Books in the Short and Sweet series

Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9 TLBJoin the 45 authors listed below as they share personal stories of life, love, and how their faith shaped what they experienced during the health crisis that shook the world.Contributors:Becky Alexander, Karen O. Allen, Denise Arzoian, Deborah Borman. Lanita Bradley Boyd, Ann L. Coker, Jennifer Cotney, Lin Daniels, Jon Drury, Glenda Ferguson, Pamela Groves, Leah Hinton, Peggy House, Barb Howe, Patricia Huey, Penny L. Hunt, Tina Hunt, Debbie Jansen, Richard Kehoe, Liz Kimmel, Barbara Latta, Allyson West Lewis, Marty Magee, Jill Allen Maisch, Tennille Marie, Maxine Marsolini, Angela Mattingly, Allison McCormick,, Joy E. Miller, Cristina Moore, Alice H. Murray, Jeanne Roberson, Kim Robinson, Toni Armstrong Sample, Kevin Louise Schaner, Xavia Arndt Sheffield, Judson I. Stone, Ann Clark Van Hine, Shelli Virtue, Susan Wade, Margery Kisby Warder, Jan White, Kenneth Avon White,. Peg Willis, Michael Wolff

What's in a name? Actually, quite a bit. Since they're the first thing we own - and not easy to unload - our names play a huge role in our lives, for better or for worse.Often a name represents heritage. Sometimes it reflects whimsy or an intent to be clever or unique. Other times it carries special meaning.Though most people are content with the names they have, some change them for reasons ranging from convenience to self-preservation. Others can only wish they'd had a chance to change their names. As you might expect, a majority of the 53 authors in this book either really love or really hate their names . . . for good reasons. Some share why for the very first time.Contributors: Becky Alexander, Mary Alice Archer, Patty Barry, Susan Brehmer, Gene Burgess, Frank Caudle, Verdia Yvonne Conner, Penny Cooke, Yolando Cooksey, Lin Daniels, Jorja Davis, Diana DiMaggio, Rhonda Dragomir, Susan Engebrecht, Barbara Farland, Glenda Ferguson, Desiree Glass, Kelly Godzwa, Jean Matthew Hall, Mary Frances Heitzman, Leah Hinton, Doris Hoover, Penny L. Hunt, Liz Kimmel, Susan Cheeves King, Rita Klundt, Debra Kornfield, Linda L. Kruschke, Billie Joy Langston John Leatherman, Allyson West Lewis, Terry Magness, Jill Allen Maisch, Cristina Moore, Patricia Tiffany Morris, Alice H. Murray, Suzanne Dodge Nichols, Julie Ann Payne, Shelley Pierce, S. E. Pruitt, Mary Lou Redding, Jeanne Roberson, Martha Rogers, Ed Sanabia, Bill Sanner, Kevin Schaner, Xavia Arndt Sheffield , Judson I. Stone , Wilma Vernich, Candice Weathers, Kenneth Avon White, A. DiAnne Wilson, Kellie Zeigler

Have you ever thought that great writers need to use long, fancy words in order to tell a story? If so, you'd be wrong. The truth is, too many words, and words that are not familiar to the average person, just get in the way. Short words are powerful because they are easy to read, easy to grasp, and easy to recall. In this book, the fourth in the series, these authors prove just how effective it can be to keep it Short and Sweet - whether it's fiction, non-fiction, or poetry.Contributors include: Tabitha Abel, Jeff Adams, Karen O'Kelley Allen, Sharon Atwood, Adam Benson, Lanita Bradley Boyd, Adora (Jenny) Calvert, Jeanetta Chrystie, Karen Condit, Sharon Cook, Lauren Craft, Lin Daniels, Jorja Davis, Karen deBlieck, Troy Dennis, Jon Drury, Patricia A. Earl, Sharon Fincannon, Joanne Fleck, Pat Gerbrandt, Pamela Groupe Groves, Carol Harrison, Leah Hinton, Paul Aaron Hinton, Becky Hitchcock, Craig Hodgins, Doris Hoover, Patricia Huey, Sheila Humphrey, Tina M. Hunt, Liz Kimmel, Bob LaForge, Marcia Lee Laycock, Alice H. Murray, Suzanne Dodge Nichols, Marcy King O'Rourke, Debra Pierce, Shelley Pierce, Karma Pratt, Frank Ramirez, Mary Lou Redding, Reba Rhyne, Susanna Robar, Tony Roberts, Dottie Rogers, Sue Rosenfeld, Michelle Ruschman, Carol Schafer, Leslie Neal Segraves, E.V. Sparrow, Jack Scott Stanley, Kay Marshall Strom, Jewell Utt, Wilma R. Vernich, Michelle Walker-Wade, Karis Waller, Mary Hunt Webb, Kenneth Avon White, Karen Woodard, Andrea Woronick

In this book, the sixth in the Short and Sweet series, you'll find a collection of stories with special emphasis on mothers, fathers, and grandparents. As in the other books in the series, with few exceptions each piece is written using only one-syllable words or words of fewer than six letters.Join these 60 authors as they share their families' stories of grace, forgiveness, loyalty, respect, support, vulnerability, love, laughter, and faith.Contributors include: Jennifer Aaron, Tabitha C. Abel, Karen Allen, Janet Asbridge, Sharon Atwood, Lanita Bradley Boyd, Susan Brehmer, Jenny Calvert, Jeanetta Chrystie, Denise M. Colby, Sharon Cook, Kat Crawford, Lin Daniels, Jorja Davis, Jon Drury, Steve Duke, Linda Finlin, Dia Gary, Barbara Greer, Pamela Groupe Groves, Lydia E. Harris, Carol Harrison, Leah Hinton, Marlene Houk, Patricia Huey, Penny Hunt, Stephen Johnson, Liz Kimmel, Janice Hagood LeMaster, Dave Mackey, Terry Magness, Jill Allen Maisch, Chad McComas, Suzanne Montgomery, Tony R. Nester, Suzanne Dodge Nichols, Briana Novacek, Cheryl A. Paden, Sara Parmenter, Debra Pierce, Shelley Pierce, Tim Pietz, Lynne Pleau, Anne Foley Rauth, Reba Rhyne, Susanna Shutz Robar, Valerie E. Runyan, Michelle Ruschman, Toni Armstrong Sample, Laura Luptowski Seeley, James Smith, Jack Stanley, Crystal Storms, Beverly Varnado, Wilma Rose Vernich, Mary Hunt Webb, Kenneth Avon White, Adria Wilkins, Karen Woodard, Andrea Woronick

Can you say more with less? If you use short, simple words, will what you write turn out so real and so clear that your reader will taste it, see it, hear it, touch it, smell it...live it?Or will it sound like The Cat in the Hat or Dick and Jane?The truth is, short words bring power to what you say. And, that's good news for those of us who want another person to hear us, to understand us.Short words are easy to read, easy to grasp, easy to recall:It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…. (A Tale of Two Cities)Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. (Rebecca)If music be the food of love, play on. (The Twelfth Night)Marley was dead, to begin with. (A Christmas Carol)Play it, Sam. Play "As Time Goes By." (Casablanca)If you build it, they will come. (Field of Dreams)These are the times that try men's souls. (Paine)To be or not to be… (Shakespeare)What's done is done.Seize the day!I love you.And so it goes.In this book, the second in the Short and Sweet series, you'll find a collection of fiction and non-fiction on a variety of topics. They have two things in common: Each is about something that matters deeply to the writer, and with few exceptions - proper names, numbers - each is written using only one-syllable words or words of fewer than six letters.If you've always thought you had to use long words to keep your reader engaged, discover why it's often a great idea to keep it Short and Sweet.Contributors: Bob Adauto III, Sharon Atwood, Joylene M. Bailey, Tandy Balson, Trisha Barry, Jeff Brady, Tez Brooks, David Buster, Kelly Carlson, Marigene Chamberlain, Alexander Chavers, Jeanetta R. Chrystie, Lauren Craft, Jorja Davis, Barbara D'Antoni Diggs, Jeanette Duby, Wendy Dunham, JoAnn Durgin, Nicey T. Eller, Sherree G. Funk, Steve Garnaas-Holmes, Desiree Glass, Pamela Groupe Groves, Lydia E. Harris, Leah M. Hinton, Paul Aaron Hinton, Becky Hitchcock, Shauna Hoey, Katherine Kavanagh Hoffman, Marlene Houk, Charles J. Huff, Penny L. Hunt, Connie Inglis, Jeanie Jacobson, Linda Jett, Bobbi Junior, Tom Kennedy, Liz Kimmel, Rita Klundt, Adrienne Large, Julie Lavender, Marcia Lee Laycock, Mary Elaine Lester, Terry Magness, Jill Allen Maisch, Chantel Mathson, Joy E Miller, Alice H. Murray, Daniel Mynyk, Suzanne Dodge Nichols, Shelley Pierce, Judy Webster Powers, Sandy Kirby Quandt, Anne Foley Rauth, Mary Lou Redding, Linda Jo Reed, Reba Rhyne, Susanna Robar, Janet Ramsdell Rockey, Lori Stanley Roeleveld, Dottie Lovelady Rogers, Pamela Rosales, Carol Schafer, Deborah Brawer Silva, Neil Silverberg, Lynn J. Simpson, Fay Henry Smith, Carole Sparks, E.V. Sparrow, Traci Stead, Susan Reith Swan, Tammy Van Gils, Martha VanZant, Beverly Varnado, Tim Wade, Margery Kisby Warder, Kenneth Avon White, Lora Homan Zill.

How do we say more with less? Can short, simple words make what we write so clear that the reader gets it? Or will it remind them of reading a child's board book?The truth is, short words bring power because they are easy to read, easy to grasp, and easy to recall. For instance:Once upon a time… It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…. (A Tale of Two Cities) Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. (Rebecca) Marley was dead, to begin with. (A Christmas Carol) If you build it, they will come. (Field of Dreams) To be or not to be… (Shakespeare) Seize the day! I love you. And so it goes.In this book, the third in the Short and Sweet series, you'll find a collection of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry on a variety of topics. They have two things in common: Each is about something that matters deeply to the writer, and with few exceptions (listed in the Introduction) each is written using only one-syllable words or words of fewer than six letters.If you've always thought writers have to use long words to keep readers engaged, discover why it's often a great idea to keep it Short and Sweet.