I have lived in Phoenix for 50 years. Winter has beautiful weather and brings visitors from the frozen north. But, as this weatherman discovered, sometimes it can get a little toasty in the desert. His reaction is priceless.
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Book Birthdays: 2026 Edition
Significant books are published every year. Here’s a personally curated list that I hope sparks some good memories and honors the work of the past: One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp (2011) – 15 years Kisses from Katie, by Katie Davis Majors (2011) – 15 years The Harbinger, by Jonathan Cahn (2011) – 15 years Same Kind of Different as Me, by Ron Hall (2006) – 20 years Wild at Heart, by John …
What Entered the Public Domain in 2026?
I try to post something about this topic every year. This year is no exception. In the United States, under U.S. copyright law, works published in 1930 and earlier are now in the public domain. One can publish them or use them without securing copyright permission. In case you are wondering about the specifics, the Copyright Term Extension Act (passed in 1998) gave works published from 1923 …
Fun Fridays – January 23, 2026
The picture below made me start playing a word game in my mind. What words can be created by adding new letters? Some possible answers are beneath the photo. But before you look, play the game yourself! Then the thought dawned on me that each answer to the puzzle creates a story, in and of itself. The potential for a short story of your own is ripe for creation. See my 300-word attempt below. If …
What I Am Looking For (Lynette Eason)
(Updated 1/22/2026) Ernest Hemingway once said, “There is no friend as loyal as a book,” and I’ve always known that to be true. I grew up reading mysteries and suspense—Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Sweet Valley High, Alfred Hitchcock, Erle Stanley Gardner, Agatha Christie, C. S. Lewis, and others. Later, I discovered Christian fiction through writers like Dee Henderson, Terri Blackstock, Colleen …
Who and What I’m Looking For (Bob Hostetler)
(Updated 1/21/2026) As another year dawns, much has changed—and much remains the same—in the world of Christian publishing. With all that in mind, let me offer an updated answer, as up-to-the-minute as I can make it, to the frequent question I field from aspiring, developing, accomplished, and skilled writers: “What are you looking for?” Influence Aspiring writers often imagine, “Once I have a …
Bring the Books (What Steve Laube Is Looking For)
(Updated 1/19/2026) “Bring the books, especially the parchments,” is a sentence in 2 Timothy 4:13 that has teased readers for 2,000 years. What books did the Apostle Paul want to read while waiting for trial? Theology? History? How-to? (Maybe a little escape reading? Pun intended.) Another writer chimed in a while ago by saying, “Of making many books there is no end” (Ecclesiastes 12:12). And if …
Fun Fridays – January 16, 2026
Does today’s video reflect the saying “You must sing for your supper”? What does that mean anyway? Does it suggest that only vocalists will be fed and writers will starve? Enjoy! (If you cannot view the video in your email newsletter, please click through to the website and enjoy it there.)
Book Proposals I’d Love to See (What Tamela Hancock Murray Is Looking For)
(Updated 1/14/2026) I’m thankful to the Lord that I’m a literary agent working for Him in Christian publishing. I’m grateful to the readers of this blog for being part of our writing community. As for approaching me with your work, let’s see if our passions match: Christian Romantic Suspense and Suspense Readers of Christian romantic suspense and suspense are a large and devoted fan base. I’m …
A Writer’s Prayer for This New Year
Every year. Every single year. Christmas comes and goes, December ends, New Year’s Day arrives, and I think to myself: How can it be [fill in the year] already? Maybe it’s just me. But, seriously: 2026? How is that possible? Oh, well, as happens every year, the Charles Wesley lines come to mind: And are we yet alive, And see each other’s face? Glory and praise to Jesus give For His redeeming …