Sample chapters, characters, all things books
All About My Story Worksheet What’s a story worksheet? It’s for homeschoolers, future writers, and anyone with writers’ block. I’ve used them at writers’ classes, workshops, and conferences. Do you remember (or your parents or grandparents) those cardboard matchbook covers that said, “Draw Me!” If you’re not of a certain age, probably not. They often […]
What Empty Nest? Parenting Adult Children by Stephen Bly Sometime between the ages of 18 and 20, our kids challenge us with a dramatic turn of events in our parenting. Like an eaglet stumbling from the aerie on its first flight, our child appears as a fully grown adult. Ready to take his or her plunge […]
When My Kids Drive Me Crazy, Am I a Bad Mom? It’s a challenge to keep an identity while kids grow up. Who am I really, apart from them? “My kids drive me crazy,” every mom says at least once. When your life is so tied to them and their issues, it’s hard to remember […]
Myths of Motherhood from How To Be A Good Mom by Stephen Bly and Janet Chester Bly Family life and parenting begins with a woman knowing the joy of her baby’s first cry. Or smile. Or rocking her child to sleep. But it’s also the time she bumps against certain good mom myths. Such as … Good […]
12 Incredible Montana Factoids, western research by Stephen Bly I’ve set lots of books in Montana, including the recent historical western romance, Creede of Old Montana. In fact, we came close to moving to the Treasure State over thirty years ago. Somehow, Idaho snagged us instead. Even though there were a dozen towns in western […]
Reason #1: Santa Fe Woman historical western romance by popular Christian author Gilbert Morris With more than seven million books in print, Gilbert Morris is best known for his historical fiction. Santa Fe Woman portrays historical western romance along the Santa Fe Trail. Ever since her mother’s death, twenty-two year old Jori Hayden has lived safely […]
The Classic Western Style Perhaps more than any other genre, there’s a code of the western. “Westerns require adherence to some fairly strict guidelines. Writing in this genre requires knowledge of its expectations,” says R. L. Coffield in her article, “Sexuality and Cursing in the Western.” The code of the western applies especially to the […]
In my book Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon, the narrator is never identified by a particular character name. He is just called “Little Brother” by the six old cowboys. However, had he a real bona fide character name, what should he be called? I was pondering that as I read this week the 10 MOST […]
Janet Chester Bly Want suggestions for how to do book promotion for your favorite authors? You can make a difference! Here’s 13 things you can do for your own personal favorite author book promotion campaign … pick one or more: 1) Tell a friend what you liked about his or her work. Word-of-mouth book promotion […]
Writing Ideas at Any Time, Any Place This morning I helped gals from our small church take down Christmas decorations and do overall cleaning. While mopping the bathrooms, I thought through some writing ideas. Then a memory of long ago came to mind. Back in the early 1970s, while hubby Stephen attended Fuller Seminary in […]
In the frame short story in this anthology, Ben and Marnie Pearson never intended to start a jewelry collection. But when they were given a box of leftover jewelry at an estate sale, they were intrigued by the colorful contents . . .
The sparkling jewels featured in this collection may have been passed down through generations or discovered accidentally, but each has its own unique short story. From diamonds to emeralds, opals to rubies, these stones have witnessed it all.
Here in The Jeweler's Heart are their fascinating tales told by seventeen of the talented novel writers of ChiLibris. For fans of inspirational fiction and heartwarming tales, The Jeweler's Heart is a treasure.
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