The Beginnings of Book Writing

In the beginning, there was an idea… that turned into a story… that turned into a paragraph… that became a chapter… then a manuscript… then a beautiful book on the shelf. Sounds simple, right? I won’t lie. The process of writing a book isn’t what I would deem EASY, but it is worth it. And it is doable, even if you …

Kariss Uncategorized, Writing, Writing Life Leave a Comment

Red, White, and Books!

Happy 4th of July week, Warriors! There’s something fun about this holiday isn’t there? I love the fact that we can put aside whatever divides us to celebrate what unites us. We are Americans. #sameteam I was raised in a patriotic family. In fact my favorite service at our church every year involved the Armed Forces Medley. Every time a …

Kariss Behind the Scenes, Book Suggestions, Giveaways/Contests, Heart of a Warrior, Writing Leave a Comment

Books for Christmas – Now Closed

Clearly I am bad at blog writing. I would apologize, but sometimes it’s good to know our strengths, weaknesses, and priorities. Am I right? I am constantly learning this balance. I imagine you are, too. But enough about boundaries, because this post is all about CHRISTMAS and possibilities and gifts. That’s one way to start this blog back up! If …

Kariss Heart of a Warrior, Writing 1 Comment

Behind the Scenes of the Heart of a Warrior Series

I’ve been working on a project for my day job centered around this idea: “What does it mean to be courageous?” And it got me thinking about the beginnings of the Heart of a Warrior series. This series began in a fourth-grade classroom while I was substitute teaching. They were taking a quiz, and I had just watched a news update on …

Kariss Behind the Scenes, Heart of a Warrior, Writing, Writing Life Leave a Comment

On Navy SEALs and Fiction

One of the most common questions I get about the Heart of a Warrior series is: Why Navy SEALs? I usually give one answer or another: My brother considered becoming a SEAL at one point. One of my favorite movies, Tears of the Sun, showed me what flawed men and a flawed mission can sometimes accomplish when our perspective changes. …

Kariss Writing, Writing Life 4 Comments

Expect

Since October, I’ve had a heart fixed on the stars. I sat under a cold Minnesota sky with writer friends all around and watched stars sparkle while a fire danced and crackled in front of me. Since childhood, the stars and the night sky have been my thing – my time with the Lord, my time to dream and be …

Kariss Blog, Expectation, Writing, Writing Life 2 Comments