Christian fantasy is one of my favorite genres to read, but until I started writing my own novel, I never realized how tricky it can be to handle religion in a fantasy context. Would the people of a fantasy world approach religion the same way we do? If not, how far can their religious practices […]
Behind the Scenes: Why Author Candee Fick Weaves a Theme Into Her Stories
My favorite part about being a writer is brainstorming new stories. However, even after years honing my craft, I’m the first to admit that my process starts a little differently with every story. Sometimes I start with the character, like a fledgling actress searching for her long-lost brother and her place on the stage. Other […]
Behind the Scenes: Author Eleanor Gustafson confronts spiritual opposition
Things have not gone smoothly with my upcoming novel, An Unpresentable Glory. The long search for a publisher was not unusual. Been there, done that. A computer scam, however, proved costly in money and time. Think— Changing bank accounts and credit cards, Informing autopay groups, Installing computer security programs, Disabling Trojan-Horse viruses. Spent an hour […]
Behind The Scenes: Author Barbara M. Britton Finds A New Enemy For Nehemiah
The story of Nehemiah is one of my favorite books of the Bible. Nehemiah was a man of many talents. He was: cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, governor of Judah, a man of prayer, and a construction supervisor. Nehemiah left the king’s palace to help rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. What makes this story a writer’s […]
Behind the Scenes: Author Carole Brown listened to her mother’s stories of World War II
Do you have a favorite military picture of a loved one? My journey into learning about the spies of World War II begin with my mother’s tales of living through the war and the pictures I saw. The romance, bravery, fashions, vocabulary, the shows and music, so much nostalgia—all of it fostered a love of this […]
Behind the Scenes: How Author Ada Brownell plots a story
Anytime you pick up a work of fiction, you’ll find a plot. Writers often talk about plotting. Even way back, it sounded boring to me. Too similar to an outline. But when I sat down to write my recent novels, the first, Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the Catapult, published in 2013; The Lady […]
Behind the Scenes: Author Stephanie Prichard collaborates with husband, stays married
“How in the world do you two write together and stay happily married?” Don and I laugh when we’re asked this question. Believe me, we understand the challenge—and fortunately we have an answer. A two-pronged answer that addresses the hard times and leads to the happy ones. Foundational to our writing relationship is that we […]
Behind the Scenes: Author Becky Melby tastes the cherries of Door County
If you look at a map of Wisconsin, Door County is the tip of the thumb of the mitten-shaped state—the part that gets frostbit on nippy winter days. This location, with its cooler spring months, makes Door County the perfect place for growing yummy, tart Montmorency cherries. At their peak in the 1950s, 700 cherry […]
Behind the Scenes: Author Leeann Betts discusses the fact that she is a pseudonym
Several people have asked me “Why a pseudonym?”, so I thought perhaps more readers and authors might want to know the answer, as well. Within the Christian community, I’ve had folks who said, “Isn’t that like lying?” The answer to the first question is perhaps easier than to the second. So I’ll start with the […]
Behind the Scenes: Author Lillian Duncan writes about healing, struggles with her own health
Neuro…What? That’s what I said when my doctor told me I had Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) in 2012. It didn’t seem like such a big deal. After all, I felt fine and wasn’t really having any symptoms that I knew of. But I was wrong—really wrong! It was a big deal. So what exactly is […]