For a limited time only, get It Had to Be You for FREE! You can download it via BookBub, Amazon, ChristianBook.com, or Barnes & Noble. Enjoy!
4 Things to Do to Prepare for the ACFW Conference
The ACFW conference is a little more than four months away and I can’t wait! Even now, I’m gearing up to hang out with my favorite peeps, fellow authors, and the My Book Therapy community (The Voices.) And, just like you, I’m training for the day when I see editors and agents and pitch them my newest idea.
Painting the Blues Away
Okay, we really didn’t have any blues. I was looking back through some of my old posts and photos and found this from back in 2008. Rachel and I sat there for four hours and painted away! Now I understand why people take up painting as a hobby. And all I did was paint this little mug.
Creating Story World
Why, why, why is JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series so popular? What is it about her stories that capture us so, that make us—and roughly 500 million other readers—stand in line for days to get their hands on the latest 800-page offering?
Aside from the depth of characterization, the twisting,
I had tea with the KGB (and have a book to show for it!)
Valentina met us at the door with a bit of a stern look, as if we were late. Andrew seemed oblivious as he pulled off the kids’ valenki (Russian boots).
Valentina stood aside and held out her hand, ushering me in. Stout, with a wizened face and sharp eyes,
Creating Living, Breathing Characters
There you are, you’ve got a blank computer screen, and the smallest tickle of an idea, something you’ve read, or seen, some question you think might be interesting tackled in a book. But where do you go from there? How do you turn a blip of an idea into a full novel,
Throwback Thursday — Get the Russia Book that Started it All (for FREE!)!
It all started in Siberia . . . with a birthday greeting . . . from published author Susan K. Downs.
We all dream of that moment when someone “discovers” us and partners with our dreams.
Happy Birthday, Susie May. Would you like to write a book with me?
From Russia with Love
This year marks the tenth anniversary of my first novel being published. Happily Ever After came out in 2003 just as we returned home from the mission field in Russia, and I still remember staring wide eyed at the cover thinking…how on earth did this happen?
See the truth is that I never set out to get a book published.
Winner Announced from My 'It Had to Be You' Visa Cash Card Giveaway
Congratulations to the winner of my It Had to Be You giveaway, Heather Young! Heather, you’ve won a $100 Visa cash card and copies of It Had to Be You and Take a Chance on Me! My assistant will be in touch with the details.
Five Secrets of Best-Sellers
Best-selling story will have a hero or heroine who is both strong . . . and damaged . . .
J.K.Rowling, John Grisham, Karen Kingsbury, Tom Clancy, Jane Austen, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkein, Robert Ludlum: all best-selling authors, from different genres, markets, even eras. How? What sets their stories apart from others that make them a must-buy for readers?