Friends, in case you haven’t heard—my new Christmas novella SNOW GLOBE SECRETS is here! It was released this month and is book-baby number 10 for me (which is CRAZY!), but the thrill of a brand-new book in the world never gets old. So, grab a hot chocolate or a peppermint mocha and cozy up while we talk all things behind the scenes in Snow Globe Secrets…

Hey friends, I’m delighted to announce I’ll be one of the workshop speakers at the upcoming hope*story conference in FLORIDA this January! Not only am I ecstatic to be trading Canadian snow for Sarasota sunshine, but I also have the joy of hanging out with other writers, speakers, podcasters, and entrepreneurs who want to share their hope-filled words. Plus, I’m totally fangirling over the keynote speaker…

What does one do with a spare afternoon in England? Allow me to suggest BOOKS & BUNS IN BATH. While in the UK last month, Lyndon and I were able to slip away for a 4-hour stroll down Memory Lane in one of my favourite cities in the whole wide world! With a strong affection for bookstores and coffee shops (hands up who’s with me), I was intentional in planning how those 4 hours were going down. We ended up having the best time and I hereby invite you to stroll with us…

Thirty-five years. How have we sailed three-and-a-half decades together on the ocean of life, all those years of marriage in our effervescent wake? After a magical Maui vacation celebrating our anniversary, here I sit in my white office chair at my overly-cluttered desk… my tan fading and those pesky peel-y bits flaking. I’m surrounded by books, to-do lists, a manuscript that needs writing, and a Frenchie who needs walking, but I’m taking a minute to pause and process these 3 things: marriage, music, and Maui. In my mind’s eye, as I stare out over turquoise waters, my husband’s arms wrapped around my waist, his unshaven chin resting on my sun-kissed shoulder, I pray for another 35 years, please… or maybe just come back very soon, Lord Jesus, because I now have rather a taste for paradise!

Hey fellow book lover, how do you choose your next read? Perhaps you’re a “mood reader” and rely on your emotions to lead you along the bookshelf, or perhaps you’re an organized “list queen” and follow your TBR (to-be-read) list to a T. Or perhaps you’re a “seasonal reader” and take inspiration from the rhythms of nature and what’s happening outside your kitchen window. If the latter sounds of interest to you, lean in as I share these six spring reads…

Anyone who knows me well will agree that patience is not exactly my shiniest virtue, and if you know anything about the writing world, you’ll be aware that it is not famous for its expeditiousness. It’s a life of perpetual waiting. But friend, I would like to encourage YOU today if you are in a season of waiting, whatever that looks like. You see, I’ve been waiting for the “write” time to have a particularly special book series published—and finally, I have exciting news to share…

As each year draws to a close and I ponder possibilities for the next, I try to find one particular word to carry into the newness. I wait for one that rises to the surface and won’t be quieted. Mine for 2022 was “surrender” and I have to confess, it was beautiful but also painful at times. Much like life in general. And now as I sit down to write post-holidays after a glorious time spent with family, I unfurl and unpack my one word for 2023, which happens to be “STORY” …

I was supposed to pick up my son from the airport on Monday morning. Until his flights were cancelled. Multiple times over multiple days. And now our Christmas destination is currently experiencing a white-out of epic proportions. #Canadianwinterweatherthings. There’s not a holly-jolly thing I can do about any of it, so I force myself to exhale a long, slow stream of air… and remember there is One who is actually in control of my out-of-control Christmas! And, friend, maybe you need to lean in and hear this, too…

As we fa-la-la our way to the end of another year, it warms my bookish heart to continue my tradition by sharing “SIX SWEET READS IN 2022” with you. Whether you’re curious to see what captured my heart in the past 12 months or you’re looking for Christmas gift ideas, I hope you enjoy my selections. As per usual, it was ridiculously impossible trying to pluck only six from my beloved bookshelves…