For many years, after reading the beloved book CHRISTY and learning about the award bearing its name, I pored over the titles in the Christy lists picking my next great read. Today, my book RAIN is listed among these books by stellar authors and it seems impossible. Not that I didn’t work hard. Not that it wasn’t a …
Finding Courage In The Dark
“Take me with you.” This audacious request changed everything for Rahab the Harlot. You’ve heard of her. A girl no better than she ought to be, Rahab made her living selling herself to the men of ancient Jericho. She was betrayed by her father, reviled by the city women, and disdained by her own family, …
Finding Hope in a Time of Despair
I almost didn’t read this book. Even though I’d previously read Prophetess, another in The Daughters of the Promised Land series, I’ve always been uncomfortable with the story of Hannah–how could she give up her son? But I reminded myself how much I loved Prophetess and decided to read Hannah’s story. I’m so glad I …
Speed Bumps
We’ve all run into them, or more accurately, over them. No one likes them. Speed bumps jolt us, throw our wheels out of alignment, and slow us down to tortoise-approved speeds of two to five miles per hour. But slowing down isn’t always bad. On the road, speed bumps might save you from hitting a …
Facing Weariness, Fear, or Depression
The Prophet Elijah stood tall among the heroes of the Bible when he fought the evils of idol worship. We’re told “Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!” (James 5:17 NLT) Elijah showed great faith in …
What is Biblical Fiction?
When I read Lew Wallace’s Ben-Hur, Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent, Francine Rivers’ Mark of the Lion, and Mesu Andrew’s Love Amid the Ashes, I got caught up in the almost fantastical world the authors created. The stories sprawled across time and shimmered with drama and danger. I loved these books but I’d never heard …
Where Did You Get Your Idea?
Writers are often asked, “Where do you get your ideas?” For my book RAIN, a story began to form as I read the following scripture passage. “Some time later the woman’s son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally, he died. Then she said to Elijah, ‘O man of God, what have you done …
OLD FURNITURE
While the world hunkers down to evade Covid-19 and many use quarantine time for creative endeavors, abandoned projects, or nursing a sick loved one, I grab my duster, rags, and ancient bottles of furniture oil and set to doctoring a ninety-year-old chest of drawers. I polish this old dresser as if it’s a treasure, which …
Windfall
Early mornings are a great time to walk in our garden. The light of the rising sun softens the edges of leaves and blossoms and the colors of sky transmute as we watch. This is the time we’ll find garden surprises, a hidden butterfly chrysalis, an apple tree in full bloom, or new seedlings pushing …
GOD IS NEVER LATE!
How My Book-in-a-Drawer Got Published After a long break from social media, I was browsing through FaceBook posts when I heard a private message ping. I cringed a little. The FB messages I’ve received are too often trolls. Sighing, I opened it and read: “Hi, are you the Dana McNeely who wrote RAIN? And if …