Hi Friend! I'm so glad we've made it to the end of August. For me, the beginning of the school year introduces a much needed welcome rhythm to our home and gives me much more space and quiet to read, write, and think writerly things. Read on to hear about those writerly things. A Book Worth Talking About This month, my favorite book to talk about has THE BEST premise. Before I tell you about it, I want you to think about your favorite science fiction or fantasy book--something with a...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Friend! I'm back with this brief update after skipping the month of May. I'm sure, in just a minute, that will all make sense to you. Some Life Updates: Just a couple days after my last newsletter, my Daddy passed into the arms of Jesus after a long battle with various cancers. Two days after returning home from his Celebration of Life, I left for Texas to celebrate my oldest's graduation from Baylor University and then, a week later, his wedding to sweet Emily. And then I came home. And...
4 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Friend! It's the end of the month and I wish I had more writing news to pass on to you. It's been a challenging month personally so I haven't read or written nearly as much as I would have like. In the middle of the mess, I did attend Calvin University's Festival of Faith and Writing. I'll tell you a little more below. A Different Sort of View: Ross Gay is a poet and essayist who writes about life at the intersection of joy and pain, delight and suffering. He was a plenary speaker at the...
6 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Friend! I know it's been a little bit since my last email. I've been working on a new novel and deciding how best to be present online. This email list is important to me, so I'm working on focusing energy on this. My goal is to send these about every other week (on 2nd & 4th Fridays of each month). They are brief and will always include something fun about a book. Newest Thing you can be part of: If you don't already follow me on social media (and you are not opposed to doing that) would...
6 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Friend! I can hardly believe that we are sitting on the edge of Christmas and then a new year! I love the holiday season--time with my people, giving and receiving gifts, enjoying the beauty of freshly fallen snow or the twinkling lights on our Christmas tree. I also love that this season comes with a built in time of reflection on the year that has gone by. (I love reflecting on things.) I started this year with the word "Flourish." And while every year (and day) has its ups and downs,...
10 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Friend! A sad and embarrassing life... In the midst of everything that was October, I received my very first anonymous, hate-filled email. The person who sent it to me questioned my parenting, my faith, my support for all my kids and my support for LGBTQ folks in general. This person only had a vague understanding of who I was and am, the faith that I hold and the life that I have lived. They felt that hitting me over the head with scripture passages (that I have studied) would convince me...
12 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Friend! It's been a few months. The months of July and August were full of beauty and good work and travels and I was just busy enough to not have a chance to write (or edit or anything). But if you want to see what fun I had traveling to England with my son, Josh, (as well as the absolutely miserable travel experience with airplanes and airports) check out my Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/sammyanne_b/ Also, be sure to follow me there for some fun updates that will start...
about 1 year ago • 3 min read
Hi Friend! I was thinking about you today. We haven't chatted in a while. I've read some great books I want to tell you about, but I'm holding that later. Today, I had a bit of an experience I wanted to share with you. The end of one thing? Today, I visited my favorite local bookstore and a local coffee shop and picked up all the remaining consignment copies of The Unfortunate Life of Genevieve Ryder. They had both held copies for two years. As my note from Schuler's read, "It seems that we...
over 1 year ago • 2 min read
Hi Friend! April was a quiet month. Maybe I was still reeling from the struggle of March, maybe my professional and personal life are very full, maybe my brain was overwhelmed with all that is going on in and around me, regardless, in reflecting on April, I realized something. Even in the quiet, growth is happening. A Time to Recognize the Long Arc of Growth I don't know how else to put it. In March, I shared with you about how hard writing felt. I'd gotten some feedback that was painful. It...
over 1 year ago • 3 min read