by M.D. House @real_housemd Almost everyone has a tender spot in their heart for children. That is because we are sons and daughters of God; his natural tenderness toward the innocent, the vulnerable, and the teachable was passed on to us. We can learn to ignore it, mute it, or shove it aside, and unfortunately some do. I love children, but admittedly my patience hasn’t always been what it needed to be, especially with my own children (and now grandchildren). Part of the reason I write Christian Fiction is so they can see more good in me, or rather through me (because not one of us is truly go ..read more

By Cynthia Herron If you’re a writer, you may have a love-hate relationship with social media. I confess there are aspects of it I really like, and other aspects not so much. While I love to engage online with readers and friends, I also find it necessary to balance my social media time with writing. Over the years, I’ve learned to strike a happy medium. I choose the platforms which I most enjoy and interact there during specific intervals in my day. One of those platforms is X, formerly Twitter. It’ll always feel weird to call it X and refer to tweets as posts, but maybe that’s just me. For t ..read more

by Angela Hunt Hello, ACFW!  I hope you’re enjoying your summer and planning for the conference coming up in September. It’s going to be a great time! Anna Quindlen once wrote an insightful column for Newsweek. She wrote about solitude and explained that though she loves her family, she also loves time alone: “I like solitude. I can spend days happily alone, eating Raisin Bran for dinner on the porch instead of bothering with a starch, a stove, and a napkin. Eldest of five, mother of three, veteran of noisy newsrooms: it is any wonder that I like the sound of silence? It has a good b ..read more

July 2024 New ReleasesMore in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website Contemporary Romance: Renee by Sandra Ardoin — A bake-off competition can change widow Renee Burnette’s life and mend a frayed friendship. As the bake-off competition intensifies, Renee’s office relationships are strained, her sweet son becomes unruly, and the rift with her old friend widens. Can a decades-old cookbook help Renee restore the bonds every woman needs? (Romance from Corner Room Books) Pointe, Shoots, and Scores by Carolyn Miller — When Bailey Donovan’s dance studio fa ..read more

by Chandra Lynn Smith Some days the writing flows and I amaze myself with the inspiration of my words. And then…some days…well probably more than some days I feel more like the character on Grey’s Anatomy who decided to eat his manuscript because it was terrible. (Of course, that is not the best thing to do with a terrible manuscript!) Several years ago at the ACFW Conference I took a life-changing class by Allen Arnold. I’m sure some of you reading this right now are nodding your head as you remember the powerful inspiration of that class. At the first of our continuing session Allen walked a ..read more

By Linda Dindzans @lindadindzans First let’s review from my previous blog Why Write a Biblical Novel? the definition of a biblical novel. The vast cast of biblical characters is both historic and religious. They are not fictional. Their lives, faith, and teachings are accurately recorded in scripture. A biblical novel is not scripture. The tale is generated in the “offstage space” of the settings and characters of the sixty-six books of the Bible. The author may utilize both fact and fiction to create a work that offers Truth, redemption, and restoration.When reading a biblical novel, you beco ..read more

by Darlene L. Turner Brainstorming plays a significant part in every author’s writing process. Doesn’t matter if it’s non-fiction or fiction, we need to spend time mulling over our thoughts before we put our pen to paper. But what exactly is brainstorming? Seems like an odd question, but let’s look at the definition from dictionary.com. “A technique for generating ideas and solving specific problems with uncensored and nonlinear thinking, usually performed through group participation in a spontaneous discussion where all ideas are noted without assigning them value, and no proposal is selected ..read more

by Elle E. Kay Publishing my twentieth Christian fiction novel this year has been a significant milestone. In addition to my published works, I have several unpublished manuscripts, one non-fiction book, and two children’s books. It’s been a long and arduous journey from that first non-fiction title to my latest novel. There has been much trial and error, with some years being super productive and others seemingly less so, yet just as crucial to my growth. Over the years, I’ve gathered some valuable lessons I’d like to share with you. 1. Not Every Tool Belongs in My Toolbox It’s true. We’re al ..read more

by Jenny Erlingsson @jennyerlingsson I tiptoed up the stairs and closed the small bedroom door behind me. One hour. I had one hour to start working on the book that had been pulsing in my heart for a couple of years. It felt like a life message I needed to share, even if it was just for my family. I had an hour to get thoughts together, type out some words and to release what I’d been longing to pour out. I don’t know why, and I still can’t explain it to this day, but as I wrote it was like my ceiling lifted open up and sunlight filtered into my soul. I took a deep breath, realizing how long i ..read more

By Loretta Eidson Most people enjoy putting puzzles together. We know it can be quick entertainment or a time-consuming, tedious challenge, depending on the number and size of the pieces. Separating straight edges from the others and forming the outline help bring the size of the picture into focus. Some may dump the remaining pieces on the table for a hit-or-miss process, whereas others are more methodical. They search and separate matching colors, lines, and shapes to bring some semblance of order before zeroing in on one small section at a time. We’ve got to love those special pieces with d ..read more