I’ve been working on my next historical novel, which should release next November. It’s the first in a series I’m calling “Planting Faith.” These books will follow Paul on his second missionary journey through Macedonia and Achaia, now modern Greece. As with Moses and Joshua, Paul will be a secondary character. This first book I’m calling Sold Into Freedom. Set in …
A Refuge and a Shelter
Much of the action in Prize of War takes place in Acsah’s house. Acsah and Othni live in a typical Israelite home, also known as a four-room house. These mud-and-brick houses are characteristic of the Iron Age of the Eastern Mediterranean. The inhabitants lived on the second floor, and the ground floor—divided into four sections by pillars, half-walls, and walls—was used as a stable and for …
Prize of War Sweepstakes
There are only FIVE more days until Prize of War releases, and I’m having a party to celebrate! I’ll be giving away a lot of party favors—several copies of all my books, including Prize of War, and a few sets of bracelets like the ones Acsah is wearing on the cover. Maybe some chocolate cake. There will also be visits by guest authors who …
Tyranny, Time and Trust
So it’s 9:53 pm and I’m writing tomorrow’s blog post. I procrastinate. A lot. Or maybe I just have four children. Everything that is not bleeding, hungry, crying, yelling, or broken gets pushed to the bottom of the list, and a blog post tends to be very quiet. Invisible, even. Until I realize it’s Thursday night and something needs to …
Five Things I (Re)Learned This Week
Our six-novella box set released this week, and it’s reminded me of a number of things that I know well, but that always seem to come to light during book launches, especially when it comes to reviews. You can’t please everyone. Some readers liked one novella over another, which is of course to be expected. Some of the authors in …
Peace I Give Unto You
N is for naps. They’re delightful, and I don’t know why little kids, who have more energy than sense and no need for naps, get to take them and we don’t. Well, actually I do. It’s precisely because they have more energy than sense, and we need a break. When we first brought Mira home, at three months old, they …
When Losing is Winning
I must now declare myself a Nano “loser.” They call it “winning” when you write 50,000 words, though you actually get only bragging rights and a “Purple Bar of Glory” for your website. I did not write 50,ooo words in November. I only wrote a little under 31,500. But I’m OK with that. It was taking too big a toll on …
By the Light of the Silvery Moon
F is for flowers. I like flowers. I don’t know much about them, can’t identify too many of them. Roses. Carnations. Sunflowers. That’s about it. But they make me happy. Sometimes I add the $4 bouquet of carnations to my cart the grocery store when I’m buying food. They last forever and they make my kitchen a brighter place. I think John …
Beware of “Normals”
The annual American Christian Fiction Writers Conference was held last week in St Louis. I was blessed to be able to go, and finally meet my amazing agent Karen Ball in person for the first time. I also met with Kim Moore of Harvest House Publishers. We’ll wait and see if anything comes of that. ACFW is always a treasure …
“Relatively Inferior in Every Aspect”
I’ve been researching my next book, spending a lot of time on ancient warfare. I now know more about siege towers, casemate walls, and revetments than I should ever have need for. I even know where the word undermining comes from, and it has nothing to do with psychology. I’ve also been looking at tells in present-day Israel—hills created by …