The Daily Reviewer | Forensics & Faith

Ten Sources for Blog Post Ideas

Feb 4, 2010 7:49pm

Ever face blogger's writing block? Here are ten places to go for an idea when you're against a wall. All ten as listed may not be appropriate for your blog, but you can tweak each one into a version that fits your site.1. Teach something. For me that something is...

Happy Fifth Birthday to Us

Feb 2, 2010 9:13pm

This week Forensics and Faith celebrates its fifth birthday. Five years ago my editor, marketing director, and an outside hired marketing consultant flew across the country to meet with me and my husband in our California home. We spent the day talking about my career management and marketing. My editor...

What Bigfoot and I Have in Common

Feb 1, 2010 9:28pm

You never know who you're running past. On my jogging route through a neighborhood I often pass a man out walking--and talking on his cell phone. I have never once seen him when he's not on that phone. One day late last year as I passed, I quipped, "Just wonder--can...

January '10 List of Today's Word

Jan 31, 2010 8:58pm

Great words for the month of January. AMBAGIOUS, GALIMATIOUS, ASPERATE, MEIOSIS, RECRUDESCENCE, WAMBLE, EMPERY and many more. The monthly lists of Today's Word provide an easy way to find a unique word when you need it. Archives of Today's Word are under "Craft and Industry" on the right. One monthly...

CFBA Tour--Beguiled

Jan 31, 2010 8:57pm

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingBeguiled(Bethany House March 1, 2007)byDeeanne GistandJ. Mark BertrandABOUT THE AUTHOR:Deeanne Gist, the bestselling author of A Bride Most Begrudging and The Measure of a Lady, has a background in education and journalism. Her credits include People magazine, Parents, and Parenting. With a line of...

Three Steps To Writing a Stunning First Line

Jan 28, 2010 9:41pm

A novelist (or nonfiction writer) has about 30 seconds with the typical book browser to land a sale. First the browser reads the back cover copy. Then she opens to the first page. If she likes the first line, she'll read on. First paragraph ... first page. You've got a...

The New Apple iPad

Jan 28, 2010 8:28am

In case you were hibernating yesterday and missed it--meet the new Apple iPad. For weeks now rumors have been circulating about the cool new gizmo. In San Francisco yesterday Apple's Steve Jobs unveiled the product. On this one device you can handle your photos, listen to music, read e-books, do...

The Kind of Letter I Love to Receive

Jan 26, 2010 9:37pm

A few weeks ago I posted "Most Hurtful Reader Letter I've Received" on F&F. A lot of comments, both here and on Facebook, came in for that post. I also received private messages and e-mails. I'm glad I ran the letter. From the response, I can see God used the...

"Get Comfortable. It's a long story." Part 2

Jan 25, 2010 8:41pm

We're picking up with storyteller Bobby R. Woodall for a second day of his real-life tales. If you missed the first part--including a firecracker of a barroom brawl--read it here.Bobby, when we left off yesterday I'd asked you about this passage from Mercer's Manor: Mercer … could judge people by...

“Get comfortable. It’s a long story.”

Jan 25, 2010 5:53pm

So says Dan Mercer, cowboy protagonist in Bobby R. Woodall's western, Mercer's Manor. I met Bobby Robert on Facebook and knew right away I'd linked up with a real storyteller. He's a cowboy from way back, wearing a patch over one eye, boots and the ubiquitous hat. He's in his...

It's Photo Friday!

Jan 21, 2010 9:20pm

Here we are with the first Photo Friday of 2010. PF runs monthly on Forensics and Faith. For you new readers, here's the scoop: Write the best caption, win your choice of one of my novels. Enter as many captions as you like. Come back over the weekend to read...

E-book Wars X 3

Jan 20, 2010 9:51pm

Being a writer ain't ever easy. Sometimes it's downright chaotic. 1. Amazon.com just announced it will change how it pays publishers for its e-books. Beginning June 30 of this year Amazon will pay publishing houses (or self-pubbed authors) 70% of the Kindle list price for books sold in the U.S.,...

If You Could Ask God One Question...

Jan 19, 2010 8:20pm

Some years ago I read about a survey in which people were prompted, “If you could ask God one question, what would it be?” The majority’s response, far outnumbering even the “Why-do-bad-things-happen-to-good-people?” question, was: “What is my purpose on this earth?”That question haunted me. Not because I was surprised by...

Writing Fiction, American Idol Style

Jan 18, 2010 9:13pm

What can novelists learn from watching American Idol? Character empathy.As the show started its new season last week, my daughter watched with a friend who's never seen it (can you imagine?). Amberly told me her friend said, "I thought this was a singing competition. Why do they run all these...

Anne Rice on 700 Club--"I Went Home"

Jan 14, 2010 9:04pm

I've moved Photo Friday to next week in order to tell you about the interview that ran yesterday of Anne Rice on The 700 Club. It's a wonderful look at this very talented writer--an author I have admired and read for many years, all the way back to her novel...

Bestseller Lists for December '09

Jan 14, 2010 10:11am

For those of you who haven't been in on our previous discussions of the bestseller lists for the Christian market (check under the archives for "Craft and Industry" posts)--a quick reminder of how these lists are formed. They are built on (a) reported sales at (b) participating (c) Christian bookstores....

More Book Giveaways

Jan 12, 2010 10:14pm

Here's more free book info for you. These promos won't last long, so get 'em while they're hot.1. In the Christian Fiction Online Magazine I'm giving away the entire four-book Kanner Lake series to one winner. Go here to enter your name. This giveaway closes on January 31.2. I've just...

One Novelist's Success Story

Jan 11, 2010 9:09pm

I'm very glad to have C.J. Darlington guest post today on Forensics and Faith. C.J. has been a member of this community for a long time--a very active member, as you'll soon see. Take it away, C.J.-----------------------As some of you may know, last year at the Christian Writers Guild Writing...

Are Your Memories of the Columbine Shooting True?

Jan 10, 2010 8:48pm

When you hear "Columbine school shooting" what memories about the event come immediately to mind? I think these two things: (1) Cassie's declaration that she believed in God--just before being shot. (2) Two picked-on, unpopular boys who finally snapped and went on a rampage in revenge.Did we not hear about...

When Your Books Show Up On eBay

Jan 7, 2010 9:23pm

Just before I started to put up the post I'd intended to run today, Google Alerts sent me an e-mail. One of the titles sure caught my attention: BRANDILYN-COLLINS-CRAPPY-BOOK-LOT. Oh, man. I started to laugh. Now who's talking down my books? I had to go check it out. Turns out...

December '09 List of Today's Word

Jan 6, 2010 9:33pm

I have now been doing Today's Word on Twitter/Facebook for over a year. The monthly lists here provide an easy way to find a unique word when you need it. Archives of Today's Word are under "Craft and Industry" on the right. One monthly list links to the next. Join...

Most Hurtful Reader Letter I've Received

Jan 5, 2010 9:13pm

Yesterday in my New Year's Revolution post I mentioned receiving a very hurtful reader letter over the holidays. In fact it came the day after Christmas. I read it just before turning off my computer for the night. Oh, boy. I did nothing immediately--just slept on it. At first I...

A New Year's Revolution

Jan 4, 2010 9:40pm

I sure have seen a lot of runners in the neighborhood since January 1. In fact at 6:00 a.m. on New Year's Day my husband awoke to the sound of runner's feet passing by our house. Now that's someone taking his "I shall begin running for exercise" New Year's Resolution...

Two of My Novels--For FREE

Jan 3, 2010 9:00pm

Happy new year, all. Forensics & Faith kicks off 2010 with one of the things I love to do best--give away books. If you believe in your product, as I do, one of the best ways to build word of mouth is to simply allow people to sample the product....