The Law, Books, and Life

Do you let God use your pain?

2012-01-30T07:19:00.000-05:00

Last week, in addition to containing our anniversary -- Yeah!, contains the anniversary of our first miscarriage. The two are tied together in many ways. The first year after the miscarriage the grief pulled my under. The second year I still felt it. By this year, a part of me spent the week wondering what that child would have been like. What he or she would have added to our family. But I also

Looking for an alternative to Twilight?

2012-01-27T05:59:00.000-05:00

Today, I'm delighted to introduce you to my friend Heather Burch. Isn't that cover incredible? It's for her debut YA novel, Halflings. I got to know her through first time orientation for the ACFW conference last year. Then I got to spend time with her at the conference. I was delighted to win a basket she donated for the silent auction. And part of that is the copy of her book which is winging

Chasing Mona Lisa Review with Giveaway information

2012-01-26T08:12:00.000-05:00

In Chasing Mona Lisa, Goyer & Yorkey bring back characters from the Swiss Courier and add a host of new characters to a thrilling tale set in Paris and beyond during World War II. This time, the hunt is on to save art that is disappearing into the Nazi abyss while also trying to be in place when Paris changes hands. I love how this duo finds true happenings from World War II and incorporates

Here's a quick way to train for a mini-marathon

2012-01-25T05:59:00.000-05:00

The first weekend in May, Eric and I will run the Indy 500 mini-marathon. This will be my third time, Eric's fourth. While I'm by no means the fastest runner, I actually enjoy the way training forces me to do something those dreary winter months when it's easy to keep my posterior planted on the couch. So how do I get ready? I'm so glad you asked. This month (January) I've tried to get on the

In honor of romance...some reviews!

2012-01-23T22:53:00.000-05:00

My anniversary is this week, so I'm in a romantic mood. So I wanted to tell you about two books I've read recently that I loved! One is The Accidental Bride by Denise Hunter, a contemporary romance set in Montana with a cowboy flair. The other is The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, a delightful regency by Julie Klassen. In The Accidental Bride sets up an almost impossible situation...two people who

Want to take your writing to the next level?

2012-01-20T05:51:00.000-05:00

I'm thrilled that my friend Tricia Goyer and I will be co-teaching a continuing education class at ACFW's conference this fall. This is just one of six sessions -- the only thing that makes me sad about teaching is that I can't attend one of the other sessions! Here's more about our sessions: In this class multi-published, award-winning authors Cara Putman and Tricia Goyer will show you that

Looking for a Game Changer on Prayer?

2012-01-18T22:35:00.000-05:00

The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson is a game changer for me on the way I approach prayer. While prayer is a practice Christians are urged to do as soon as they make a profession of faith, Batterson brings a new approach with the concept of circling our dreams with expectation. And the challenge that if our dreams are small enough that we don't need God's intervention, then we need to ask God

The Shadow of Your Smile Review

2012-01-16T06:12:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit “The Shadow of Your Smile” is one of those novels that pulled me in and kept me reading. Noelle and Eli have been married for years, but after the tragic death of their daughter, they have stayed together, but they haven’t lived. So much history stirs the characters' choices until a marriage is almost ruined. And what happens when Noelle is injured and can't remember Eli?

Devotional for Boys

2012-01-13T05:57:00.000-05:00

Triple Dog Dare is designed to fill a year with devotions for boys. Written by Jeremy V. Jones, it is similar to Truth & Dare, only clearly targeted at the slingshot toting sex. The layout is one verse a day, followed by a summary truth, a short devotional, and a triple dare to apply the truth. Then there's a chance to journal, but without the pretty lines in the girls' version. Each week

Great Devotional for Tween Girls

2012-01-11T05:53:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I've talked about books. So with the arrival of the new year (Happy 2012), I thought I'd tell you about a couple devotionals my older kids are working through this year. Both are designed for kids in the 9 to 12 year old range. You can take a peek at both of these devotionals here. The first is Truth & Dare by Ann-Margaret Hovsepian. This book has a great lay-out. At the

Handling Disappointment...

2012-01-09T08:14:00.001-05:00

It's been an interesting few days at the Putman household. First, I had disappointing news, then my eldest had a disappointing gymnastics meet. Disappointment is terrible. Especially when you've worked as hard as you know how to work and hear that your efforts aren't quite there. They don't reach the level needed. Yet there's no clear direction on how to improve. I cried out to God that I would

Incorporating Your Loves into Your Books

2012-01-06T05:08:00.000-05:00

One of the things I love about writing is the ability to incorporate the things I love into my writing. As a gal right out of college I headed to Washington, D.C., to launch my career in public policy. You see, there weren’t a lot of jobs in Nebraska for a girl with a degree in political science. That was all right with me though because I love D.C. D.C. has an energy, ambition, and pace

Cherry Blossom Capers is Here!

2012-01-04T05:36:00.000-05:00

My latest book has released! Cherry Blossom Capers is a novella collection set in Washington, D.C. That means four of us each wrote a novella -- a story in 20,000 words. The stories are connected because the heroines live in the same neighborhood, the fictional Cherry Blossom Estates. While it may be fictional, it's based on the real Fairlington Village where my husband and I lived for several

How would my parenting change?

2012-01-02T05:30:00.000-05:00

On Friday I wrote about how I wondered about my legacy after the death of a young man from our church. The other direction my thoughts spiraled was to his parents. There was no warning that Saturday would be his last. No chance to say good-bye. My heart broke for them -- not for the young man. And I began to wonder...how would my parenting change if I knew I only had so many more days, months

What's my legacy? What's yours?

2011-12-30T05:22:00.000-05:00

The weekend before Christmas our church lost a young man in a car accident. His death sent my thoughts in a couple different directions. The one that captured me first came as I considered his legacy. This young man was on fire for God. And he had a servant's heart. When we were working on the Joplin project in May, he was one of the two young men who came and gave hours helping us sort and box

A Birthday Party for Two

2011-12-28T05:17:00.000-05:00