Thank you Pleasant Hill Library in Hastings, MN for hosting an Author Talk with Kennedy and me on May 29! If you’re able to make it, we’d love to see you there–and we’d love to have you spread the word! (Plus, if you order a copy of Suddenly Rural Girl from our website, we canContinue reading “Save the Date!”
Category Archives: Writers
“we can detect counterfeits” –from Seed of God, Jesus Christ, by Kenneth McRae
The phrase encourages us to do more than offer a cursory look at Christianity, and McRae draws an effective parallel between the coins and bills in our pockets and faith. Our currency has tell-tale signs of legitimacy and detectable signs of being fakes. Watch for counterfeits. A common characteristic of non-Christians is that they haven’tContinue reading ““we can detect counterfeits” –from Seed of God, Jesus Christ, by Kenneth McRae”
“You three…are uniquely talented.” from The Red Texts Club, by Andrea VanRyken
This stood out to me due to its positivity. The speaker compliments the individual and the collective. In a sci-fi book addressing depression, its an important thing to include. In life, it’s even more important. Take time to compliment individuals and teams on their successes–no matter how small. The Red Texts Club digs deeply andContinue reading ““You three…are uniquely talented.” from The Red Texts Club, by Andrea VanRyken”
We “devour” books. Do we “eat” them? from Boys Life, by Robert McCammon (6)
The thesaurus is an important tool for writers. Some have one in their brain, some in book format, and some rely on the online versions. This quote stuck out because we often hear of people devouring or inhaling books . . . it may be the first time I heard about them being eaten .Continue reading “We “devour” books. Do we “eat” them? from Boys Life, by Robert McCammon (6)”
Memoirs of a Mediocre Teacher (a review)
Over the past few years, I’ve enjoyed reading novels by local authors more and more. William Kent Krueger remains my favorite modern Minnesota writer, but I met Blair Clinton at a recent writer’s festival, and he’s the kind of guy you want teaching your kids reading. Funny, humble, and passionate about his work. We alsoContinue reading “Memoirs of a Mediocre Teacher (a review)”
A Review of The Manic Mission, by C.J. Simone
I struggle with book and movies that depict bad thing happening to children. The Shack comes to mind. Yet sometimes the very real and very painful is what ultimately forces a character to make the right decisions. C.J. Simone took that route with this YA novel, and she rightly includes trigger warnings, because she dealsContinue reading “A Review of The Manic Mission, by C.J. Simone”
“I’m Marilyn…” from The Red Texts Club, by Andrea VanRyken
Villains, throughout history, have been depicted as having a physical appearance that is unnerving. I enjoyed VanRynken’s description of Marilyn, whose face adjusted unnaturally, like tectonic plates, even while she smiled. It also sets the stage for the shiftiness of the character later. The Red Texts Club digs deeply and creatively into the teenage mind—moreContinue reading ““I’m Marilyn…” from The Red Texts Club, by Andrea VanRyken”
A Sweet and Effervescent Tale for Cowgirls
I’m from rural America and am partial to westerns, cowboys, and dialogue as cut and dried as jerky. A hint of romance can be nice, too. I got a taste of that right away in A Cowboy’s Heart with well-written lines like “The simple cadence of a horse’s steady gait soothed Anna’s soul like anContinue reading “A Sweet and Effervescent Tale for Cowgirls”
“…his true nature deep in his eyes…” from Boys Life, by Robert McCammon (14)
Sometimes a character is hideous, and we immediately recognize the danger–Dracula, zombies, werewolves, Hal from Space Odyssey, or even Biff Tannen from Back to the Future. At other times, we catch a flicker of evil, and that subtle flash can be as terrifying as the more overt villains. Here’s another quote from Boys Life, whichContinue reading ““…his true nature deep in his eyes…” from Boys Life, by Robert McCammon (14)”
“Something dangerous lurked…” from The Red Texts Club, by Andrea VanRyken
Sometimes not giving detailed descriptions is more powerful than spelling-things-out too clearly. I liked this vague illustration of danger, just out of sight, leaving the reader’s imagination to fill in the rest. The Red Texts Club digs deeply and creatively into the teenage mind—more specifically the minds of teens dealing with depression. I struggled aContinue reading ““Something dangerous lurked…” from The Red Texts Club, by Andrea VanRyken”
“I had never seen a black Jesus before…” from Boys Life, by Robert McCammon (13)
Let’s return to another from McCammon. When did you see something that challenged your view of the world? This description is a simple and powerful reminder that most of us have preconceived ideas that need some light. It’s early in the year, but Boys Life will undoubtedly be one of my favorite 2024 reads–I’m surprisedContinue reading ““I had never seen a black Jesus before…” from Boys Life, by Robert McCammon (13)”
“the battle is oriented around the seed” –from Seed of God, Jesus Christ, by Kenneth McRae
Seed of God, Jesus Christ is a well-researched summary that lays out the historical evidence for Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. It also takes an interesting angle: it begins with the premise that there were two “seeds” on different paths that unfolded (and continue to unfold) throughout human history: The first, Jesus Christ, results inContinue reading ““the battle is oriented around the seed” –from Seed of God, Jesus Christ, by Kenneth McRae”