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
Civil War Trivia 101
People often ask me what I like most about writing. That’s a tough question. I love helping people break free from the lies they believe about themselves. I love the creativity that blooms when dreaming up new characters and plots, wounds and dramatic twists. Being a history nerd, there’s something extra special about writing Civil War stories. I’ve discovered so many fascinating tidbits of information that have helped me see people, history, and human nature in a more robust way. Folks can be quirky, horrible, Read More
The Civil War, Messy People and Jesus: Why I Write
With my debut book release with Tyndale scheduled for summer of 2018, this week I’ve begun the daunting task of writing another story. It’s set in one of my favorite time periods…the Civil War. This isn’t a new assignment for me. This will actually be the fourth Civil War story I’ve penned, uh, typed, but the research involved is always staggering. Always bloody and gruesome, yet filled with heroism, astounding tales of beauty and forgiveness…even humor. People like 11 year-old Grace Bedell who wrote Read More
Where I Get My Characters: Quirks, Stalking and More
Barney Fife. Scarlett O’Hara. Inigo Montoya. Huckleberry Finn. Hannibal Lecter. Atticus Finch. Sherlock Holmes. Elphaba. Luke Skywalker. All great characters with vibrant and memorable personalities. All a complex mix of flaws, quirks, dreams and failures. Here’s the thing about finding characters…predictable characters are dull characters. I think most would agree that the above characters are all interesting, memorable and larger-than-life. So what can you do when your characters seem lifeless and limp? 1. Find a trait from someone you know as a jumping-off point. Mark Read More