Christmas…Interrupted

No matter how many Christmases I’ve lived through, I always feel unprepared when the calendar rolls around to December again. It doesn’t matter how early I start shopping, how many rolls of wrapping paper I buy, or how much food I freeze ahead. When the calendar hits December 25th, I’m scrambling like dog chasing after a bone. Some days, celebrating …

The Eyewitness Account from the Shepherds of Bethlehem

Each Christmas I find particular joy in digging anew into the accounts of Jesus’ birth. I’ve studied Simeon, Anna, the outposts around Bethlehem, the innkeeper, Mary…the possibilities are endless. But this year, I was giddy to discover a letter held in the Constantinople archives. This missive was a report written by a priest named Jonathan to the Bethlehem Sanhedrim, after …

Kindred Spirits…a Chat with Rachel Dodge!

Come meet my talented friend Rachel Dodge! Rachel and I chat about Southern hospitality and colloquialisms, as well as all things Jane Austen. (Rachel is a Jane Austen expert and prefers the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. I knew there was a good reason why we clicked!) We chat about our earliest story inspirations–Little House, Anne of Green Gables, …

Sarcasm and Story with S.E. Clancy!

Today, I sit down with my sister from another mister…the multi-talented, multi-genre driven Sarah Bennett! (aka S.E. Clancy) Sarah and I reminisce about the first time we met in a comedy writing class…and boy, did the instructor’s words make us snicker! We chat about how a sarcastic momma survives raising teens, the lack of quality stories for young people, reader …

Food, Creativity, and Lakeside Retreat with Marci Seither

Welcome to Tara’s favorite episode ever! Today, Tara sits down with mother, grandmother, author, baker, all-around-creative, and drone flyer…the incomparable Marci Seither! The ladies start by talking about recipes and Marci’s love of preservation, which quickly flows into a conversation about hospitality, showing love through meals, and being present in the everyday tasks of raising a family. Marci shares what …

The Beauty of Family with Robin Pearson

Tara sits down to laugh and chat with her writing friend extraordinaire Robin Pearson! This show is all about family–from homeschooling and watching kids fly away into independence–to walking out faith, especially during the hard times. Robin shares about her transition for ‘doing things for God’ to having a relationship with God, and her earliest influences in Christian fiction (Karen …