Andrea Renee Cox's Blog, page 8

Favorite Christmas Movies

This year has blazed by in busyness. While I’ve kept whirling through all the things in December, I’ve also made time to fit in quite a few Christmas and winter-themed movies (only fifteen more to go, which will likely carry over into January). Most of these have served as background noise while I was working on edits as I fit in one more work project for this year, but I have enjoyed several while doing nothing but hanging out with my parents and eating dinner and dessert. Those moments were ch...

Book Quote Extravaganza

Friends, it’s hard to believe we’re coming to the end of another year. This one was quite busy for me, particularly when it came to edit jobs (for which I’m very grateful), but I still managed to read over 125 books.

While I didn’t jot down favorite quotes from all of them, I enjoyed plenty of spectacular lines throughout the year. Here are just a few that stood out to me when I was reading.

A couple of these books ended up being unrecommendable, but even books I don’t enjoy sometimes have...

Debunking the Myth of “Write What You Know”

“Write what you know.”

That is basic writing advice that has been passed around ever since I started learning how to put my ideas to paper–and probably LONG before. It’s a maxim that never rang true to me. Now that I’ve had twenty years to think it over, I still believe it’s a myth that needs debunking.

Back in middle and high school, when I was doing research papers for English class, I didn’t write what I knew. I wrote what I learned through research. My research papers ranged from Ma...

Writing Update November 2023

Write In Faith Camp is nearly finished for this session. Overall, it’s been quite successful for me.

A pair of the projects I chose for the month moved forward, and two new ideas sparked into works-in-progress for me. That is a hazard of being a writer. Usually, the more creative work I do, the more story ideas filter through my brain. I typically jot them down and then get back to work on my current projects, but sometimes, like this month, they ignite so strongly that they beg to be play...

Five Things I’m Thankful For

Quick book news before I dive into my five thankfuls:

Seize the Love anthology is going out of print on February 14, 2024. If you haven’t yet snagged a copy of this book, now’s the time, friends. It makes a great Christmas gift for all the readers in your life.

My story in the collection is A Baker’s Heart: After nurturing her own soul with prayer and a favorite book, Cressidia-Lydia bakes scrumptious treats to feed the souls of her neighbors.

Also in the collection is a story called...

“Worthy of His Wages”

Before we dive into today’s article, I have a quick fun note for you.

There is a Springtime in Surrey Art Contest going on right now. All the details may be found on the Wild Blue Wonder Press website.

I hope you’ll have fun bringing to visual life the characters or setting of your favorite Springtime in Surrey novella!

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Friends, this article has been percolating in my mind for two years. I knew I wanted to write it, but I didn’t want to rush it. I wanted to give myself plenty ...

One-on-One Interview with Bailey Gaines

Hello, friends. Today, I’m doing a one-on-one interview with fellow Springtime in Surrey author Bailey Gaines. In this format, we are interviewing one another, so one question and answer will lead into the next. I hope you enjoy it!

Our stories in Springtime in Surrey are:

The Cottage on the Hill by Andrea Renee Cox
If I Knew You Were Coming by Bailey Gaines

Please stay tuned after the interview to learn more about each of these stories.

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Couple of announcements before we ge...

I’m Starting a Newsletter

Friends, I never thought I’d do a newsletter, but here I am, starting a newsletter.

If you sign up for my newsletter, it will arrive in your inbox on the first Tuesday of every month. It will provide you with book news, faith journey notes, and links to recent blog articles. Additionally, there may be an occasional favorite recipe, research tidbits, and random life or hobby updates.

The sign-ups are open now, in the right-hand sidebar here on the blog as well as on the Newsletter page. You...

My Plans for WIF Camp

Write In Faith (WIF) Camp begins in nine days.

I’m nervous and excited and cannot wait to get started. While I wait for that magical day to arrive, I’m planning out what stories I’ll work on during the month of November.

Note: These are working titles. They may be changed before publication.

Melting-Pot Thanksgiving

First and foremost is the short story I’ll be submitting to Wild Blue Wonder Press’s second anthology, Novelists in November. I’m excited about this story about a fost...

Five Reasons Why I’m Looking Forward to WIF Camp

It’s Write In Faith (WIF) Camp season again, and I can hardly wait to get started. Here are a few reasons why.

Reason #1: Friends

WIF Camp is a place where friendships are built. I love getting to know my fellow campers better each session and seeing what fun projects they’re working on and chatting about this, that, and the other with everyone. Spending time with like-minded Christians who also happen to be writers is great fun for me, because not only can we talk about life and faith,...