I can’t wait to introduce you to a dear friend and fellow Southerner…my buddy Ane Mulligan! Ane is one of those special people who is bursting with sunshine. She has a brand new story out entitled In High Cotton and I invited her here to tell you all about it. (And she’s brought a yummy recipe with her.) So without further ado…here’s Ane! Thank you, Tara, for allowing me to meet your readers. A big Georgia “hey” to all y’all. (That’s hello in Georgian). When Read More
Writing Fiction
All About “Hush”: A Special Visit from Leanna Sain!
I’m delighted to have Leanna Sain on the blog today. When I heard about the premise for Leanna’s upcoming release, I was instantly intrigued. We cared for my grandmother for many years while she battled dementia so I easily connected to Leanna’s heart. I hope you enjoy her as much as I do. Welcome, Leanna! We suspected it for months…maybe even years. It started as little things. Things Mama said or did… things she should remember, but didn’t… something not quite right; occasional at first, Read More
Why Dandelions?
“Ugh! Why’d you have to put dandelions in your story? I hate dandelions!” I’ve heard the sentiment several times from adults when they hear the title of my latest novel Where Dandelions Bloom. My only response is a smile and an internal snicker. Their attitude is the whole reason why I chose that resilient little flower for the story. Several springs ago, I was scrolling through social media, admiring everyone’s plans for their lawns and flower beds. There seemed to be a resounding cry from the Read More
The Underground Railroad and God’s Navigation System
In my debut novel Engraved on the Heart, Keziah Montgomery fights against her family, her culture and her own battle with epilepsy to lead slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad. Like many, I had learned about the Underground Railroad in school but was unaware of the delicate and highly intrinsic system of unspoken communication the Railroad utilized. Messages had to be screamed in silence, urgency carried through the façade of the mundane. How were these brave men and women scattered across multiple states able Read More
Broken But Never Worthless
In my debut novel Engraved on the Heart, the heroine Keziah battles epilepsy at a time in history when epilepsy was widely misunderstood and resulted in many of the sufferers to be placed in asylums. I grew up battling epilepsy as well. I remember the shame, the horror when consciousness slowly trickled back as dozens of wide eyes stared at me in shock. I’ll never forget the frustration of grasping for a gaping black hole of time in my memory that couldn’t be recovered. What Read More
Cover reveal…
Drumroll… Some of you have seen it since it has hit Tyndale’s website, along with Goodreads, Amazon, and several other sites, but for those who haven’t, here is the cover of my upcoming release “Engraved on the Heart”, available June 1, 2018. I love freedom fighters and those in the Civil War were among the very finest. Please pray for God’s divine favor as Keziah and Micah’s story is released. I pray God will use it to touch the hearts of people who are struggling Read More
Amazon Customer Reviews on the Bible: Putting Criticism into Perspective
Receiving a long awaited publishing contract is a euphoric feeling. It’s also terrifying for someone like me, a recovering people-pleaser. I love absolutely everything about the creative process. From spinning a story world into existence, breathing characters to life or muddling through their spiritual and emotional transformations, I find the entire journey exhilarating. I even love the grueling grind of editing. (Most days, at least.) With my debut release scheduled for summer of 2018, life is a whirlwind of excitement. Edits and marketing plans, launch Read More
Pursuing Dreams
It’s an odd thing to see a long awaited dream fulfilled. You reach, you pray, you cry, you plan, you anguish and lament, you work and beg, and pray some more. Hoping, wondering. Sometimes, your focus can become muddled. That was the case for me a few years ago. My dream was to become a published author. An admirable goal, especially since I wanted to write stories that pointed people towards Jesus, right? The problem with dreams, with any dream, is they can become gods Read More
A Writer’s Prayer
Lord, thank You for the gift of language. Thank You for written words that connect and reveal Your heart to ours. Thank you for the gift of creativity. The way Your Spirit moves through the realm of the unseen muse is a precious gift. I lift up my words, my written thoughts, my stories on the altar to You, Lord. I do not idolize them, Father, or think they are without flaw, for like me they are messy and tainted by sin. Yet I offer Read More
Writing and Living From Your Scars
by Tara Johnson I was recently asked to give an aspiring writer my best piece of writing advice. I could have told her to study the craft, which is extremely important, or given her a list of blog and books to follow. Also important. Or I could have given her a checklist of a thousand other steps to pursue her dream, but after much thought, I gave her my best piece of advice: write from your scars. Let me explain. Not long ago, my two Read More