My hubby and I took two lovely road trips this summer. Our first was to Madison, IN (the setting for my next book!) Our second adventure this summer was to Owen Sound, Ontario. The hunt for Free Little Libraries was especially fun in Owen Sound because I had the opportunity to meet some of the owners. If I weren’t the socially-awkward author that I am, I would have asked to take a picture with these families in front of their libraries. Maybe my awkwardness will cease over time.

My hubby and I took two lovely road trips this summer. Our first was to Madison, Indiana – the setting for my next novel! I love leaving my books in Free Little Libraries when we’re on vacation, in part because they are all unique and I love seeing the creativity that went into each and every one of them…much like the books they hold inside. Here are some I found in Madison. Yes, I know, this next one is not a Free Little Library. This is the inside of Crafted Coffee Co., where my husband and I visited almost every day. The owner was so friendly and kind enough to…

  I’m not unlike most women…I have a fairly low self-esteem. Perhaps it’s the effect of sin in the world that causes me to dislike what I see in the mirror rather than appreciating God’s handiwork. Perhaps it’s the culture I live in…being bombarded from every angle with images of what is and isn’t beautiful. Perhaps it’s personal experience…sins that have been committed against me that left me feeling inadequate and unattractive. Perhaps it’s the fact that I’m getting older and my body is changing. I suppose the truth is, it’s a combination of all these things. So, like most women, I walk around wishing I liked myself a little…

  Over the past nine years, my husband and I have lost seven family members and almost as many friends.  Obviously the grieving process looks different depending on the relationship, but something I’ve learned is that grieving is one of the hardest, most exhausting things I’ve ever done.   This week as we buried my husband’s grandfather, we had moments of laughter as we shared stories and celebrated his life, and also moments of tears as we felt his absence among us. Although we rejoice that he has gone on to his heavenly home, we also know that for us, the long process of grieving has only just begun.  …

I recently took my sons to hear a local symphony play all our favorite songs from Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Star Wars…and yes, much to my boys’ embarrassment, I cried. What can I say? Music moves me. But really, it was more than that; it was knowing what the music was doing in the minds of everyone in the room. You see, while we were packed tight in our seats, listening intently to the rumble of the drums, the high pitch of the piccolo and the deep moan of the cello, we began to dream. If only for a moment, we were mixing potions, flicking our wands…

If you’ve seen the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I’m sure you laughed when Maria Portokalos says, “Let me tell you something, Toula. The man is the head, but the woman is the neck. And she can turn the head any way she wants.” You laughed at that, right? I did. Another great line we all like to quote is, “If momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” There was a post making its rounds on Facebook recently that said, “Arguing with a woman is like getting arrested. Everything you say can and will be used against you!” We women laugh at these silly quotes because we know there’s some…

Over the past two days I have seen two posts that caught my eye; “What you should tell your teen (and yourself) about Kim Kardashian” and “Things I plan to tell my teenage boys about the nude pictures of Kim Kardashian”. I would like to add to the Kim Kardashian buzz by saying, “Let’s pray for her.” Our two sons were fairly young when we let them watch the Star Wars movies for the first time. I remember cringing when we got to the scene in The Return of the Jedi where Princess Leia is scantily dressed while chained to the wall in Jabba the Hutt’s lair. I also remember…

I am in the process of self-publishing my first work of fiction, and as I’ve started talking more openly about my book, I’ve been shocked by the number of people who have stated they, “don’t waste their time with fiction.” I’ve had several women tell me that they only read books that will help them to be a better person or books that will strengthen their walk with the Lord. May I say something? I have become a better person and have had my walk with the Lord strengthened through many beautifully written works of fiction. How? Dr. Mark Eckel, author of When the Lights Go Down, explains it this way,…

I have one sibling; a brother, Eric Lee Franks. He has been missing for over three years. There is an ongoing murder investigation that has drained our family in ways I can only begin to describe. Here is what I would like to say to his murderer. Do you know you’re more than a murderer? You are also a thief. You took things that were not yours to take. You stole my brother’s life. You’ve stolen rest from my mother. From countless people you have stolen a friend. From my husband you stole his only brother-in-law; from my children, their uncle. Opportunity is what you stole from me. You see,…

Not too long ago I was in line for coffee and I started talking to the lady ahead of me. (Remember, I’m from the South – we tend to talk to strangers.) So, I’m having a little chat with this woman and because we’re both mothers, we started talking about our children. She asked where my kids go to school and my simple answer sent our conversation on a downward spiral. Where do my kids go to school? I homeschool our kids. I homeschool our kids. That’s all I said, and that’s all it took for this lady to start putting herself down for being a working mother and for putting…