By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Where do authors find their ideas? From experience I can assure you a drone hasn’t delivered any of my stories to my front door or drop-shipped a complete novel into my brain. Sometimes I waken from a dream with an amazing idea, but that’s rare. Novel ideas are everywhere. We simply must train our minds to

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Trying new recipes doesn’t need a special season of the year but swinging into spring with light and fun dishes makes sense to me. The following are a few favorites that will tickle your tastebuds. Crispy Jicama Apple Salad Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 4 I tried this for the

by DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Writers today search for tips to help them move forward in the craft. The following are 41 ways to sharpen your writing career. Pray for your writing ministry. Read in the genre you are writing. Read a craft how-to book each month. Read a marketing book each month. Study the bestsellers like a textbook. Study daily

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills It’s no coincidence that National Stress Awareness Day falls the day after tax day. I’ve also seen that April 19th is National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day, and that’s just another way to relieve the stress. Stress is the body’s way of protecting itself from potential harm or a threat. So our bodies kick into high

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Two weeks ago, my husband and I took a much-needed vacation. We sensed our physical, mental, and spiritual bodies required a change of pace for optimum health. Some people prefer the ocean or a body of water to relax. Some (like me) prefer the mountains to hike and breathe in the fresh air. Others long for

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills We all need to engage our minds in learning about real people, real events, and discovering facts. Nonfiction reading educates and informs, and my belief is we become better citizens of the world by empowering ourselves with awareness. In this post, I’d like to share recent book titles that have impacted me personally and spiritually. You

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills I write romantic suspense, and I read the same genre. But the adventures of fiction reading transport me into other genres too. Since the New Year, I’ve discovered amazing new novels, some written by writers who always deliver a powerful story with outstanding characters and other discoveries from new writers who are new to me. Promoting

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills We writers are in the business of learning the craft, using our imaginations, writing, editing, rewriting, and the process repeats. That’s horizontal writing. We’re depending on people and earth’s resources to help us reach our publishing dreams and goals. While we prayerfully consider wise counsel and seek knowledge, too often we forget that we are called

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills A writer’s life doesn’t fit the 9-5 mold of most of the working world. Challenges smack us in the face, and we must be ready to evaluate what we are doing right and what we are doing less-than-best. An attitude of looking at life’s hiccups as an opportunity puts an optimistic spin on our mental and

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Writers travel a sacred adventure—a journey of the soul fueled by the opportunity to touch the lives of countless people. We have been given a treasured gift, the gift of writing. Writing is not an easy journey, but it’s one filled with holiness. Writing is a path each writer takes alone, but in the stillness, we