Hello Reader,

Have you ever thought about writing a book? There's no better time to get started, especially considering August is National "Publish Your eBook Month."

And, as someone who has published more than a few books and ebooks myself through the years, I can attest that the process is much easier than you might think.

So this week's link list is for all my fellow aspiring authors out there, whether you're just beginning to think about writing or have been sitting on a finished manuscript for months wondering how to get it into print.

If you fall into that last category, check out Kindle Direct Publishing (https://kdp.amazon.com/). It is fast and user-friendly, and will walk you through the process for publishing your ebook (or, if you prefer, a paperback, hardbound, and/or audiobook) for FREE (provided you do the editing and cover design yourself).

Free resources for you this week:

• ​Inspiration for Writing - a few suggestions for how to get started
• ​Just Open a Book - this fun little poem holds another key: good writers are good readers
• ​Perfectionism is a Trap - it's an often paralyzing tendency that can really hold you back
• ​On Procrastination - something else you'll have to overcome if you ever hope to finish
• ​A Blogger's Prayer - 31 verses to pray over your writing in whatever capacity you do it
• ​Read by Everyone Coloring Page - whether you write a book or not, your life tells a story

What I'm reading this week:

We finished Amos Fortune: Free Man by Elizabeth Yates this week, the inspiring true story of an 18th century African prince who was taken captive by slave traders and sold at auction in the state of Massachusetts. He worked hard, saved his money, and eventually purchased not only his own freedom, but that of several other slaves as well. Our family listened to the audiobook, which is included in the Audible Plus catalog and is beautifully read by Ray Childs. Keep some tissues handy if you listen!

On the podcast this week:

Loving Life at Home: Episode 56 ​HOW TO MAKE A PROPER APOLOGY​ Some folks go their entire lives without learning this very important, very basic skill. But the sooner you master it, the sooner you’ll start reaping the benefits in each and every relationship you have. Listen Now

Progress on last week's goals:

I made mixed progress on last week's to-do list: I ✅ made key phone calls, ✅ recorded my podcast (but ❌ not early), ✅ made a stack of stuff for Goodwill (but ❌ didn't drop it off), ✅ packed our bags, ✅ enjoyed our trip (but to Arkansas, ❌ not to Florida, because hurricane Debby), ✅ sent syllabi to all algebra students (but ❌ haven't emailed my leather/woodburning students yet), and ✅ worked on a new print pack (but ❌ haven't added it to my shop).

Personal goals for next week:

• send two boxes of stuff to Goodwill
• send new monthly Bible memory challenge to kids & grandkids
• organize passages I've memorized into a daily review notebook
• purge inbox to < 20 messages
• say goodbye to another daughter who's moving overseas