Another story in a Chicken Soup Book!

I got word a couple of weeks ago that another story I wrote will be included in an upcoming “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book. This one will be in their book titled, “I Can’t Stop Laughing”. I don’t know when it will come out but will let people know when it does. This will be the fourth Chicken Soup book in a year to include one of my stories. The picture is of one of the other three that came out earlier this year. I do not have a pic of the cover of the new one. I’ve had stories in a book they released in winter ‘25, summer ‘25, autumn ‘25, and now this one that I think will come out spring of ‘26. This is my third story to be included in one of their humorous books. I never saw myself as a humor writer, so this is fun! My life has certainly had its funny moments and I’m glad I’ve learned to laugh at them. 

Looking Ahead to 2026

Every January, I like to look ahead to the new year and post what writing activities I have to look forward to. Because I have a couple of surgeries coming up, this year they will be previewed as I look ahead too. 

January: 

*An article I wrote will appear in Home Life (a LifeWay publication.) 

* Devotion on Arise Daily

* I will have knuckle joint replacement surgery on either the 8th or the 29th. I am currently on the schedule for the 29th but my doctor is going to try to move things around so I can have it on the 8th. I won't know which date my surgery if on until I go in for my pre-op on the 5th. This will be my fourth knuckle replacement. Arthritis has hit my hands hard. 

* Other things of note in the writing world in January: SCWC Notable Book Awards finalists are announced on 1/19.

March: 

*I will have a total knee replacement on 3/6. This is my 2nd (and last) knee replacement. I had the other knee replaced in '24 and now know just how hard a recovery I am in for. 

*Also, 3/20-3/21 is the MidSouth Christian Writer's Conference in Memphis. I am on the MSCWC planning committee and serve on the faculty selection committee every year. I hate to miss this year's conference but will not be able to go because of the knee surgery. 

May: 

* The EPA convention is in Nashville this year 5/10-5/13. I 'm hoping to attend depending on how my knee surgery recovery goes. 

Summer '26: 

*A book I contributed to titled, "God's Perfect Moment" published by Guidepost will release.

*An article I wrote is contracted to be published in Bible Advocate sometime in the summer too.

Fall '26: 

Ten devotions I wrote will appear in Open Windows (Lifeway) 

Other Things:

The above are all that I know are for certain happening in the months ahead but there are many other writing related things that keep me busy. Every month I attend a meeting of the KY ACFW as well as a zoom meeting of the EPA Freelancers. At one of those ACFW meetings, I will be teaching on writer's rights but I don't know exactly which one yet. As soon as the MSCWC is over, my faculty committee will start working on the faculty for '27, every month I have a devo in Arise Daily and every week I post a devotional thought on my FB author page. In addition, I have completed a fiction manuscript that I am currently pitching to publishers and hope to be able to report a contract on it in the not-so-distant future and as soon as that book is contracted, I will need to buckle down and write its sequel which has less than 20,000 words written in it right now. And I am always writing, and submitting freelance work, Last year, for instance, at this time I only knew of one Chichen Soup book that one of my stories would appear in but by the end of '25 I had had three CS books with stories in them. The same can be said for articles in "The Lutheran Digest."

Writing related tasks keep me busy but I absolutely love doing them! Blessings to you and yours in 2026. 

Much to be Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving! It’s the season to count our blessings and recall all we have to be thankful for. I have much for which I’m thankful—good health, a loving family, and a lot of opportunities to do what I love doing (writing). 

I just came back from an annual Nigerian missionary reunion. It fills my heart with joy and sweet memories every year. My co-writer of many of my books, Shirley Crowder, grew up on the Nigerian mission field with me.its always good to see her along with other MKs (missionary kids). Here is is selling our books at the MK marketplace, a new feature in the reunions where many of us sell things we make or in our case wrote.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!  

Welcome Fall!

Hard to believe it’s mid-September already. I just came back from a beach vacation with my family, something we do every September. I love that week. It’s still warm enough to enjoy swimming and other beach activities and since it’s in September it always extends my summer just a little longer. 

But I’m home now and have a lot of writing projects and deadlines ahead of me. Here’s the latest in my writing life:

1) I completed and turned in 7 Devos to “The Quirt Hour” (David C.Cook) that will appear in winter of ‘27.

2) A story I wrote will appear in an upcoming “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book that will release Oct 22. I’m expecting my complimentary books to arrive any time.

3) Now that I’m home I need to buckle down and start on the 15 Devos I am contracted to write for “Open Windows” (LifeWay) that will appear in fall of ‘26. I started on this today and have one of the fifteen written. These Devos have a deadline of late November. 

4) While I was on vacation, I got word that a contract is coming my way for a story that will be in an anthology being compiled and published by Guidepost. The deadline to have that story written and submitted is late Oct.

5) I have a Devo in the current issue of “The Secret Place (Judson Press) 

6) Along with all of this, I am still plugging away on trying to find a publisher for my pirate novel and working on its sequel. (The picture is of me next to a “pirate” at a store on our recent vacation.) 

Whew! I get tired just thinking if it all but I’m grateful too. I do so love writing! 

Southern Christian Writers Conference

Last weekend I had the privilege of co-teaching a workshop with lifelong friend, Shirley Crowder, at the Southern Christian Writers Conference in Birmingham, AL. The entire weekend was great! I made some new friends in the Christian writing world and renewed some old ones. The food was yummy, the fellowship was wonderful, and the weekend was fun! And the icing on the cake—on Saturday afternoon when the writing awards were announced, a devotion I had written that had been published on “Arise Daily” won first place in the devotion category. 

Release Day Again!

It’s Release Day again. This time it’s for book #2 in my personal Bookmageddon. This one is a devotional book co-written by Shirley Crowder and me. It’s Book Two in our Wonder and Worship series. This book takes the reader through the year—winter, spring, summer, and fall. Happy release day to Wonder & Worship Through the Year

Release Day!!

 “Stuck in the Middle” my debut children’s book is releasing tomorrow! Here’s the Amazon link to it: https://www.amazon.com/Stuck-Middle-Atrapada-Harriet-Michael/dp/1962862690