I have a new book review posted on Jennifer Hallmark’s blog! This one is Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell, which won the 2018 Caldecott Award.
New Book Review: Wolf in the Snow
The Importance of Writing for Yourself
Do you write for personal enjoyment while wanting to be published one day?
If you’re working towards publication, you may know the pressure in pleasing your future readers. If you’re wishing to find freedom from this pressure—or at least some of the pressure—author S.E.M. Ishida illustrates how you can write for personal enjoyment while still aiming for publication.
I don’t think I realized until recently how important it is to write for yourself. Let’s face it—writing and publishing can feel like work. You close your day job laptop and open your personal laptop to reply to an editor’s email and post to your author social media accounts. Then there’s writing a new manuscript or editing an existing draft. It’s all part of a dream coming true, but it’s still work.
What doesn’t feel so much like work? Giving yourself a place to play. To be cheesy, even cringey. To ramble to an extent that would bore anyone but yourself. The kind of writing for yourself that I’m talking about here is like singing in the shower. No one’s listening, and that is a beautiful thing.
When I write with the intention to publish, I want to write a story that I’d like to read, but publishing means keeping…
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The Purpose of Fiction in Real Life – Guest Post by Shalynn Mellerup — M Liz Boyle
The following post is from M Liz Boyle’s website. Enjoy reading about the benefits of fiction by Shalynn Mellerup, and be sure to check out her picture books.
With all the worthwhile non-fiction available, do we really need fiction stories? Today we’re welcoming my friend Shalynn Mellerup to the blog! Read on to see her thoughts on the importance of fiction. I’ve always considered myself to be an optimistic person. I want to be the kind of person who smiles in the rain […]
The Purpose of Fiction in Real Life – Guest Post by Shalynn Mellerup — M Liz Boyle
Father’s Day Coloring Pages
Is your child looking for a way to have some quality time with their dad? Why not color together?
Wendy’s Artistic Design sends out free downloadable coloring pages every month; all you need to do is sign up at the following link:
Books About Spiritual Warfare for Middle Graders
Are you looking for a middle grade novel or series that features kids facing spiritual warfare head-on? Allen Brokken’s books Light of Mine and Still Small Voice are out on Amazon’s Audible Audiobook. They’re books one and two of Brokken’s Towers of Light middle grade series, and books three and four are available in Kindle and paperback form.
Looking for more middle grade books? Coming May 26 on Facebook, Brokken will host the Still Small Voice Audiobook and Unit Study Launch Party. It’s open to both Facebook and non-Facebook users, and it includes a giveaway of the following prizes:
Christian Middle Grade Author
Summer Reading Bundle:
* Melanie on the Move by J.D. Rempel
* The Snow Globe Travelers: Samuel’s Legacy by K.A. Cummins
* An Echo of the Fae by Jenelle Leanne Schmidt – Author
* Light of Mine by Allen Brokken – Author
* Vincent in Wonderland by CE White Books
* Diana Alderoot and the Gilded Mage by Trista Shaye
* Wolf Soldier by James Hannibal
* Iggy and Oz and the Plastic Dinos of Doom by JJ Johnson
* An Unexpected Adventure: Myth Coast Adventures, Book 1 by Kandi J Wyatt
3 – Light of Mine Audio Book Codes for Audible.com
Towers of Light Series Boxed Set
* Light of Mine – Do Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan have the faith to take up the armor of God and protect the Tower of Light from the forces of the Dark One?
* Still Small Voice – As defenders of the light, Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan embark on a journey to stop the dark forces invading their land.
* Fear No Evil – Will the darkness overtake Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan? Or will they prove their faith is stronger and that they fear no evil?
* Armor of God – Their Father has become the Dark One’s Champion. Can Lauren, Aiden, and Ethan retrieve the Lost Armor of God to stand against him?
* Access to download the Light of Mine digital 4-week Unit Study
10 – Armor of God Posters
To learn more about this giveaway, go to the following link:
Fight Dragons by Reading Fiction
Did you know that reading good, God-glorifying fiction can allow spiritual truths to resonate clearly, or even point out the seriousness of sin in our lives? Kelly Keller shows how that can be in her article, “On Christians Reading Fiction: Stealing Past Watchful Dragons.”
The Importance of Fiction by JPC Allen — M Liz Boyle
Check out M Liz Boyle and JPC Allen’s discussion on the value of fiction.
Today I’m excited to have my author friend JPC Allen on the blog discussing fiction. Let’s get to it 🙂 Sometimes, when you are too close to a subject, it’s hard to describe or appreciate it. When Liz asked me to write a guest post about the importance of fiction, the request stopped me cold. […]
The Importance of Fiction by JPC Allen — M Liz Boyle
Japanese Poetry
You’ve probably heard of a haiku, but have you heard of a style of poetry called the tanka? The following is an introduction to haikus and tankas by Joseph Ficor.
Japanese poetry is very unique. It does not depend on rhyming as much as Western poetry forms. I enjoy this because I am not very good at rhyming to begin with.
The two styles that I like experimenting with are the haiku and the tanka. The haiku is composed of three lines with a syllable count of 5-7-5 for a total of 17 syllables. It must contain a seasonal word. Otherwise, it is called a senryu. I have used it as a tool to write science fiction haiku, aka scifaiku.
Here is an example of one that I wrote several years ago:
Black haired girls
Riding on red black hoverbikes
Travel New Tokaido
Tanka is similar except that it has a longer syllable count: 5-7-5-7-7.
Here is an example that I composed just for this blog (don’t you just feel so special inside?):
I feel bitter now
Circling a black…
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Happy Early Resurrection Day!
Hello, fellow travelers in life.
I want to wish you all a happy Resurrection Day! To honor the day that Christ defeated the grave, why not listen to Keith and Kristyn Getty’s “Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed?” To that truth, I say “Amen.”
Writing Tips From Kevin Lovegreen
Are you hoping to write your own middle grade novel but don’t want to create bland scenes? These tips by Kevin Lovegreen will give you the basics on how to create vivid descriptions of your characters’ world.
If you are (or know) a reader of middle-grade adventure stories, you’re probably familiar with award winning author Kevin Lovegreen. His series, Lucky Luke’s Hunting Adventures, is a big hit among the families in our neighborhood.
Lovegreen gives presentations to promote the love of reading, writing, and the outdoors. I’m so happy that he agreed to contribute a blog post with some pointers for youth who dream of becoming an author (or simply passing Language Arts).
Take it away, Kevin!
“think about painting pictures with your words”
Do you want to become a better writer?
If you’re looking for some advice on becoming a better writer, think like a painter. What!? Yep, think about painting pictures with your words. As you are writing, and more importantly, when you go back and edit your writing, try to be as descriptive as possible. Remember, you are always writing to two…
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K.A. Ramstad 