Posts

Showing posts from December, 2017

That Christmas Moment When the World Stops

Image
nuchylee/freedigitalphotos.net/ As a child, I loved Christmas Eve, but not for the obvious reasons.  Sure, Santa Claus' arrival lurked in the back of my mind, but Christmas never really began until my parents took us to the Christmas Eve service at church. The sanctuary of our small church basked in an atmosphere of expectation as the minister lit the last candle in the advent wreath. Beautiful glass lamps hung from the wooden-beamed ceiling, their light glowing on the aged walls.  At night, the sanctuary took on a mysterious air, the stained glass windows subdued to darkness, the world outside awaiting the light of the world. On Christmas Eve, our little church waited for the true Light of the world, and the place became magical to me. We heard the story of Christmas interspersed with songs like The First Noel, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, and O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.  I don't know about you, but I always found the experience of the shepherds the most wonderfu

When I'm Asked to Review a Book

Image
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com From time to time, I post a review of an author's newest book. Since this is a blog for writers, and I am a writer, I want to help support others in their publishing endeavors. How I Choose the Books Writers and publicists occasionally contact me for a review. Sometimes I say no because this blog is not a book review blog, it's a blog for writers. However, if the request comes from someone I've met at a conference or whose writing or topic interests me, I'll say yes. When someone I've never heard of asks for a review, I research the author first. Which leads to the point of this post. I received a request ( for my other blog ) to review an upcoming faith-based book focused on saving failed marriages. I checked out the authors' website and ministry information. The authors had years of experience counseling couples and helping them repair broken marriages. Every thing looked professional and targeted to the appropriate