By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer If you’ve been to an American rodeo, you know the only moment of absolute silence follows a downed rider who fails to rise under his own power. Apprehension sucks the collective breath of the crowd as they wait to see the cowboy push to his
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
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer “For the Lord is the God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.” The first time I saw this quote I wanted to know who made such an insightful observation. Then I learned it was a SAHM who went from sad to glad
Davalynn Spencer here, and I’m pleased to welcome guest author Susan G. Mathis with insights shared from her newest historical release, Devyn’s Dilemma. Transformed from Caterpillar to Butterfly By Susan G. Mathis Nature has its unique way of drawing you close to the Creator. Whether the fragrance
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Did you grow up like me, feeling like the day after Christmas was anticlimactic? What about the day after your birthday? Downer, right? I once heard a world champion bull rider say that after winning the fancy gold and silver, ruby-encrusted belt buckle at
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer The crowd gasped and held its collective breath—complete silence in and around the arena. Nothing but the imagined heartbeat of the bullfighter about to be trampled. And then “The Grizz” turned away and trotted toward the out gate. The bullfighter got up and walked
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer On the first morning of my state’s official stay-at-home mandate due to coronavirus, I walked to the end of my country lane and discovered a few other official things. The sunrise pushed shadows out of the valley. Deer meandered through the yard, unhurried and unworried.
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Cancelled weddings Invitation-only funerals Online church services (exclusively) Closed restaurants Empty schools Social distancing/quarantine/lock-down Our routines have been upended and some people have panicked. Some have apologized for last minute changes, many are frightened, and others are just plain angry. Novelists, however, may be
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer What was she thinking? The mother who packed the lunch that fed five thousand. When she bundled her son’s meal of fish and mini loaves, did she imagine the work of her hands feeding the equivalent of a city? Was the boy out at
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer I recently had a cord of wood delivered to my home. A cord is roughly a stack that is four feet high and eight feet long. The depth of the stack, or length of the logs, varies and, therefore, affects the price. Find a
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Do you read? Today is National Read Across America Day. As an author and educator, this is a national observance I can get behind wholeheartedly. Words and stories take us places and afford opportunities that may otherwise be unattainable. For example, the ability to
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer I have treats for you. Snacks – gotta love ’em, right? Especially if they’re shaped like little animals, have been around for 149 years, and can march across the top of the keyboard while you’re cooking up another novel. Today I’m posting on Heroes,
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer The words caught me. I hadn’t expected them, but there they were. Following my Bible-reading plan for the day, I had turned to the first chapter of Malachi in the New Living Translation. Verse 2 jumped off the page: “I have always loved you.”
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer How many of us today prepare meals? I can think of a few people who go all out when it comes to cooking and inviting, or putting on a big spread, as farm/ranch families might say. But we have busy lives, right? Times have