AMONG THE GIANTS – ACHSAW’S STORY, by Jenelle Hovde

What must it have been like, for intrepid Caleb and the Israelites, to settle among the giants of Caanan? Jenelle Hovde spins an almost fairytale landscape, albeit of the dark variety, for this biblical story. As a lover of books, I’m drawn to this moody description. “Worse, the settlement of giants lived within the mysterious …

What I Left For You – Echoes of the Past

A Beautiful Story of Desperate Longing Like a deep and dangerous river, layers of emotion sweep through Liz Tolsma’s WHAT I LEFT FOR YOU. Two stories flow side-by-side, growing ever closer. In 1942, Helena Kostyszak, an educated woman of ethnic minority, flees Hitler’s armies to save a Jewish baby. A contemporary story branches from the …

The Power of Story

What Sparked Your Interest In Writing?

I’ve answered versions of this question before, usually in connection to what made me want to pen a specific work of fiction. Recently this specific question was posted in a chat, and I felt stumped. How could I answer such a broad question, tapping awkwardly with my forefinger at the tiny keyboard on my phone? …

Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus

What’s So Special About Bethlehem?

A Prophecy In an advent series, our pastor taught us interesting points about the birthplace of Jesus beginning with a prophecy made 750 years before His birth (around 750 BC.) The prophet Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah, wrote: But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet …

God’s Call

At times, most of us have struggled with our writing. Sometimes we’re working through a story problem, but sometimes it’s an emotional or spiritual matter. Recently I allowed someone’s words to discourage me, and I could not write for a while. Thank you for the encouragement some of you offered. One day, the Lord sent …