Brian Stansell

@calidris

Hi Calidris,

I am so very proud of you!

Yes, I absolutely understand.  There is no way to be sure.  Be careful out there.

I well know that period, and my wife is from Russia (she is a Christian and translated for American Missionaries when she was in college there), so I have a perspective from both sides of the Cold War and the a…[Read more]

@calidris

Hello, Calidris!

Very nice to meet you!

I am a LotR fan as well and have the Extended Collection of the DVDs to get the most out of the movies, as well as owning the books by the Lore Master (Mr. Tolkien) himself.  I am a big fan of both he and C.S. Lewis and of their predecessor George MacDonald.
It is interesting that you enjoy The…[Read more]

@emily-waldorf

Well hello, Emily!

Welcome! Welcome! I am so glad that you are joining our band of brothers and sisters in the pursuit of creative expressions.

I am one of the “ancient ones” here, but don’t let that alarm you.  My Jedi skills are still being sorted out, and I still have very much to learn, even though I have been at it many,…[Read more]

@noah-cochran

Hi Noah,

Metal: dappled, patina, sheen, silvered, opalescent, marbled, shimmering, burnished, brazen, prismatic, bronzed, flame-kissed, blued, glint, tarnished, encrusted, rusted, oxidized, polished, honed, gilded, forged, wrought, cast, blackened, milled, alloyed, textured, grained, brushed, hammered, corrugated, galvanized,…[Read more]

@joy-caroline

Hi Joy,

Yes, please do!

Here is the link to the self-publishing packages at WestBow Press. Link

I went with the “Bookstore Advantage”.

My current blog site is in my profile here on Story Embers.

@tanyacreative

Hi Tanya,

I am so very glad I could help.

Depression is something so many people struggle with because, too often, there is an identity crisis involved.  People try to find their worth in so many other things, rather than in the love and acceptance of their Savior.  It is important the we understand that God sees those who have a…[Read more]

@joy-caroline

Hi Joy,

I would love to read some of your work. Do you ever share it with beta readers?  I have a particular affinity for the Apostle Paul.

I had heard the same.  I wanted to retain the full title to my work and a better percentage so I am going the self-publishing route.  It is more costly on the front end, but not too far ou…[Read more]

@noah-cochran

@rose-colored-fancy

Hi Rosea and Noah,

That’s what I did too.  In late September of 2019, I did sign a contract with Westbow Press (A division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Publishing) to publish the first book of the series, but I had already written the Prologue and sixty-six chapters of the series and would continue…[Read more]

@tanyacreative

Hi Tanya,

I’m Brian.  I do have some characters going through some very tough mental and emotional challenges too.

Boy, that’s a tough one!  I think if you make the psychology of the main character authentic, and give us a sense of the internal struggle she is facing, it could be interesting, but you need to keep her s…[Read more]

I tend to be an evening writer.  I have always been a night owl and come from a family of night owls. 🦉

My writing speed varies, based on when I am “in the zone” or staggering through searching just for the right word or evocative mood or working with phrasing.  In “editor” mode I am much, much slower ergo in “draft” mode I am… well you get t…[Read more]

@rose-colored-fancy

Hi Rose,

I think your idea is cool too.
Often times my reference points come from Scripture, especially those that arise out of the historic Jewish culture and their traditions.  I think there must’ve been some external way to identify the 12 tribes of Israel so that one could identify their kindred among the many in the…[Read more]