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If I Can Cook with Cast Iron, You Can Too.
Did you or your kids ever watch “The Little Engine that Could” where the train puffed and puffed and told himself, “I think I can, I think I can”? Yes, I did too. While I’m all for positive vibes, I also believe in giving ourselves and others grace for making mistakes. As an online English teacher, I often tell my students, “It’s okay to make mistakes,” and “Don’t be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try at all.” The truth is, there have been many days I needed to give myself that same freedom to make mistakes and learn from them, especially when in the kitchen. Cooking as a…
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My Writing Journey: An Interview by L.C. Helms
I so much enjoy chatting with authors here on the blog, and today, it’s my turn to share! I’m so grateful to my friend and gifted writer L.C. Helms for inviting me to be her “author spotlight” on her beautiful website. Below is an excerpt of our conversation. For the full interview, visit lchelms.com. Lori: How old were you when you started writing? Kristen: I discovered my love for writing when I was nine or ten. My older brother had a creative writing project in school, and he shared it with us and our best friends. We all got excited about his short story and expanded it, each one of…
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Author Chat with Ashley L. Jones on Modern Cast Iron
This author interview is special for so many reasons. I met Ashley during a writer’s conference several years ago, and we formed an instant friendship. She is such a godly friend and gifted writer, and I am so excited for you to learn about her new release, Modern Cast Iron. It’s a guidebook to choosing, using, caring for, and cooking with cast iron. Q: What prompted you to write Modern Cast Iron? It was totally a “God thing”! I had been using and researching cast iron for years for the health benefits and nostalgia of it, but it wasn’t until I met the publisher (Red Lightning Books) at a book expo and…
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Upset the World – Giveaway & Review
When I first read the title Upset the World, it immediately grabbed my attention. “Upset” so accurately describes our society these days. I was curious to learn what Tim Ross meant by “upset the world” and how being an “upsetter” could radically change people for good. His definition provided the starting point: “An upsetter is a person who has been upset by the overwhelming love of Jesus and upsets others” (Ross 12). Before we can do that, though, we must first allow Jesus Christ to upset our lives. In other words, we need Him not only to save us, but also to make changes. As Ross says, “If you come…
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Win a Kindle Fire! Go Places Giveaway
Last month, I went to Egypt. This month, I’ve got a trip booked to Sudan. Not in real life. In books. I confess. My husband James and I very much wanted to travel extensively in real life this year. Our bucket list destination later this fall was going to be Paris. We planned to check off some of the typical places like the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe as well as Monet’s gardens and maybe Versaille. But we also wanted to explore some lesser-known but no-less-breathtaking places like Mont Saint-Michel. Since currently all Americans are banned from traveling to Europe and new Covid19 cases are soaring, it’s looking…
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Author Chat with Hope Bolinger on her Modern-Day Daniel Series
You all are in for a treat today! Hope Bolinger is a literary agent and multi-published YA novelist who has accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. She’s an inspiration for young writers (and “young at heart” writers too), and today, she shares about her latest release in her modern-day Daniel series. Q: What prompted you to write a contemporary fiction series on Daniel? It all started in a college class. We were going over the Old Testament in a semester, and during the unit on Daniel, the teacher said, “Daniel and his friends would’ve been 14 or 15 when they were taken into the Babylonian captivity.”…
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The Rogues Trilogy Book Sale! Christmas in July Keeps Getting Better.
Christmas in July keeps getting better! Earlier this week, I shared about the multi-author giveaway I’m taking part in. Now, I’m excited to announce that my entire Rogues trilogy is on sale for $.99 each on Kindle. Maybe I’m guilty of overusing the word excited, but go ahead, just ask my husband how excited I get about deals. After our last visit to Khols and my semi-gloating on the 80% markdowns I’d snagged, James laughed and said, “You’re practically making money!” Thank you. My point exactly. Well, I’m not making money on this sale, and that’s fine by me. As an author and avid reader, I enjoy finding book deals…
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Christmas in July Multi-Author Giveaway
Hey, friends! If you live in Florida (or anywhere in the south), you don’t need me to tell you that the weather is hot. If you’re wishing for cooler weather, I can’t help you. But I can bring the next best thing … a Christmas in July book giveaway! In partnership with Celebrate Lit, I’m including a free Kindle copy of The Revisionary in this month’s multi-author giveaway. About The Revisionary Summer is 2149 is anything but steamy. In fact, it’s ice cold, and the political climate, even colder. However, nineteen-year-old Portia blazes forward in her plan to rescue her brother from his satellite exile the only way she knows how: by…
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Author Chat with Bryan Davis on his New Christian Science Fiction Series
I met Bryan Davis at a writer’s conference several years ago and enjoyed getting to know him and his daughter Amanda (also an author). His books are favorites among the students I teach, and I’m honored to have him be my guest on the blog. In our author chat feature today, he shares about a brand new Christian science fiction series, with the first book releasing today. Q: What prompted you to write this new series, or what was your inspiration? This story began as a dream about a dystopian society with a tyrannical regime and a rebel faction trying to bring it down. In the dream, two rebels posed…
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Book News! I Signed with The Blythe Daniel Agency
Sometimes, I wondered if this day would come. The search for the right literary agent has been quite the journey. But the wait was worthwhile. I’m so honored to share that I signed with the Blythe Daniel Agency and Literary Agent Stephanie Alton, who will be representing me on a new Christian Romantic Suspense project I cannot wait for you to read one day! About My New Project The setting of this story is near to my life (and heart) as it takes my heroine from her ordinary world in Tampa to the snow-covered slopes of Beech Mountain. Both places are special to me, because I’m a Florida girl by…
