Happy Father's Day!

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Happy Father's Day Dads, and those that love them. In today's society, sometimes dads get lost in the shuffle. Or maybe a father makes the news for being less than one. But there are still many good men out there who are examples for their children. I have a feature piece up on TitleTrakk.com today in which 19 authors share the best piece of wisdom their father shared with them, and I think you'll agree after reading it---dads are pretty special fellows! Read it here.

My Dad is a man who can have a conversation with anyone, anywhere, about anything. He has a great sense of humor, he's a huge reader (gee, wonder where I got it?), not to mention he can fix just about anything. I love him very much and am very thankful to carry his name. Love you, Papa!

22 Authors Share Their Most Memorable Christmas Gifts

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What was the most memorable Christmas gift you ever received and why was it special?

One of mine came when I was eight years old and had just discovered the Chronicles of Narnia at my local library. I was working through the books one at a time, but that Christmas morning my sister and I opened up a gift that contained the whole set! I remember peeking in the top of the box and just seeing the words "Narnia" and getting all excited.

I asked 22 popular Christian novelists what their most memorable gifts have been, and their answers are now posted on TitleTrakk.com. Read them here. Included are Jerry B. Jenkins, Francine Rivers, Beverly Lewis, Erin Healy, and many more.

Your turn. What was your most memorable Christmas gift?

Merry Christmas!

Survey: What Christmas Question Would You Most Like To Ask Your Favorite Author?

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I'm putting together a Christmas feature for TitleTrakk.com, and I need your feedback. If you could ask your favorite author only one of these four questions, which would you pick? Whichever one receives the most votes is what I'm going to ask the authors in the feature! Unless one of you suggests a better question in the comments, of course. :)

27 Authors Share Their Favorite Christmas Traditions!

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Just posted at TitleTrakk.com is a feature I put together in which 27 authors share their favorite Christmas traditions. They went all out!

Included are (in no particular order): Marilyn Griffith, Brandilyn Collins, Liz Curtis Higgs, Sibella Giorello, Jenny B. Jones, Robin Shope, Roxanne Henke, Amy Wallace, Jerry B. Jenkins, Bill Myers, James Scott Bell, Ann Gabhart, Melanie Wells, Donita K. Paul, Mike Dellosso, Jennifer Erin Valent, D. Barkley Briggs, Robin Jones Gunn, Patti Lacy, Melody Carlson, Susan Meissner, Stan Toler, Tina Ann Forkner, Lauraine Snelling, Nicole Baart, Don Brown & Jo Kadlecek.

Read the piece here.

Nim's Island movie

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It takes a lot for me to really look forward to a book or movie, but when I saw the trailer for Walden Media's Nim's Island (April 4, 2008), I was quickly anticipating this one. First of all, I love Jodie Foster, and second, she plays an eccentric author in this film.

Watch a high-def trailer here, or click on the YouTube link below.

What do you think?

Favorite Christmas Memories from 31 Authors

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I had the chance to ask a whole bunch of authors about their favorite Christmas memories, and let me tell you, they had some interesting ones! Some fun, some sad, some nostalgic, but all worth reading.

Included are authors (in no particular order) from Karen Kingsbury, Michael Landon Jr., Karen Ball, Deborah Raney, Dallas Jenkins, Jerry Jenkins, Justin Lookadoo, Sibella Giorello, Tim Downs, F.P. Lione, Amy Wallace, Matt Bronleewe, John Perrodin, Eric Wilson, Lisa Samson, Rebeca Seitz, Virginia Smith, Kathryn Cushman, Linda Leigh Hargrove, Roxanne Henke, James Scott Bell, Jenny B. Jones, Angela Hunt, Ann Tatlock, Donna Fleisher, Liz Curtis Higgs, Nikki Arana, Christa Banister, Travis Thrasher, Melanie Wells, and Susan Wales.

Check it out here.

Jenny B. Jones Interview

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Jenny B. Jones is a YA author who's really making a mark with her Katie Parker Production series. The first book, In Between, had me laughing and chuckling to myself more than has ever happened when I've read a book. Seriously. And the second book (which just released), On the Loose, is just as funny.

But the cool think about Jenny's writing is that she deals with some serious subjects right along with the humor. Katie is a foster kid who hasn't exactly had an ideal life thus far. She gets into trouble sometimes and doesn't think she can do much of anything right---until she meets her new foster parents James and Millie Scott. A pastor and pastor's wife, they love her in ways she's never experienced before. And Millie's mom Maxine? Let's just say she's one of the more memorable characters in fiction!

I had the chance to interview Jenny for TitleTrakk.com, and we talked about the series, how she got started, and much more. Check it out here. And if you have any teen girls in your life, I highly recommend the Katie Parker Production series. Heck, I recommend it to people of all ages! My Dad has read the books and loved them too.

Read a review of In Between by my friend Darcie Gudger (who also loved the book!) here.

Karen Kingsbury Interview

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Karen Kingsbury has been called the Queen of Christian fiction, so it was a great honor to interview her for TitleTrakk.com. She had many insights to share, so I hope you'll hop on over to the site and check out the interview here.

Says Karen:

"I cry whenever I'm writing a novel--tears are good for us. Ice collects around the edges of our hearts. Tears happen when a little bit of that ice melts."

The Restorer by Sharon Hinck

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Let me start off by saying I'm not usually a reader of fantasy novels. And yet, I loved The Restorer. This is a testament that Sharon Hinck has succeeded in bridging the gap between die-hard fantasy readers and those with more contemporary inclinations.

Take a look at that cover, first of all. It intrigued me right off the bat. Ever since Narnia I've loved the idea of someone from our world traveling into another.

I think what I loved most about main character Susan Mitchell was her strength. She wasn't relegated to the side-kick role female heroines often are limited to in contemporary Christian fiction (though this is changing, thankfully). She was the one taking charge, despite her fears. She was the one learning how to fight with a sword. She was the promised Restorer sent to deliver an oppressed people. Great stuff. Not to say the male characters sit around and drink tea. Susan's husband Mark plays a huge role, as do several important characters from the alternate world who I very much enjoyed getting to know as well. To read an interesting post by Heather Hunt over at her blog about the male/female roles in this book, click here.

This could truly be a ground-breaking novel in Christian speculative fiction. I look forward with much interest to how it impacts the marketplace.

Let me point you to two wonderful reviews of the book. First, Heather Hunt reviewed The Restorer for us over at TitleTrakk.com here. Second, Rel Mollet reviews the novel over at her blog here.

For more information about Sharon, visit her website. She's about to embark on a book tour with three other fantasy authors: Bryan Davis, Wayne Thomas Batson & Christopher Hopper. For more info about the tour click here.

My Dad's Best Advice

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Many of you probably already know about this piece in TitleTrakk.com, but just in case you haven't seen ... I had the chance to ask 31 authors, "What's the best advice your father ever gave you?"

Included are quotes (in no particular order) from Michael Landon Jr., Francine Rivers, Bryan Davis, Dallas Jenkins, Mary DeMuth, Melanie Wells, F.P. Lione, Roxanne Henke, Tricia Goyer, James Scott Bell, Karen Ball, Julie Carobini, Justin Lookadoo, Tamara Leigh, Bill Myers, Sibella Giorello, Tim Downs, Robin Lee Hatcher, Deborah Raney, Donna Fleisher, Nicole Young, Mindy Starns Clark, Amy Wallace, James Pence, Sharon Hinck, Jenny B. Jones, Wayne Thomas Batson, Marilynn Griffith, John Aubrey Anderson, Nikki Arana, and Brandt Dodson.

Paternal insight galore! Check it out here.

This started to make me think, "How would I answer this question?" So here goes:

My Dad's best advice has been a way of being more than a one-liner nugget of wisdom. My Dad has showed me through his life how important it is to stay young at heart. And have fun and be goofy. As a teenager I remember being mortified on more than one occasion by my Dad's silly antics. Case in point: he gave voices to many of our stuffed animals, delighting us each time. But when the stuffed Pound Puppy drove up to the bank teller window and asked for money, I wanted to melt into the floor! The teller just looked at the dog (and my Dad I'm sure), smiled nicely and asked, "Do you have an account here?"

But despite my teenage misgivings, that's what I most admire in my Dad today. He doesn't care what people think. He's willing to take risks and be adventurous. I want to be more like that in my life.

How about you? What's the best advice your Dad ever gave you?

F.P. Lione Interview

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Infuze recently asked me to do an interview with novelist F.P. Lione (aka Frank & Pam Lione). It's up today on the site and can be viewed here.

I've enjoyed each one of the Lione's novels in the Midtown Blue series, and you can read my reviews of the books at Infuze as well (there are links at the top of the interview). They feature a NY cop and sometimes read more like a biography than a novel (which is a great thing if you like watching COPS, like I do).

The Lione's final thoughts in the interview were especially encouraging to writers:

"We hear from so many people telling us that God showed them to write a book, yet they still haven’t done it. Whether they’re intimidated, they don’t know how to go about it, or just lazy, the assignment from God is still there. When he impresses you to do something, he anoints you to do it. But you still have to research and learn as much as you can about what you feel you’re called to write. Then rely on Him. But you have to take the first step. And this isn’t just in writing, it applies to whatever you’re called to do. So get writing, or singing, or whatever it is you’re supposed to be doing."
--F.P. Lione

"My Mom's Best Advice"

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My most recent piece for TitleTrakk.com is a feature for Mother's Day (that can be read any day). 24 authors share the best advice their Mom's ever given them.

Included are quotes from (in no particular order) Jerry Jenkins, Sibella Giorello, Brandilyn Collins, Karen Ball, James Scott Bell, Jenny B. Jones, Deborah Raney, Melanie Wells, Sharon Hinck, Donna Fleisher, John Aubrey Anderson, Robert Liparulo, Rene Gutteridge, Kristin Billerbeck, Tricia Goyer, Amy Wallace, Roxanne Henke, Nancy Moser, Angela Hunt, Nikki Arana, Liz Curtis Higgs, Lorena McCourtney & Tamara Leigh.

Read the article here. And check out other author interviews here.

Tim Downs Interview

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I've been a fan of Tim's writing ever since his first novel Shoofly Pie. I had the chance to interview him recently for TitleTrakk.com. His clever sense of humor came through, and it was enjoyable to hear his answers.

"I've never taken a writing class, and my last English class was in high school."
--Tim Downs

Tim shares why he started writing fiction after penning a successful comic strip, the hardest part about writing his latest novel Head Game, plus he gives us the lowdown on his next Bugman novel.

Read the interview here.

You can also read my review of Tim's latest novel Head Game here.
My review of his previous novel Plaguemaker is here.