You remember what it was like to want to go tot he big concerts with all your friends, don't you? I sure do! In fact, one of my first acts of major rebellion was to sneak out of my house to go see Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. I know...I was craaa-aaa-zy! Maybe you'd allow a MWS, Skillet, or Third Day concert, but would say no to some others. That's great. Use your discernment to decide what's right for your tweens and teens, and then stick to it. But...

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Looks the same, right? Good! I just had my website moved to a new host to improve the speed. How was it? Faster? Who moves their website mere days before a book release and right in the middle of a deadline? Yeah, that would be me. I mean, wow! It was taking up to 30 seconds to load the home page. That was nuts! Thanks to Margaret Fisk, web guru and coder extraodinaire, it only took me a minute or two–she did all the work while I teased her on instant message. LOVE that arrangement! So, it’s in the process of doing all the propogating or whatever it has to do. Mar said that was like gossip…have to wait until the rumor spreads through the net…now THAT I get. But, if I understand correctly, if you’re reading this post, you’ve made it to the new home. So, YAY. Waving a welcome.    

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Join me tonight on Teen Talk Radio at 10pm EST as I chat with Betsy St. Amant while we attempt to answer some tough questions about dating. When is the right time to start? How do I know if a guy is a good choice? Where should I go on dates? What kinds of dates are best? When should I say no?

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Girl talk releases on 2/1 in bookstores everywhere, like right here on Amazon. If you're local to Champaign, IL, my two co-authors, Natalie (14) and Emily (11) and I will be at the Family Bookstore on 2/4 to launch the book, then again in the Orland Park store on 2/11.

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On one hand, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that much of what fills my plate is of God. On the other hand, I know that He never asked me to complete my tasks at super-human speed. On one hand, I know that my heart is right and that I want nothing more than to be a light and share God Word and His plan with other people. On the other hand, I know that He wants me to know Him as much as I want to make Him known. On one hand, I wouldn't trade a bit of what I have on my plate for an empty one. On the other hand, a nap would be nice.

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Looks the same, right? Good! I just had my website moved to a new host to improve the speed. How was it? Faster? Who moves their website mere days before a book release and right in the middle of a deadline? Yeah, that would be me. I mean, wow! It was taking up to 30 seconds to load the home page. That was nuts! Thanks to Margaret Fisk, web guru and coder extraodinaire, it only took me a minute or two–she did all the work while I teased her on instant message. LOVE that arrangement! So, it’s in the process of doing all the propogating or whatever it has to do. Mar said that was like gossip…have to wait until the rumor spreads through the net…now THAT I get. But, if I understand correctly, if you’re reading this post, you’ve made it to the new home. So, YAY. Waving a welcome.    

Read more

Join me tonight on Teen Talk Radio at 10pm EST as I chat with Betsy St. Amant while we attempt to answer some tough questions about dating. When is the right time to start? How do I know if a guy is a good choice? Where should I go on dates? What kinds of dates are best? When should I say no?

Read more

Girl talk releases on 2/1 in bookstores everywhere, like right here on Amazon. If you're local to Champaign, IL, my two co-authors, Natalie (14) and Emily (11) and I will be at the Family Bookstore on 2/4 to launch the book, then again in the Orland Park store on 2/11.

Read more

On one hand, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that much of what fills my plate is of God. On the other hand, I know that He never asked me to complete my tasks at super-human speed. On one hand, I know that my heart is right and that I want nothing more than to be a light and share God Word and His plan with other people. On the other hand, I know that He wants me to know Him as much as I want to make Him known. On one hand, I wouldn't trade a bit of what I have on my plate for an empty one. On the other hand, a nap would be nice.

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My first guest is Stephanie Morrill. She's the host of a great website for teen writers called Go Teen Writers! and she's also the author of a super fun series called The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt. Tonight we'll be talking about Steph's books, and we'll also ask (and attempt to answer) the question: What's the big deal about purity? Following my chat with Stephanie, we'll be switching gears completely. We'll hear from Lisa Grace, the author of "the Christian's alternative to the Twilight series." The first in her series has been optioned for a movie. Join us to hear all about that process.

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