By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Curious about what it’s like to live with a writer? This week I decided to have my husband interviewed for his perspective. I admit waiting for his answers caused my heart to head into overdrive. How honest would he be? Would I have to eliminate him in my next novel? But his answers were fun to …
5 Ways Life Challenges Can Change and Grow Us
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills As a novelist, one of my jobs is to show character change and growth. This is a process that takes the entire book to accomplish. A character is challenged by life, and he/she can choose to open the door to solve a problem or slam it shut. A hero or heroine grabs hold of life and …
15 Ways to Survive Stress—and Enjoy the Holidays
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Stress is nothing we plan or calendar. It doesn’t even ask our permission, as though the gray clouds rolling our way are something we want. We respond per our personality, how we were raised, and life experiences. Some of us do a better job than others. October ushers us into the holidays—Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New …
October 16, National Dictionary Day
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills October 16 was National Dictionary Day. Are you a word lover? Next to coffee and shoes, words are my favorite obsession. I value learning their meanings, how to spell them, and use them. Words are my addiction I can be who I want to be From a queen to a knight To an owl in flight. …
Mentoring For All Seasons
@DiAnnMills A Guest Blog by Janet Thompson I grew up in Southern California where, with few seasonal exceptions, the weather was consistent year round—sunny and beautiful. Sunny and hot with morning fog near the beach in summer. Sunny and warm with occasional Santana winds in the fall. Sunny with a few storms, rain, and overcast days in the winter, when …
How is a Christian Novel Different?
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Many of you read my novels that are published by a Christian publisher. I’m often asked how my novels are different from a general market book, and my response is always the same: Novels are about strong characters who have a problem to solve. It’s all about character. But there’s more. A Christian novel is a …
Read! Add Power to Your Life
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills People who reads add power to their lives. With all of numerous techy ways to entertain ourselves, why do leaders and successful people spend hours reading fiction, nonfiction, articles, and blog posts? How does reading add power to our lives? Gain Knowledge The more we learn about people and the world, the wiser we become. When …
How Cooking Makes Me a Better Writer
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills I love to cook and bake. It’s relaxing, satisfying, and hopefully the results are tasty. I’ve discovered my passion for writing has a lot in common with food prep. In fact, cooking makes me a better writer. Look at the following, and I think you’ll understand what I mean. Decide on a recipe Just like I …
Dispensers of Love
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Dispensers of love come from all walks of life. Hurricane Harvey dumped 50 inches of rain on the millions of people of the Gulf Coast. Reports as of this writing state the devastation has impacted approximately 145,000 homes and an estimated 60 people have lost their lives. While driving just beyond my neighborhood, the mounds of …
Houston, We Have a Problem
By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Houston and most of the Texas Gulf Coast has a problem, and it’s called Harvey. On Friday night, the category 4 storm slammed into Port Aransas and Port O’Connor, Texas. According to the National Hurricane Center, Harvey brought winds of 130 mph. Here’s how it looked, courtesy of NOAA/NASA, when it was approaching. At the time …