January 10th – National Peculiar People Day

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Would you rather be normal or peculiar? Think about the successful and noteworthy people through the ages, the ones you admire and respect. Were they boring or a bit quirky? Courageous? Distinctive? Set apart? Not afraid to take a stand for what was right? Mysterious? Bold? Resilient? Outliers? Unaffected by others’ opinion? I think you understand …

The Reading Challenge for 2023

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Reading and goal setting are two topics that nibble on my 2023 New Year’s plans. I weave both to include fiction and nonfiction books. Goodreads encourages its members to expand their minds by issuing a challenge. I’ve accepted their reading challenge for years. What are the advantages and disadvantages of accepting a reading challenge? Advantages of …

My Christmas Gift To You – The Ornament Maker

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills It’s never too late to get into the Christmas spirit. THE ORNAMENT MAKER is a FREE PDF download. A Christmas Short Story written just for you this season. Journey with me to an old German village and rediscover the miracle of Christmas.           CLICK THIS FOR FREE PDF DOWNLOAD OF CHRISTMAS SHORT …

Christmas Quotes by Writers

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Have you ever read what other writers have said about Christmas? Curiosity, like a writerly-child (I made that up), propelled me to explore several quotes. These are so special that I wanted to share twelve of them with you. —“Do give books—religious or otherwise—for Christmas. They’re never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal.” – Lenore Hershey —”Christmas! …

Six Tips for a Holly, Jolly and Healthy Christmas

By DiAnnMills @DiAnnMills Guest post by Ginny Dent Brant The one thing I dread about the holiday season is the unending temptations that dance around me for almost a month. It’s hard to say no. By the time the holidays are over, added pounds are weighing me down. My blood sugar tanks, depression sets in, and I don’t feel well. …

Christmas Stories to Warm the Soul

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Every year we read Christmas stories that warm our souls and sometimes in between. These tales are precious to many of us. They spark the Christmas spirit in big and small ways, and if you look closely, you can find Jesus in all of them with peace on earth, and goodwill to men. This week I’d …

Are You a Good Listener?

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Good listening skills are an art, which means we strive to be alert, aware, and appropriate. We mine our skills by being creative and imaginative. Many find it easy to talk, especially when they have advice to give, a point to make, or simply want to be heard. When we show others we are interested in …

Raising the Bar on Christian Fiction

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Have you ever heard a reader say they didn’t read Christian fiction because of poor writing? Either the characterization, plot, dialogue, setting, emotion, or description disappointed them. Professional writers always evaluate their craft to raise the bar and attract readers to an outstanding story. Some Christians write for the Christian market, and others write for the …

History of the Royal Game of Ur

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills I heard about the Royal Game of UR while watching an educational film about ancient Mesopotamia. Curiosity got the best of me, and my husband paused the program to search online for more information. The Royal Game of Ur is a board game dating back 4,000 years ago. That’s a long time to keep a game …