Support Our Troops Reading Challenge

I have always admired the members of our military. They sacrifice their time, abilities, and sometimes their lives in order to preserve the freedoms we Americans enjoy.

Our reading challenge in May will be one way of thanking them for their service.

Latest News on Ashberry Lane Publishing

Another twist to the story of Ashberry Lane Publishing took place this last week. Here's the update as shared in the AL newsletter:

We are thrilled to report that WhiteFire Publishing has purchased Ashberry Lane. They will continue the publication of our backlist, as well as new releases, under the Ashberry Lane imprint. We are excited about this development, as we did not seek it out, but it was a gift from God.  See the press release below for more information.

Press Release Announcing the Sale

Cumberland, MD (16 April 2018) - WhiteFire Publishing today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Ashberry Lane Publishing. The acquisition, which is expected to close by June 2018, is subject to customary closing conditions.

WhiteFire Publishing is a leading small Christian publisher specializing in competitively priced e-books and print editions for authors such as Melody Carlson, Roseanna M. White, Dina Sleiman, and the late Golden Keyes Parsons. Since their founding in 2005, they’ve grown to a list of over 75 titles by over 25 authors, many of which have won various industry awards. With books across multiple genres and a young reader line to launch this summer, WhiteFire’s line embodies their motto of “Where Spirit Meets the Page.”

Making Progress

I'm not really in a blogging sort of mood today. Last week and the weekend were physically rough on me, so I'm pretty worn out today. Instead of wracking my mind for something important or creative or story-related to write, I'm going to update you on a few things going on in my corner of the world right now.

Health: My knee that I hyper-extended in early February is finally on to the next phase of healing, in which I am able to do light exercises to regain strength and range of motion in the left knee.

Faith: I'm reading through the Psalms this month. Each one brings such comfort and encouragement. I'm incredibly grateful that writers before me shared what they learned of the Lord Almighty, because they've left trails of faith for me and many others to follow into Glory.

Change of Plans

I was going to talk about fitness goals today.

Friday night changed that.

As I was watching the Dallas Stars' penultimate game of the 2017-18 season, I was devastated to hear the news from Kathryn Tappen (sports hostess on NBCSN) that a semitruck and a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos, a Junior A hockey team, had crashed into one another in Saskatchewan, Canada. My immediate thoughts of shock turned into instant prayers for comfort and peace for the families of everyone involved.

The next day, I found out that fifteen people had lost their lives: ten players, the bus driver, the head coach, an assistant coach, a volunteer statistician, and a play-by-play broadcaster, all with the Humboldt Broncos.

My heart is broken for the lives lost, even as I wonder if they knew my Jesus.

I pray they did.

I pray that their souls were saved.

End of an Era

It’s time to say farewell.

This article is pretty tough to write, and I’m probably going to end up crying before I get halfway through—my eyes are pricked with tears right now, actually. Saying goodbye to good jobs and nice people is not an easy thing to do, but sometimes it becomes necessary.

Ashberry Lane Publishing is closing its doors.

This publishing company released twenty-four books in the past five years. Their books were nominated, became finalists, and won many awards in that brief time. The company was founded by the mother-daughter team of Sherrie Ashcraft and Christina Tarabochia, who also co-wrote Ashberry’s first book. They brought in a wonderful cover design artist, Nicole Miller, and several editors—Kristen Johnson, Tami Engle, Rachel Lulich, Amy Smith, and myself—to help the company’s books shine extra brightly out in the book market.