By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Just because we are believers doesn’t mean we won’t experience loss and pain. It doesn’t mean that sometimes we won’t have all the answers. But it does mean that we aren’t alone. Andy Squyres is a songwriter who grabbed my attention in an interview
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer In a recent Bible-study discussion on the inward change of a person’s nature, the participants were directed to 2 Corinthians 3:18 – “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer It was late July and the land of the Nez Perce beckoned from across the Bitterroot Range. Following a string of Montana rodeos, we charted our way across northern Idaho and into Washington. At Clarkston, two routes led to our destination: a long way
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer “Inspirational romance—isn’t that an oxymoron?” A secular, general-market author fired the question at me during a family-related social gathering. “No, you moron. It isn’t.” I’d like to say the above response to the question is from a salty character in one of my novels,
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Years ago, after landing a job at our local newspaper as a crime-beat reporter, I attended a journalism workshop that stressed the importance of tight writing. The Lord’s prayer has 66 words, one handout noted. Lincoln’s incomparable Gettysburg address, only 286. The point: less
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer “It’s a difficult journey, to be sure,” my friend said. “But a good one.” She was right. She has been on the journey with me for several years and understands the dark places and sudden drop-offs. The unexpected bends or endless monotony. The oh
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Today is National Chocolate Éclair Day. It is also National Take Your Cat to Work Day, but let’s just leave that one alone. Eclairs do not scratch, yowl, or shed, plus chocolate is involved. I’d much rather take a box of éclairs to work
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer This coming Sunday is Father’s Day. It’s been a very long time since I wished my dad “Happy Father’s Day.” So here goes … Daddy was a California farmer. He wore long-sleeved shirts against the sun, regardless of the season. He carried his
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer She didn’t look like a pilot. She looked like a woman who spent a lot of time on her hair and makeup and even more time selecting her clothes. But not only was she a pilot, she was one of several authors at a
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Several sticky notes edge the bottom of my computer monitor and serve as personal reminders while I write. They are glimpses of character-development devices that I have found to be true in fiction as well as in life. I’ll share a few with you
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer I read across genres, enjoying contemporary suspense, historical romance, adventure, fantasy, and others. Recently, an early title by American author Louis L’Amour took me back to the days of the Old West – Hondo, a classic Western, published in 1953. Regardless of the genre
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Have you ever re-discovered something you previously saw or heard, catching it with fresh eyes and ears the second time around? I did that last week. I read a familiar Bible verse that jumped off the page, though I’m quite familiar with these words