January TBR Reducer Challenge

If this article makes little sense, that would be because it's past three a.m. as I'm writing it, and I just remembered that I hadn't so much as thought about my blog and it's already Monday morning. I was busy all day, celebrating my daddy's birthday and finishing up a couple of books for challenges on Goodreads and taking breaks to stretch and eat a little something. Yep, I'm pretty exhausted right now. But I'm turning off my alarm and sleeping in if I can. Fat chance if a train happens by...

Happy New Year! May 2019 be filled with joy, laughter, and most of all, faith in God. I hope we all will dig a little deeper in our walks with Him this year.

Our first challenge of the new year will be...

The Border Between - a Christmas short story

Merry Christmas, my dear readers!

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones. I'll be spending the holiday with my parents and sister. Before we get to the gift-exchange portion of the celebration, we'll be reading the Christmas story about Jesus coming to earth in order to save our souls. This is my favorite part of Christmas.

Here's a short story for you to enjoy. It was inspired by YOU, my sweet readers, who participated in this contest.

Note: This short story made the finals of a contest. Further details below the story.

Copyright 2018 by Andrea Renee Cox. All rights reserved.

The Border Between

by Andrea Renee Cox

inspired by Kellyn Roth (and her brother James)

The cityscape puttered by the window. Helene Jackson checked her diamond-studded watch and tapped a single knuckle on the glass partition between the cab driver and herself.

The dark-skinned man glanced over his shoulder and gave her a smile of crooked but gleaming-white teeth.

“Can you hurry up a bit? I’ve got somewhere to be.”

He cracked the partition open a couple of inches. “Do you need more air? The air condition is broke. I’m so sorry. I think the heater work.”

Helene picked a speck of dust from her slacks and looked down her nose at the driver. “I need you to find the gas pedal.” She adjusted her handbag from one thigh to the other. “Whoever thought to use the heater on a seventy-degree day, anyway?”

“Are you happy for Christmas?” He gave her another smile, this time accompanying it with a bobble head-style nod, before looking back at the city street before him.

“Not particularly.”

“My little girl, she is so happy this morning. She tells me, ‘Papa, you bring much happy to passenger today.’ I tell her I will try.” A chuckle bounced across the space between them.

“I didn’t ask for a commentary, only a ride.”

Delayed Justice by Cara Putman

One of my favorite books this autumn was Cara Putman's latest offering, Delayed Justice. This is book three of her Hidden Justice series, so check out the first two books first, to get the full picture on various characters that overlap from story to story (Beyond Justice is book one, and Imperfect Justice is book two).

Here's my review of Delayed Justice, as posted on Goodreads, with added graphics created just for you, dear readers.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson. A positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

Mrs. Putman must have a deep well of courage to have written this book. It isn’t an easy topic. Sexual abuse never is simple. Not only did she broach a difficult theme, but she handled it with a delicate and considerate yet reality-bearing hand. Her approach to the abuse felt masterful. It’s tough to balance the stark reality of sexual abuse and its victims and predators with the grace of salvation. Yet, that’s precisely what this author has done.

The two-perspective approach on the abuse—from a silent victim and one who has already found her voice—was brilliant, as it showed that both types of victims must pair courage with truth to see justice done here on earth. Living out the reality this book portrays takes guts and moxie, and I hope any man, woman, or child who finds themselves a victim will seek out help in order to obtain justice and complete healing.

Reader Input: Favorite Challenge?

It's that time of year when we think back on the year we're wrapping up. Here at Writing to Inspire, that also means thinking about reading challenges.

This is YOUR CHANCE to give me some VALUABLE INPUT.

What was your favorite reading challenge this year?

Here's what we tackled during 2018:

How Much Editing Does a Book Really Need? - Guest Jody Hedlund

Not so very long ago, I read an article about the editing that goes into the making of a book. I found it interesting and thought you might appreciate this behind-the-scenes look too. Please welcome my guest, author Jody Hedlund.

How Much Editing Does a Book Really Need?

by Jody Hedlund

I just finished major edits on a book that’s releasing next summer (2019). It was a tough edit and took me a couple of weeks of full time work. Needless to say, when I got to the end, I was drained.

However, even though I’m done, I’m still in the early stages of editing and will have a lot more to do before the book hits shelves.

Here’s a brief overview of the editing process that most of my books go through:

Edit #1 (Self-Edit): After writing the first draft, I self-edit the book before turning it in to my publisher. Depending upon how much time I have (before it’s due to my publisher), I like to let the book sit (simmer) for a few weeks to a couple of months before I self-edit so that I can gain some perspective before diving back in.