Lisa Michelle Hess

I believe that divine love, incarnate and indwelling in the world, summons the world always toward wholeness..." ~ Wendell Berry, The Art of the Commonplace The deepest vocational question is not, "What ought I to do with my life?" but "Who am I? What is my nature?" ~ Parker J. Palmer, Let Your Voice Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation I started a job in a Barnes & Noble bookstore a few months ago. If you walk through the front doors with me, there are several ways we

*This post includes a spoiler (of sorts) for Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo. If you plan to read this book and haven't yet, save this one for later ;) * I posted the quote below on FB recently, so you who are my friends may have seen it before; bear with me. It caught my attention because I’ve been thinking a lot about how to write my current novel to reflect real love and friendship without explicitly saying or preaching about it. This struck me as a good example of writi

Time for a MAN ON THE FLOOR! edition of Writing Without A Wife, in which I manage to be a fly on the wall (mostly) while historical fiction author Peter Leavell and Amish fiction author Patrick E. Craig discuss, among other things, what it’s like to be the only male writer in the room. Join me… Lisa: You’re both working in female-dominated genres. Do you ever sense any gender bias? Patrick: Some. I don’t write typical Amish fiction. Most Amish fiction these days is light-hear

They had all received a personal invitation, but where was their host? The guests stole glances at each other, a few exchanged pleasantries, as they gathered in the study. It was only after the door was closed firmly behind them that they noticed the shadowy form on the floor. Some held back, while others approached the scene with increasing dread. There was no denying it; a murder had been committed. The year was 2013, and there on the ground before them lay an author’s body

“I’m reading John Le Carre’s The Constant Gardener right now. Frankly, it’s making me feel more inadequate than I’ve felt in a long time.” ~ Elisabeth George, in her journal (after publishing twelve bestsellers). Her story starts in the place all good fiction writers start—with a deep feeling of inadequacy, a certainty that she isn’t good enough. “Don’t even try to be a writer,” she tells herself, “unless you can come out with the next To Kill A Mockingbird.” She’s sure she w

Robin Lee Hatcher is the best-selling author of over seventy-five books. Her well drawn characters and heartwarming stories of faith, courage, and love have earned her both critical acclaim and the devotion of readers. Here at WriWoW, she kindly agreed to answer all the questions you've always had for a famous romance novelist, but were afraid to ask... DEAR ROBIN: I love your novels! They have inspired me to become a writer, but I’m afraid my protagonist is a little too, how

This is it, the post that started my Writing Without a Wife journey, and became fascinating and illuminating interviews with primarily, but not exclusively female authors and artists about their journeys, as well as their best advice for balancing life and art. Join me on this site in the coming months as they tell you all their secrets, like: Successful romance and women's fiction author Robin Lee Hatcher, with advice for the lovelorn writer; British mystery author Donna Fle