daily grace

I wrote and compiled most of A Daybook of Grace a couple years ago and "packaged" it for Fall River Press (an imprint of Sterling Publishing, owned by Barnes & Noble). After three years in the market, the publishing team at Falls River recently updated and upgraded it with an exquisite new cover. (Thanks Stefan and Betsy.)

This project will always be near and dear to my heart for a couple of reasons. Of course I like (and really need) a daily devotional book to help me focus spiritually and emotionally each morning. I also like the title and the theme of daily grace. There are certainly some mad-dash sprints in life, but overall it is a marathon that takes daily endurance.

how to make march madness even madder

On "Selection Sunday" each year, a committee appointed by the NCAA selects and seeds the top 64 Division I men's basketball programs to play in their championship tournament. Oh, in case you missed it, there is an Opening Round that started in 2001 where two teams played for the final spot in the tournament. Starting in 2010 there were four play-in games, so 68 teams get selected for the tournament. The winner of each play-in game would go to one of the four regions, except this year, when two went to one region. Go figure.

What most of us think of as the first round is actually the second round. But on to my point of how to make March Madness even madder.

Even with 68 teams making the tournament, there is angst and gnashing of teeth and cries of "no fair" for those "bubble teams" that don't make the tournament. No matter where you draw the line this would be the case, of course. (Note: Just because the top four NCAA DI college football teams play a mini tournament starting this year, don't believe for a second that there won't be impassioned cries of "unfair" from the next few teams in the final BCS rankings or whatever rankings they use.)

a look at the Christian fiction category

Publishing professional and friend, Dan Balow, recently took a look at the Christian fiction category in his blog for the Steve Laube Agency. His analysis includes some counterintuitive insights for publishers and some very specific advice to retailers that I wanted to share here. (Since my novels are considered "tweeners" - somewhere between the Christian and general markets, I especially appreciated what he had to say.) Dan - thanks for permission to use the following!

Just how well is Christian fiction doing?

Last year, two Christian publishers downsized or suspended their fiction programs. Currently, some Christian publishers are nervous about fiction and in a wait-and-see mode before they attempt to expand it or try new things. Others are excited about growth potential in the category and are taking an aggressive stance toward it.

the first super bowl: 6 fun trivia facts

The Chief's' Willie Mitchell tackles the Packers' Carroll Dale.

The first Super Bowls was held January 15, 1967, pitting the Green Bay Packers of the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs of the AFL. The two competing leagues had just merged, so there was even more animosity tied to the game than usual. The Green Bay Packers from the more established NFL won, as expected, 35-10.

To football fanatics the basic facts stated above are common knowledge. But here are six fun trivia facts you might not know.

1. The first Super Bowl actually wasn't called the Super Bowl. It was first touted as the AFL-NFL World Championship Game.  The game was such a big hit by the second year that it was felt the

5 Stars for Sherlock

CBS has brought a contemporary Sherlock Holmes to America and added a whole new look (and gender) to Dr. Watson (played by Lucy Liu) in their hit show Elementary. I hear it is very good. I'm sure it is. But I have a problem with it even though I've never seen it.

It's not the BBC's rendition of Sherlock Holmes, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the world's greatest detective, and Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson. (Freeman starred as Bilbo Baggins in the second installment of The Hobbit, The Desolation of Smaug, and I kept waiting for him to help someone solve a crime.)

Having read all of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories and novels as a kid, I love that the producers are steeped in the history and nuances of the Victorian Holmes. They have done a masterful job in bringing him to life in modern London while honoring Doyle's original stories. It is obvious they are raving fans. And thank you to another fan, my daughter Lindsey, who introduced me to the BBC iteration.

improve your life by improving your choices!

The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.

William James

Happy New Year!

It's time to put up a new wall calendar and it's the season when our thoughts turn to goals and resolutions that will improve our lives. Advertisers love to remind us: new year, new you.

I don't know if the following choices qualify as goals or resolutions, but as I pondered on what makes life better, here are five choices I want to make this year.

1. let go of a grudge.

Life is too short to live in strife. Even if you have been done wrong and own a legitimate grievance ...