MAY 2023
Authors That Stir
My Heart & Soul

I am often asked “Who is your favorite writer?” 

And I immediately think, What? Are you kidding?

That’s like asking me to name my favorite grandchild or brand of chocolate!
Not fair. At. All!

There’s no way I can only choose just one, but I’ll narrow it down a little. Here are some of my most favorite authors. In the fiction field, these are the ones who have inspired me the most in my own mission of writing stories that stir heart and soul:

Elizabeth Berg (The Pull of the Moon, The Year of Pleasures + more)
Elizabeth Cunningham (The Maeve Chronicles)
Lisa Wingate (The Summer House, The Language of Sycamores + more)
Eileen Garvin (The Music of Bees)
Jodi Picoult (The Pact, Mad Honey, The Storyteller)
Patti Callahan (Once Upon a Wardrobe)
Catherine Ryan Hyde (soooo many!)
Erica Bauermeister (The Scent Keeper, Joy for Beginners)

Of course, there's not enough room here to list them all. The best thing is that the more I read and the more I stay open, the more heart and soul-stirring books find their way to me!

There are also some insight-full, soul-full, and immensely wise non-fiction authors who make the top of my list:

Jennifer Louden
Jeff Foster
Tara Brach
Mark Nepo

I'd love to hear YOUR favorite heart-and-soul-stirring authors also! Please send a reply to this email to let me know.
 🏆 April Give-Away Winners 🏆

Congratulations to our April readers who each received
a paperback copy of South of the Buttonwood Tree by Heather Webber.

Lisa from New York
Betty from Pennsylvania

Didn't win? Not to worry, you can try again right now . . .
MAY Fiction Give-Aways:
Recommended
Heart & Soul-Stirring Story

This month I'm giving away TWO paperback copies of Tending Roses by Lisa Wingate.

When Kate Bowman temporarily moves to her grandmother's Missouri farm with her husband and baby son, she learns that the lessons that most enrich our lives often come unexpectedly. The family has given Kate the job of convincing Grandma Rose, who's become increasingly stubborn and forgetful, to move off her beloved land and into a nursing home.

But Kate knows such a change would break her grandmother's heart. Just when Kate despairs of finding answers, she discovers her grandma's journal. The beautiful handmade notebook is full of stories that celebrate the importance of family, friendship, and faith. Stories that make Kate see her life--and her grandmother--in a completely new way....

To enter, just fill out the short form here and I'll do a random drawing THIS SUNDAY MAY 14. I'll send you an email notice that you've won,
and I'll ask for your snail mail address after that!
(NOTE: I use the random generator at random.org to choose the winners
so it's all fair and square.)
Greetings! thank you for reading my author newsletter! This is me last year writing in my journal at our annual KaleidoSoul retreat. I love all kinds of writing and was so into it, I didn't even know that someone was taking my picture!

In between newsletters, I'll be posting more often on Instagram, my blog, and/or my Facebook Author page, so please be sure to visit me there too.

I'd love for you to reply to this email with any questions about the writing process, or the name of one of your own favorite authors who stir YOUR heart and soul. And don't forget to enter our May fiction give-away, a heartwarming story that will stir your heart and soul.

I'm always happy to hear from my readers and 98% of the time respond within 24 hours.

Keep on reading stories that stir your heart and soul,