I’m sitting at the table with Kate on the eve of her recital in Hamilton and she’s busy trying to finish a theology essay. I’ve just been reading some of her notes and found a beautiful passage from Augustine:

“Man’s maker was made man, that He, the Ruler of the stars, might nurse at His mother’s breasts; that the Bread might be hungry; the Fountain thirst; the Light sleep… read more | 1 Comment

Yesterday I went to the Whangarei court to get my homeschooling form signed. And I signed off Eliza as having finished school! My third child to graduate!! I now have only three students in my home school! Where have the years gone? Eliza is about to sit her ATCL in Classical Singing this Friday – exciting! And Kate… read more | 2 Comments

This is a special post to all my fans (big and little) who have written to me over the last few years and told me how much they’ve enjoyed my books! I am about to send off my next book in The Barn Chronicles to the publisher and printer, and am wanting to put a few messages in there from some of my readers about how much they love… read more | 3 Comments

 Omega Writers has the utmost pleasure in announcing the category winners of the 2011 CALEB Prize for faith-inspired writing.
Chuck Colson said, ‘Good literature has the power to change people’s thinking and change people’s lives.’
Not many months ago… read more

Well, I’m back home after a wonderful weekend in Brisbane! I flew there on Friday and went straight to the CALEB book awards dinner. When it came time to announce the 2011 CALEB  children’s book award my heart was pounding so hard I felt like it was going to jump right out and run away! What a thrill it was when… read more | 8 Comments

What on earth  is a fumblerule? Let me give you one before I tell you.  ‘Avoid cliches like the plague.’ Want one more? What about this one?  ‘Don’t use no double negatives. I’m sure you’ve got it. A fumblerule is a rule that breaks itself; mistakes that call attention to the rule. William… read more | 1 Comment

I’ve been doing a bit of reading lately about Ernest Hemmingway.
He  was famous for a terse minimalist style of writing that dispensed with flowery adjectives and got straight to the point. He was challenged once to write an entire story in just six words. This is what he… read more | 1 Comment

This Friday I’m heading to Brisbane for a long weekend to attend the Word Writers Fair. On the Friday night is the Awards dinner for the CALEB book awards.Where Arrows Fly is one of three finalists in the children’s section. That’ll be a nerve-wracking night! Last year Where Lions Roar at Night won the children’s section… read more | 3 Comments

Today my darling Kate turns 21!! I can hardly believe it. I remember well the joy of getting her first beautiful smiles.
I sat on my bed this morning reading through the diary I’ve kept for her since she was a baby, laughing at the funny things she’s said and crying at some of the tender moments… read more | 3 Comments

We’ve had eight gorgeous little chickens hatch! Cackleberry is the proud mother of an assortment of chickens – white, russet, black, and brown. At least she sat on the eggs and hatched them. Milly put a few from each of her hens under her, so we have leghorns, bantams, plymouth barred rocks… Prince Rilian is the proud dad… read more | 4 Comments