by Janine Mick Wills I recently had the privilege to be interviewed by Ann Harrison-Barnes, a delightful fellow writer who has not allowed her blindness to deter her love of the Lord and her writing. On her website (Inspirational Journeys)  she graciously shares her and other writers’ creative processes.  At the end of this post, you can find information to be considered as a guest on Ann’s podcast. In the meantime, enjoy the notes she compiled of my visit (And BTW, she raved about Cassandra and the Cowboy!), including an excerpt from the book you won’t find anywhere online.   Today’s guest ..read more

by Janine Mick Wills   Why do I write inspirational novels? That’s a good question. As a newlywed, it was my genre of choice to read. I knew I wouldn’t find gratuitous sex scenes or foul language, and they would in no way be offensive to my Lord. I loved curling up with a good book while Jeff worked or played basketball. But through the years of raising three kids and chasing my Air Force/then pastor husband all over the country, I set reading on the back burner. If I did take time to read, I turned to a non-fiction book that helped me learn more about or draw closer to God. It All Started Tw ..read more

by Janine Mick Wills Hey! How about a pat on the back? I need it!Which of us does not enjoy a pat on the back for a job well done or a word of praise for something we’ve accomplished? However, there is only One Who is worthy of ALL praise, honor, and glory… the Lord Jesus Christ (Revelation 5:12). “Praise Ye the Lord” can be found 24 times in the Bible (KJV). Once in the book of Judges, once in the book of Jeremiah, and most notably twenty-three times in the Psalms. Praising God is not a suggestion. It is a command, so let’s break it down from the standpoint of a writer and a Christian. A Wri ..read more

by Janine Mick Wills Are you keeping your New Year’s resolutions? I’d venture to say by this time, you’re not even thinking about them. Don’t worry. By the second week in January, most people have laid them aside, let alone by the first week in March. But today, I’m going to share with you how God is the ultimate goal setter, and how if you emulate Him, you can get those New Year’s resolutions right back on track! (If you’ve not yet read “Are You Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions? (Part 1),” I suggest you stop and read it first.) Again, I’m exercising my spiritual imagination here, but the ..read more

  by Janine Mick Wills Why should I memorize God’s Word?Have you ever wondered why you should memorize God’s Word? Make no bones about it. If the words we write are important, God’s word is even more so. It’s so important, God said not to change it in the slightest (Deuteronomy 4:2  Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you). So then, it is reasonable that something of such high value should be hidden in our hearts (Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I ..read more

  by Janine Mick Wills Come on. Admit it. How many of your New Year’s resolutions are you keeping? I’m trying, but one missed day often slips into another until it’s time to start all over again (Thank the Lord for do-overs?). Not keeping resolutions is even easier for us writers, who generally work independently and set our own goals and deadlines. There’s no one standing over our shoulder holding us accountable, so we slack off here and there until those resolutions are as dry as last year’s Christmas tree. Hmm… I don’t understand! How can knowing God as the ultimate goal-setter help my wri ..read more

by Janine Mick Wills Help! This story is boring, and we want out!One way to lose any reader is to use repetitive words in your writing. I repeat, one way to lose any reader is to use repetitive words in your writing. If I wrote that same phrase again, I’d wager most of you would click off this page faster than a Texas twister sweeping through a trailer park. It’s ok. All writers use repetitive words. That’s why we edit – AFTER we write our first draft! I can’t count the number of times I’ve searched for habitually boring words that somehow (!) sneaked into my writing. You know them. The ones w ..read more

by Janine Mick Wills   Make sure you’re aiming at something!Have you set goals for 2019? If not, stop everything and get started! As Zig Ziglar says,“If you aim at nothing you will hit it every time.” But to have something to aim at, you need a plan! Goal setting without a plan is like taking a cross-country trip to who-knows-where without a map (They still make those?), GPS, or smartphone. You have a slim-to-none chance of getting anywhere. You’ve got to know where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. Jesus put His stamp of approval on goal-setting. Luke 14:28-32 For which of you ..read more

by Janine Mick Wills Never Give Up on Your Dreams! “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” –Thomas A. EdisonNever give up on your dreams. Especially if your dreams are about serving God through your writing. I figure I’m a poster child for not giving up on my dreams. I started Cassandra and the Cowboy (Read the first chapter of CATC here) almost twenty years ago. During that time I worked off and on, not only on the book (especially in the rewrite and editing stages), but also in trying to get it published. Sixteen years ago I ..read more

by Janine Mick Wills I recently had the privilege to be interviewed by Ann Harrison-Barnes, a delightful fellow writer who has not allowed her blindness to deter her love of the Lord and her writing. On her website (Inspirational Journeys)  she graciously shares her and other writers’ creative processes.  At the end of this post, you can find information to be considered as a guest on Ann’s podcast. In the meantime, enjoy the notes she compiled of my visit (And BTW, she raved about Cassandra and the Cowboy!), including an excerpt from the book you won’t find anywhere online.   Today’s guest ..read more