Congratulations to the winners of our three giveaways honoring the one-year anniversary of When Losses Become Legacies: Juli Hawkins won the Mother’s Day giveaway, writing about her mom, “My Mom was strong, loving, always putting us three children ahead of herself, raising us mostly on her own
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Book reviews are akin to manna for authors and readers alike. They help readers determine whether a title is worth their time and attention. For authors, they drive visibility and sales. Yet reviews can be elusive, especially for independent authors. This week’s giveaway looks to change that
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Messages of isolation, division, and discouragement have bombarded Americans since 2020. If we dwell on the bad news leading most stories, we might think we have little to nothing in common with our neighbors. Kansas City Chiefs’ kicker Harrison Butker summarized it well in his commencement address
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As we continue celebrating the one-year anniversary of When Losses Become Legacies, this week’s giveaway challenges you to name the person in the picture below, and how he’s related to the Legacies book. Enter by Sunday, May 21, through the comments on this post, or on my
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Welcome to three weeks of book giveaways! This week’s contest will honor our moms. Between now and Mother’s Day—Sunday, May 14—submit one sentence that captures your mom. Whether she’s here or on the other side of time, we want to hear about her distinctive qualities. Comment directly
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My latest book, When Losses Become Legacies: Memoirs on Grief, God, and Glory, is turning one. To celebrate, my co-author, Christy, and I are hosting a print-book giveaway for each of the three weeks starting next Monday, May 8. All of the contests will be open for
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My family and I left the Chicago area this summer. It was time. Like other areas of the country, Chicagoland has changed, not for the better. Many policies are either unfriendly or downright harmful to families. Crime has soared. Since this time last year, overall crime is
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Last fall, my family and I visited the Flight 93 Memorial Park in Shanksville, Pa. My son, an airplane enthusiast and student of 9/11 history, suggested it. Everything about the park is a reminder of September 11, 2001—from the Tower of Voices to the Wall of Names
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Two decades have passed since 9/11, and I still haven’t seen a sky as blue as it was on the East Coast that morning. The crystalline backdrop stood in stark relief to the day’s senseless horror. September 11 unfolded into a day of contrasts: sheer evil and
Read more →“Wow, that was fun!” my sixth-grader says as he darts from the halls of Naperville Christian Academy and bounds my car. “What was fun?” I ask. I assume he’s referring to an exchange with his friends. “The school day, Mom. It was great. A lot of fun.”
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