve got only one shot, whatever you…
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