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Fun Fridays – November 16, 2018

By Steve Laubeon November 16, 2018

Go to the website below and select the year you were born (or any year for that matter).

The results will show you the words and phrases that were first used in that year. Fascinating fun!

For my mom, it is words like air traffic controller, die-hard, deep fry, eye shadow, expense account, hearing aid, learning curve, tux.

In 1968 (50 years ago) the results show: Band-Aid, car seat, cellulite, drive-by, data mining, LED, talk radio, self-destruct, unplugged, word processor.

And here I thought Band-Aids had been around forever!

That Look

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon November 15, 2018

This blog is part five of six in a series designed to hone character development of protagonists in your fiction. I once tried to leave the house with bare lips. This did not go over well with my husband. “Where is your lipstick?” he asked. I applied some immediately. In red. Yes, the lipstick has to be red. I can get away with a reddish burgundy shade if it matches my clothing, but only then. …

Category: Writing Craft

Read Old Books, Write New Books

By Bob Hostetleron November 14, 2018

C. S. Lewis (maybe you’ve heard of him) famously commended the reading of old books: Every age has its own outlook. It is specially good at seeing certain truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period. And that means the old books…. None of us can fully escape this blindness, but we shall …

Category: Craft, Reading, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life, Writing Craft

002 – How to Find Your Courage as an Author

By Thomas Umstattd, Jr.on November 13, 2018

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog post about what I am looking for in authors I want to represent as an agent. Today I would like to talk about one of the things I am looking for: courage. Fear is the biggest enemy of authors. It can ruin their writing. It can ruin their marketing. In this episode, we are going to talk about how to overcome fear and change the world. How Fear Ruins Writing Fear Ruins …

Category: Christian Publishing Show

002 – How to Find Your Courage as an Author

By Thomas Umstattd, Jr.on November 13, 2018

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog post about what I am looking for in authors I want to represent as an agent. Today I would like to talk about one of the things I am looking for: courage. Fear is the biggest enemy of authors. It can ruin their writing. It can ruin […]
You can listen to this episode 002 – How to Find Your Courage as an Author on Christian Publishing Show.

Category: The Writing Life

Veterans Day – 100th Anniversary

By Steve Laubeon November 11, 2018

Today, November 11, 2018, is the 100th anniversary of Veterans Day. Originally known as Armistice Day, it was set to honor the end of World War I, which happened on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. It became a legal holiday in the U.S. in 1938 and was renamed as Veterans Day in 1954. It is our opportunity to thank and celebrate all those who have served our country in …

Category: Inspiration, Personal

Fun Fridays – November 9, 2018

By Steve Laubeon November 9, 2018

Today’s video is designed to make you think more deeply about art. Especially the intentionality of great art. Understanding the use of light and shadow, which directs your eye when looking at art, can help you view book-cover design in a new way. Bad cover designs make you look at the wrong part of the cover. Great covers help you focus on what is most important. Let’s learn from the …

Category: Art, Fun Fridays

Vegan?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon November 8, 2018

This blog is part four of six in a series designed to hone character development of protagonists in your fiction. Pity the poor body under dietary restrictions. And haven’t we all been there at one time or another, for one reason or another? At home, we can manage. Never mind that the grocery store demands steep prices for specialty food. Because they can. Dining in public? An adventure but not …

Category: Writing Craft

The Book That Changed My Life

By Bob Hostetleron November 7, 2018

Books have changed my life, many times. The Bible has done so, of course, on an almost daily basis, as it has done for so many others. But, while it tops the list, other books have had huge impacts on me. Beverly Cleary’s The Mouse and the Motorcycle introduced me to the joy of reading. C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity and Josh McDowell’s Evidence That Demands a Verdict fueled my teenage spiritual …

Category: Book Review, Career, Reviews, The Writing Life, Theology

001 – Book Proposals 101 with Steve Laube

By Thomas Umstattd, Jr.on November 5, 2018

About Steve Laube Steve Laube, president and founder of The Steve Laube Agency, a veteran of the bookselling industry with nearly 40 years of experience. In the 80s he was a bookstore manager. He then spent over a decade with Bethany House Publishers as an editor. Fifteen years ago he became an agent where he and his agency have represented over 1,500 new books and Steve was named Agent of the …

Category: Christian Publishing Show