By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Most of the characters in my books are people I’ve cooked up on my own. Others sneak up on me when I’m not looking, leaving me with the sense that I’ve met them before and just can’t remember when or where. I have a
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Things don’t always work out the way we hope they will. Let me rephrase that: Rarely do things work out the way we hope. Or expect. Or plan. Or even pray. Could that be because we’re not listening? I will not divulge how many
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Have you ever been asked, “How are you holding up?” Rarely do people mean, “How are you holding up the bank?” or “How are you holding up your socks?” or “You’re holding up the parade.” Ah, yes – the English language. The idiomatic expression,
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer This week I’m featuring a women’s devotional book from fellow author and friend, Becky Van Vleet. Not only do I like the catchy title, What’s In Your Purse, I enjoy the layout of each of the fifty-two devotionals with “Remember This” Bible verses, a
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Do you know the next phrase in the classic Western ballad that begins, “Oh, give me a home”? It has something to do with buffalo, deer, and antelope. However, the line after that is the best one, in my opinion, and no doubt became
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Fifteen years ago, I was not writing Western romance but teaching sixth-grade Ancient-World History and Language Arts in a central California farming community. I was also writing a slice-of-life column for a daily newspaper in a larger, nearby city. This Father’s Day, I want
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer (Excerpted from Always Before Me) American lyricist, Oscar Hammerstein II, said the hills were alive with the sound of music. Where I once lived, that music played against spring-green hillsides. Black angus cattle dotted the scene like quarter notes on a musical score. In
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Have you heard of the two-week rule? I often refer to it when deciding how I like a new purchase, the rearrangement of furniture, or a questionable repair job. The rule goes like this: “Give it two weeks. If you don’t notice it
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer While I am away this Memorial Day weekend, I’d like to share the inspirational work of fellow author and friend, LoRee Peery. Peery has written four devotional books in a series titled Worship Through Verse. The first, Shelter in the Night, speaks beautifully in
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer With spring on its way into summer next month, I want to ask: Do you have a favorite tree? Aspens are mine, beautiful all through the year, regardless of the season. In winter they stand bare and white against evergreen forests. In spring they
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Not everyone has a living mother to hug, call, or send flowers to on Mother’s Day. And not every mothering woman has a child. Many of those women are aunts, neighbors, sisters, or friends. Like that little lady at church who always knows exactly
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Mothers are good at giving advice. (I see some of you rolling your eyes.) Mom would say, “Don’t roll your eyes, they’ll fall out of your head.” Well, a few Moms would say that. But honestly, some of the best advice I’ve received came
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer This two-word query is one of the most important questions a novelist asks while writing a book. Various answers propel characters into riveting plot twists or brain-throbbing conflicts. But for those seeking to live faith-led lives of obedience in the real world, “What if?” can be
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer In a scene from one of my Western romance novels, the heroine struggles with memories of her Christian mother’s favorite counsel: “All things work together for good.” She struggles because things are not going well. Bad things have happened. A lot of bad things,
By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer Most people in the U.S. are aware of the total solar eclipse occurring in North America on April 8, 2024. NASA Eclipse Explorer website states: “The total solar eclipse will be visible along a narrow track stretching from Texas to Maine on April 8,