The Three Rs: Reading, wRiting, and Roaming

My Trip to Africa for the World Orphan Fund

February 19, 2020

I have recently returned from a nearly two-week trip to the African countries of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda. This trip was part of the outreach efforts for The World Orphan Fund charity that my husband founded. I mainly play a supporting role to this effort, but I often get asked how “we” started this charity.

Here’s the team we traveled with on this trip. (L to R Dena Donovan, me, RJ Johnson, Tom & Elizabeth Evenson, Steve Donovan, and Ellen Nowak)

 

Ten years ago, my husband (RJ) was a chaperone on a mission trip our daughter was on. One of the male volunteers had dropped out and they needed someone in a hurry. He went. One of the staffers he met on this trip told him about a special place in Honduras called Orphanage Emmanuel that members of... Continue Reading

January Writers' Forum 2020

January 28, 2020

FEATURED ARTICLES:
Make Writing Resolutions That Stick
Writer Beware: 2019 in Review

 

Make Writing Resolutions That Stick

Kristen Overman at the Good Story Company writes a perfect post for the beginning of a new year (and decade) on how to make writing resolutions that you can actually keep. Her key points are really thinking about what you want your writing year to look like, investing in yourself (maybe go to a conference?), and measuring your small steps toward greater goals. She even gives us five (sample) resolutions that might help us get started. See it all HERE.

Writer Beware:... Continue Reading

THE MAKING OF AN AUDIOBOOK: An Interview with Narrator Paige Jensen

January 21, 2020

The making of an audiobook was something of a mystery to me before I jumped into this market in 2019. The audiobook listening audience is growing—myself included. The first audiobook I listened to was Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick. 

She narrated it herself, which makes sense as it is her autobiography. The experience was a delight and I was hooked. I love having a book keep me company as I go about other tasks—cleaning, exercising, driving, and (yes) berry picking. (Seriously, the massive 2019 blueberry crop allowed me to devour two books while harvesting! Yes, my life is soooo glamorous!)

So . . . with a number of readers consistently asking... Continue Reading

Amazon Publishing vs Kindle Direct Publishing: An Explanation

January 13, 2020

Amazon Publishing and Kindle Direct Publishing are NOT the same thing.

From the consumer perspective, everyone knows about Amazon and its vast array of products available to you with a few simple clicks. In addition to e-commerce, Amazon also focuses on cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence.

In the publishing world, Amazon is both a traditional publisher and the parent company of Kindle Direct Publishing—the most prolific of all independent publishing platforms. This alone causes much confusion, which I will sort out for you here. But let’s start at the beginning . . .

Amazon – A History

Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in Bellevue, Washington in July 1994 as an online marketplace for books. In 1998, they began selling music and videos... Continue Reading

Writing, Book Promotion, and More: A 2019 Year-end Review

January 5, 2020

In the past few weeks, I’ve viewed a plethora of 2019 year-in-review and/or hit-the-ground-running newsletters/blog posts for 2020. To be honest, while I champion the work of fellow writers and appreciate all the positive messages, I skimmed over many of them.

Why?

December had me feeling a bit tired and unfocused. Truly, I didn’t feel like I accomplished much in 2019. And that made me feel BAD!

Typically, I am a positive person, but I realize I am a bit hard on myself when it comes to my to-do list and what I THINK I should have accomplished this past year. In an effort to buoy my spirits and prove to myself that I actually DID STUFF in 2019. I started going through my calendar. I highly recommend this to everyone. Not only will you see that you accomplished more... Continue Reading

December 2019 Writers’ Forum

December 18, 2019

FEATURED ARTICLES:

The 10 Major Publishing Trends of 2019

Small Bookstores Are Booming After Nearly Being Wiped Out

FEATURED ARTICLES

The 10 Major Publishing Trends of 2019

Emily Harstone narrows down the publishing trends of 2019 for the Authors Publish newsletter.  Three of the trends are quite interesting to read more about:

“The euphoria of self-publishing has worn off”

“Agents are increasingly unlikely to take on first books” and

“Ebook Publishing, in general, seems to have stabilized.”

This is a good read that may help guide some of your 2020 decision making as an author. 

Small Bookstores Are... Continue Reading

The Best 15 Books I’ve Read (and Reviewed) in 2019

December 10, 2019

I love reading and often share my favorite books with you, sometimes along with an interview with the author. This is my best of the best list! Some of these were released in 2019 but many of them are slightly older books that I finally had the chance to enjoy. If you’re looking for a treat for yourself or a good bookish gift, this list has something for everyone.

BEST PICTURE BOOK

The Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena and illustrated by Christian Robinson

CJ rides the bus with his grandma on a lovely bus trip down Market Street from Sunday church to the soup kitchen where they volunteer. The details of the neighborhood, the people on the bus and the street, and the questions CJ asks along the... Continue Reading

October and November 2019 Book Reviews

December 2, 2019

Books to carry you through the holidays!

Buy the Little Ones a Dolly by Rose Bingham

Wisconsin author Rose Bingham pens this heart wrenching memoir of her life after her mother abandons their family in 1952. Rose is the 15-year-old big sister to six younger siblings. The youngest is only three. As you can imagine, much of the child-rearing duties and housework fall to her. We follow Rose and her family through their struggles and into adulthood.

What is so striking about this story is that it is true! This well-written account of her life is more engaging, intriguing, and heart-tugging than any fictional novel for the simple reason that Bingham persevered... Continue Reading

November 2019 Writers' Forum

November 25, 2019

FEATURED ARTICLES:

Self-Publishing Report Analysis 2019

30 Book Awards You Should Know About

FEATURED ARTICLES

Bowker Self-Publishing Report Analysis – 5 Surprising Findings for 2019

Bowker (the company that sells ISBNs) has analyzed publishing statistics from 2013-18 in their latest report. Key points include; Amazon publishes 92% of independently published books (no surprise); self-publishing activity overall decreased by 25% in 2018 over 2017 stats; and, more importantly, previously reported numbers from Bowker underwent significant corrections, so it pays to read through this report to see how previous statistics were amended. Read the analysis with a link to the full report... Continue Reading

Writing During the Holidays: Staying on Track

November 18, 2019

How Limiting Screen Time, Keeping a Calendar, and Visits to the Local Hardware Store Will Keep Me on Track

During the holiday season, my writing time gets impacted by the rush of parties, travel, and celebrations. I’m sure it’s that way for most all writers, so I’m offering ideas to stay on track. Two of my suggestions are practical. One is a bit off the wall. But I’m a writer. Outside-the-box thinking is normal, right?

Put down the phone

Social media is not just a distraction, it’s a time warp. Precious minutes tick by while we check applications such as Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. There are monitors and timers to help with limiting the time spent browsing, but an old-... Continue Reading

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