​One of the things that really interests me is what keeps a writer writing. Rejections, rewrites, marketing and less enthusiastic sales can make it hard to remember why we started out in the first place. But the "writing why" matters and, oftentimes, it’s what keeps writers going when things get tough.
I asked three writers recently, about the "why" behind their work and what keeps them going when discouragement sets in. Janet McHenry is the author of 27 traditionally published books, including eight on the topic of prayer. Maureen Miller has just published her debut novel, and Dr. Ronda Wells is a writer for Guideposts and will be launching her second novel this year. Three very different writers, but a similar thread of faith holding them steady. I hope you find this interview as encouraging as I did!

When thinking about who to interview for my series of blog posts about how we interact with children's books, I immediately thought of my friend Edie Melson.
Edie is a writer, yes, so we already know she loves books. But she's also a thoughtful Christian woman whose life is grounded in her love of God's word and prayer. And, she's a grandma! So I was keen to ask how she uses children's books, and what she looks for when choosing them for her grandkids and family. 
Here's what she had to say:

It was a real treat having April Graney as my featured author for this month! April is a US based children's writer I 'met' as a member of the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA). She is real about faith and life, and her kids books are focused on helping kids grow in compassion no matter their context. Her newest book is also available here in Australia - something I was very excited to discover! 

Dienece Darling is a 'former Georgia Belle' who now lives (and writes) in Australia. She's an historical fiction author who loves learning about regency England and incoporating what she learns about life, faith and history into the stories she write. She's also part of Australia's Christian Writing Network, Omega Writers, which is how I heard about her. I enjoyed interviewing Dienece for my monthly author interview series to hearing more about her work and that fascinating way the very act of writing can help us grow.

I get very excited when new Australian Christian children's books arrive on the scene. This is partly because there aren't very many of them. But it's also because those that do make it through the gauntlet of publishing hurdles are usually saying something rather special. They're looking at things from a slightly different angle, and the truths they explore can be powerful as a result. Simon Camilleri is a poet, speaker, graphic designer and the author of some of these types of books. I was grateful to be able to interview him in the midst of the whirlwind of launching his newest children's book, Read, Think, Pray, Do - a kid's guide to reading the Bible!