By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills I started writing seriously in 1996, and over the years I’ve learned the hard way a few truths about creating fiction—and a lot about myself. I wouldn’t change any of the life lessons. But perhaps these 12 discoveries of what I wish I’d known back then will help you understand a writer’s life. Research doesn’t mean

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills ANNOUNCEMENT – Please help me congratulate Debb from the U.K. who was randomly selected from last week’s Help For 2021 Blog Posts.  Thanks to everyone that participated. I’ve captured everyone’s ideas and will review your suggestions for upcoming topics. What Does Courage Really Mean? For 2021, I prayerfully chose the word Courage. This means, I will attempt

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills This is the time of year when I plan blog post topics for 2021—and I’m asking for your help. In the past you have provided topics of interest, posts you wanted to read. Thank you! During 2020, topics included: Dreams and plans for our lives Guest writers Hope Humor Life hacks and skills New book releases

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills The New Year causes us to take a deep breath, learn from history, and move forward with strength and courage. Quotes and Scripture often give us a push to reach out as brave and optimistic inhabitants of earth. One or more of the 15 words to live by below could help you journey through the days

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Christmas is a time of love and giving. We want our loved ones to have the perfect gift that they will remember and treasure. Unfortunately, we don’t always have the money needed to purchase what we think is the best item. But there are ways we can offer a token of our heart. Remember to practice

DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Guest Post by Dennis Bailey @DennisBailey Hello, I’m Dennis Bailey and I’m the author of The Boy Who Cried Christmas. I’d like to thank DiAnn for inviting me to be a guest on her blog and for giving me this opportunity to spotlight my latest Christmas novel. It’s the story of a skeptical young boy swept back

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Last week, Edie Melson and I directed the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. We are exhausted. Not sure either of us could spell it. We compiled a list of 13 things NOT to do when you’re tired and need down time. With the holidays at our front door, we know all of you will be

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Guest Post by Jayme Mansfield  @JaymeMansfield There’s something special about a circle. Somewhere along the curved line, there is a definitive beginning – a starting point from which the path begins and eventually an end point at which it is complete. And, so it is with life. Recently, my family and I moved my eighty-five-year-old mother

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Guest Post by Darlene L. Turner @DarleneLTurner Badge positioned himself on an elevated rock, senses on high alert. He breathed in trying to catch a scent of anything threatening his kin. Since his second birthday, his mother said he had a responsibility to protect the others. His community housed eighty, and once the males reached a

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills We all claim our self-worth is not based on performance. Our personal and professional lives are directed by wanting to do our best, to fulfill a useful purpose. But sometimes we don’t see our own misgivings. We view our self-worth by what we do and how well we do it. Here are a few signs that