By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Is there a place you go to escape the crush and commotion of life? A place where it’s quiet enough to hear yourself think? Hear God whisper to your heart. For Laura Bell in The Miracle Tree, her quiet place was the front porch
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Some people wonder what goes into the making of a novel, and with good reason. There’s so much more to writing fiction than lining up words on a page. For me, it’s about finding truth. August 23 is the release date for the repackaged
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer In early June, I enjoyed a personal writer-research stay at Badger Creek Ranch, a working cattle ranch tucked into the high country of Colorado at 8,800 feet. While there, I was often reminded to drink water. “Don’t wait until you’re thirsty,” a staff member
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Rejection. We all know what it tastes like—bitter, regardless of how well-preserved our self-esteem. As a child, I often played the piano for school talent shows, winning awards in some and going unnoticed in others. On those losing occasions, my mother would say, “You
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Recently, I spent time with my youngest granddaughter watching a hummingbird through my office window. To her, the tiny bird was a marvelous, magical creature. She was fascinated by the movement of it’s tail. I understood how it worked, knew it functioned as a
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer One summer evening when our children were little, a thunderstorm crashed up against the Front Range and knocked out the power. Colorado is famous for its sudden storms and lightning shows but, newcomer that I was, I was proudly prepared. “Let’s be pioneers,” I
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer As an author of historical fiction, I’m often asked how much time I spend researching. That’s a hard question to answer because it depends upon the topic researched and the type of research required. However, I must admit that my most enjoyable research venture
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Last Monday, on Memorial Day, we commemorated the men and women who have died in the service of our country. But they’re not the only people we remember because some people—deceased or still living—are hard to forget, for reasons both good and bad. Who do
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer It is fitting to remember the fallen this Memorial Day. Though they cannot hear our thanks, their families and descendants can. Acknowledging their sacrifice reminds us that none of what we possess or enjoy has been achieved on our own. Others have contributed. May
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer What is it about a mother that makes her do things for her children all the time? Even when no one’s looking. Even when no one knows. Even her children. I believe it’s the God-gene she carries – not in a biological sense, but
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer In the 1980s, during rodeo’s off-season, my husband worked with the Race Track Chaplaincy of America, serving as a chaplain five years at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He also spent one race meet at Aksarben (now dismantled) in Omaha, Nebraska, and one
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer “If God can make everything new again, in spite of the hard, painful parts, then we should let Him.” Sounds like an obviously simple concept, right? Simple, perhaps, but not easy. There’s a difference. The quote is from my latest book, An Unexpected Redemption,
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer What would you take if you had five minutes to evacuate your home? When I was a newspaper reporter, I covered a lot of bad news. This photo is of one event I showed up for, arriving moments before flames roared through the front
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Last week I thought I was having problems with my computer. It wasn’t doing what I depend on it to do, as in downloading and uploading files – things I can’t explain in techy terms but desperately need. Basically, I knew enough to know
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Have you ever blown it? Not just miss a beat, but miss the whole boat? Think you’re humming right along, focused in, on target, and then—wham? This picture of Linger Rodeo Company’s saddle bronc horse, Curly Wolf, circa 1980s, drives home my point. Curly