My ten year-old fights sleep. As an infant, he went down without so much as a peep. I rarely had to rock him, he never needed a pacifier, and, if he did cry, it was only because he needed a diaper change. Babysitters and friends would constantly gush, "You're so lucky! He sleeps so well!" … Continue reading The Sinful Exhaustion of My Heart
writing
Waiting for Wizards
"A wizard is never late, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."This sentence, uttered by Gandalf the Grey in Peter Jackson's film adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring, comes as the famous wizard arrives in the Shire for Bilbo Baggins birthday party. Bilbo's nephew Frodo has seemingly been waiting hours … Continue reading Waiting for Wizards
You Are Not Enough
Signing a book contract has been a whirlwind.My story is not one of an overnight success. I had been writing steadily for over ten years with two manuscripts (covered in tear stains, I might add) still painfully shelved on the back burner when I finally signed with my agent. It was another year on submission … Continue reading You Are Not Enough
Plagiarism in Verona?
"Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou, Romeo?" You may have never heard of The Globe. It's possible you know nothing about PotPan or Prince Escalus or Friar John. It's even plausible that you could be in the minority of people who don't know the name of Shakespeare. But its almost inconceivable that you would not know … Continue reading Plagiarism in Verona?
‘If It Rains’ Cover Reveal!
I am so excited to finally be able to reveal to you all the cover for If It Rains, my upcoming novel from Tyndale House Publishers, releasing July 6, 2021! In Oklahoma, 1935, lives are determined by the dust.Fourteen-year-old Kathryn, born with a clubfoot, is separated from her family while traveling to a surgeon who … Continue reading ‘If It Rains’ Cover Reveal!
COVID-19 + Quarantine = Writer’s Block?
We are now three weeks into our quarantine. Three weeks into homeschooling, three weeks into food and supply rationing, three weeks into shutting off the news because I simply can't take one more ounce of doom and gloom. My mood fluctuates. Some days I feel like we're doing okay, like we're getting things down, that … Continue reading COVID-19 + Quarantine = Writer’s Block?
A Little Bit of News
There's no new #historyfriday post today because today I finally get to tell you about some non-history related news! I am excited to share that my debut novel, If It Rains, will be released in Summer 2021 by Tyndale House Publishers! In case you're not an avid reader of Publisher's Weekly, here's the blurb released earlier this week: I … Continue reading A Little Bit of News
Authors Are People, Too
If you've ever walked the halls of Hogwarts with Harry, floated down the Mississippi River with Huck, or braved the stares of Puritan America with Hester--all without leaving the comfort of your house--then you understand the sheer magic of books. What you might not understand, however, is the amount of blood, sweat, and tears that … Continue reading Authors Are People, Too
Call Me George
The Essex was a lucky ship, or so the old-timers used to say. Although old and small, her previous whaling voyages had been disproportionately successful (and--more importantly--profitable), especially the last one, in which George Pollard Jr. and Owen Chase had done so well, they had earned their promotions to captain and first mate, respectively. So … Continue reading Call Me George
Suicide Sal and the Barrow Gang
Beginning with the Stock Market crash of 1929, the Great Depression, as it would later be called, swept across the United States, plunging much of the country into an unprecedented state of poverty. Crop prices fell by 60%. Construction projects and manufacturing ground to a standstill. Unemployment wavered between 25-33%. And, out west, in the … Continue reading Suicide Sal and the Barrow Gang
