Tanara McCauley

Culturally Imagined Stories

Tag: books

  • The Cookie Jar

    “A cookie jar, though beautiful, will always disappoint if found empty.” My cookie jar is empty. It’s seen a batch or two–maybe–in the months since I returned home from Mount Hermon’s Christian Writers Conference; but for the most part it’s been unoccupied. Relieved of duty. Free of tenants. And for a while I blamed my […]

  • Summer Reading

    School’s out next week, which translates into more time for reading and writing, both for me and the kids. While I have quite a few books on my to-be-read (TBR) list already, I’m always looking to add more, and now is a better time than ever to swap recommendations. If you have a few novels […]

  • The Knight in Blue Jeans

    My phone alerted me to a text. I paused to read it and shook my head. It was from my husband, his latest response to a series of messages between us. I tapped the reply square. “You’re such a man.” And I didn’t mean that in a “you’re the hunk of my dreams and I […]

  • The Write Kind of Life

    The Write Kind of Life

    Writing is a solitary business. Sure, lots of people do it. But when it’s time to put words to page, the writer is often isolated behind four walls. We talk to ourselves. We get talked to by inspirational quotes we’ve framed, tacked, or taped all around the writing den, not to mention characters we’ve made […]

  • The Phoenix Rattler

    A rattlesnake is a fascinating (albeit formidable) creature. A mixture of strength, mystery, beauty and stealth, this unpredictable reptile has earned the awe with which humans regard it. For when least expected, it strikes. And its effects on the subject are not soon forgotten. The Christian Writers of the West (CWOW) are in search of entries for our […]

  • Dare to Live the Dream

    Every dream has a starting point. My love of reading, and the eventual desire to write, began in the pages of two childhood classics. Where the Red Fern Grows is the first book to ever make me weep. Not cry. Weep. Hysterically. As if my house had just gone up in flames and every family […]

  • Paper or Plastic?

    Aside from your regularly scheduled writing time (you do have that don’t you????) how do you write when spontaneous inspiration hits? Do you grab a notepad and scribble away? Or do you drum your fingers while waiting for the computer to boot up (or your tablet to charge, or your kid to pause Angry Birds on […]

  • What Happens Next?

    My mind is always churning. I comfort myself with the notion that I’m a writer and, as such, my thoughts should walk a creative distance outside the box of normal thinking folks. Honestly, though, sometimes I suspect I’m a blurted comment away from being professionally observed. As for those thoughts I think, they tend to […]

  • Seven Books in Seven Weeks

    I’m constantly reading. Sometimes, if I’m lucky, I’ll find a book impossible to put down and conquer it in a day. Other times I’ll find one that’s good but I can put it down, so with the day-to-day of family and other responsibilities it’ll take me a little longer to get through it. And last, […]

  • Angel with a Gun – Truth or Fiction Story 7

    We’ve reached the last installment of Truth or Fiction Tuesdays! If you’re new to the series and would like to participate in the giveaway click here for more information. Angel with a Gun “Don’t worry, okay,” Kenny said, “Rod knows what he’s doing. We’ve done it before.” Sienna threw him a sideways glance then looked again […]