As a veteran, I can truly say God has been active in my life through all of it. Though I may not have known him, He was definitely answering momma’s prayers during my time of service. It wouldn’t be until later, much later, that I realized just how much He longed to have a relationship with me. Looking back at all the trouble I could have been or the pain I could have suffered, it makes me praise Him even more that He sought me out.   That’s why I decided to share my thoughts

As the minutes slowly ticked by, the old man stood in absolute silence. As always, standing proudly as he had done many times before. Perhaps too many for anyone else to remember, but he remembered every occasion.   Those who stood with him also remembered, because every year they stood with him. They remembered also all of those who could no longer stand with them, the hardships that they had endured, and the good times that they had shared. Each one of them still clearly et

Hey everyone, this is Carey McKinney coming from the Bluegrass State of Kentucky. I really love to share my love of Jesus with everyone, but more importantly, His love for each one of us. When I was young, I loved to read fiction and doing so, felt drawn to writing myself. I wrote a few short stories before my first book A Dose of Light in a World of Darkness was published. Those stories have disappeared through the years, and probably for good reasons. My life changed one ni

Rush your story, lose the plot.   There comes a time with every book that I write where I grow tired of my own story and how long it is taking to get to the meat of it, the real action, or the end. With each uptick on the word count at the bottom of my computer screen, I am agonizingly aware that I am nowhere near finished. There is so much more that is needed to round out the story well. The crazed side of my brain wants to rush to the finish line, regardless of the necessar

The sword was neatly tucked away, strewn with autumn leaves and unread ancient tomes. It had been lost, now only a useless trinket without a name. No one remembered its tale. No one remembered its glory. No one remembered the blade at all.   Its home stood beneath an ancient witchwood tree, its keeper long dead. His bones collected dust within a shadowed corner, the hollowed sockets of his skull bereft of coal gray eyes, and yet these old bones watched and waited. After so ma

I don’t look the part now, but in my youth, I was a competitive swimmer. The thin body is long gone; technique is faded into the haze....

Val couldn’t deny that she was a bit apprehensive about having a CT scan done but that was only because it was a new experience for her....

He was there again tonight. He was there every night. The little man waiting beside the stairs, behind the banister, close to the wall,...

Janet Slo and Janice King met at the Walmart in Springfield, Missouri. Noting immediately that they could be identical twins, the two...

This is a question I have been asking myself for months, as I maneuver the treacherous ins and outs of writing a complex third...

A low growl came from the hallway, causing Sarah and her mother to momentarily freeze and stare at each other.   “He’s in the house!” her...

The wine bottle was empty now, smudged with the remnants of the cherry red lipstick that I’d put on just for this special occasion. I set...

It was just one of those nights. You know the kind. The nights when nothing felt right. We’d gone to bed almost two hours ago and I still...

In school, we were always taught about the outline and how important it is. The basics of writing anything with the beginning, middle,...

When a writer sends their latest creation out into the world, it is with the hope that it will not only capture readers’ imaginations and...

I know that the voices in my head aren’t real, at least to anyone but me. However, like the meme I stole that line from says, they do...

Substance is everything. In a story, substance is not only a necessity, it is the lifeblood that creates intrigue and interest. It makes...

Writers are readers long before they take up the pen. It’s a good bet that somewhere along the way a book hit their world like a meteor...

The phrase, “write what you know,” might sound a bit old school. Nevertheless. it’s important, especially if you write fiction. It’s a...

Do you recall the opening stanza of the 1964 Rolling Stones   hit Time is on your side, yes, it is? I’m   sure that soundtrack is now...