Announcing a New Book Contract

I'm so excited to announce that I've received a contract for my thirteenth novel! In a real follow-the-clues romantic suspense story, a young woman becomes a pawn in a rich men's game with the highest stakes of all -- life and death. A Deadly Game will be available for your reading pleasure in the first quarter of 2011.

Now Available - A Novel Idea

A group of Christian novelists joined forces to create a book on the craft of writing inspirational fiction, and I was honored to be part of the project. A Novel Idea includes expert advice from successful fiction writers who have published thousands of novels with more than 70 million copies sold. You'll recognize many of the names: Jerry Jenkins, Francine Rivers, Karen Kingsbury, Randy Alcorn, Robin Jones Gunn, Angela Hunt, Terri Blackstock... the list goes on and on. The book includes over 75 articles on a variety of fiction techniques. My contributions include "Avoiding Preachy Fiction" and "Confessions of a Critique Groupie." If you aspire to write good fiction, this book is a must-have for your resource library.

Coming Soon to an Event Near You!

I love connecting with people who have read my books -- and meeting new readers, of course! Here's where I'll be in the next few months. If you're in the area, I hope you'll stop by. 

• March 12-13 - West Jordan, Utah
  I'll teach a certification class for United Methodist lay speakers called "Discover Spiritual Gifts." 
• March 14, 2010 - Eureka, Utah
  I'll deliver the Sunday morning message at the Eureka United Methodist Church on Sunday, March 28. If you're in the area, I know you'll be welcome.   

Upcoming Writers Conferences

I'm often asked what aspiring writers can do to pursue their dream of publication. One of the pieces of advice I give is to attend writer's conferences, which provide opportunities to improve writing skills and make contacts with other writers and professionals in the publishing industry. If you cherish hopes of becoming an author, I hope you'll consider finding a good writer's conference to attend.

I'm currently scheduled to teach at the following conferences:

• April 9-10, 2010 - Quad-Cities Christian Writers Conference, Eldridge, Iowa

• June 11-12, 2010 - Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. I'll be the keynote speaker at this conference!

Looking for a Critique of your Manuscript?

When I teach at conferences, attendees frequently ask if they can hire me to critique their manuscripts. Well, now the answer is Yes! I've recently launched Next Step Critiques, a manuscript editing service designed to help writers take the Next Step in their writing career. For prices and more information, visit www.NextStepCritiques.com