https://mrshanni.com Writer and editor helping individuals and businesses share the words that matter most to them. Author of the Bloom series and Change the Conversation. en-us https://mrshanni.com/blog/91-books-in-2021 https://mrshanni.com/blog/91-books-in-2021 Tue, 28 Dec 2021 12:00:00 GMT Another year of reading in the books! Since the arrival of my son last month, my reading habits and interests have shifted some, but instead of holding rigidly to my old goals and patterns, I'm… https://mrshanni.com/blog/bookish-offerings-for-the-holidays https://mrshanni.com/blog/bookish-offerings-for-the-holidays Tue, 30 Nov 2021 12:00:00 GMT The holidays are quickly approaching and I couldn't let the moment pass without reminding you of some bookish gift ideas! If you have a preteen girl or a teen/young adult in your life, these books… https://mrshanni.com/blog/welcome-to-the-world-kwh https://mrshanni.com/blog/welcome-to-the-world-kwh Tue, 23 Nov 2021 12:00:00 GMT This will be a short and sweet post because we are here in the throes of newborn days, but we wanted to share the birth of our son Karsten on November 9, 2021. We just celebrated our ninth anniversary… https://mrshanni.com/blog/how-do-i-quote-part-1 https://mrshanni.com/blog/how-do-i-quote-part-1 Tue, 12 Oct 2021 12:00:00 GMT “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.” —Abraham Lincoln Such wise words from a wise man—but wait!—yes, now you noticed too. Though Lincoln would’ve surely agreed with such wisdom had the… https://mrshanni.com/blog/bloom-book-2-is-three https://mrshanni.com/blog/bloom-book-2-is-three Tue, 21 Sep 2021 12:00:00 GMT Isn't it a thing that middle children can sometimes feel overlooked? I'd hate for Bloom Book 2 to feel that way, so it's getting some love this week! The middle book in the Bloom series turns three… https://mrshanni.com/blog/maternity-leave https://mrshanni.com/blog/maternity-leave Tue, 07 Sep 2021 12:00:00 GMT Still seems so surreal that I get to write this, but in anticipation of the arrival of our son in early November, I'm blessed to be able to take a couple of months off during the holidays for… https://mrshanni.com/blog/my-favorite-writing-resources https://mrshanni.com/blog/my-favorite-writing-resources Tue, 24 Aug 2021 12:00:00 GMT This year marks eleven years in the writing and publishing industry and six years since I've been freelancing. I wouldn't be able to do my work without some key resources, and while that list can… https://mrshanni.com/blog/that-one-trip-to-starbucks-10-years-ago https://mrshanni.com/blog/that-one-trip-to-starbucks-10-years-ago Wed, 18 Aug 2021 12:00:00 GMT I remember when I saw you for the first time, ten years ago today. The summer sun still clung to the sky behind scattered clouds as I entered the Starbucks across from the dance studio where I taught.… https://mrshanni.com/blog/a-decade-on-the-blogosphere https://mrshanni.com/blog/a-decade-on-the-blogosphere Tue, 27 Jul 2021 12:00:00 GMT Ten years ago this week, I set up my first blog on Blogger (!!!) and shared my first post with the internet. I had wanted to launch one for a while and after an emotional month of loss and trials, I… https://mrshanni.com/blog/new-plan-on-youversion https://mrshanni.com/blog/new-plan-on-youversion Tue, 20 Jul 2021 12:00:00 GMT Hi all! I’m excited to share that my latest plan is live on YouVersion! Change the Conversation is the very first book I ever wrote and I’m so excited to introduce it to a new crowd throughthe… https://mrshanni.com/blog/my-most-common-self-edits https://mrshanni.com/blog/my-most-common-self-edits Tue, 15 Jun 2021 12:00:00 GMT This summer marks eleven years in the publishing and writing industry and I spent some time looking at older samples of my writing. After reading through some older pieces, it was encouraging to see… https://mrshanni.com/blog/when-aslan-comes-in-sight https://mrshanni.com/blog/when-aslan-comes-in-sight Tue, 11 May 2021 12:00:00 GMT “Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight, At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more, When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death, And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring… https://mrshanni.com/blog/how-to-interview-a-copy-editor https://mrshanni.com/blog/how-to-interview-a-copy-editor Tue, 27 Apr 2021 12:00:00 GMT If you are a writer who has ever been confused by the jargon surrounding types of editing, you are not alone. You've poured your heart and soul into a project but apparently, you're not done. You've… https://mrshanni.com/blog/how-to-keep-going-when-motivation-is-scarce https://mrshanni.com/blog/how-to-keep-going-when-motivation-is-scarce Tue, 20 Apr 2021 12:00:00 GMT You know when the slump hits...you open eight different tabs on your laptop, then you make a new playlist, scan your WIP, add a sentence…but there's no motivation. No forward motion. Worse, you… https://mrshanni.com/blog/why-i-write https://mrshanni.com/blog/why-i-write Tue, 02 Mar 2021 12:00:00 GMT Revised from a January 2012 post. This week is National Words Matter Week and I couldn't let it pass without sharing some thoughts on why I love the written word. The roads that lead us to the writing… https://mrshanni.com/blog/where-to-start-for-new-writers https://mrshanni.com/blog/where-to-start-for-new-writers Tue, 23 Feb 2021 12:00:00 GMT So you have an idea for a book, or a blog, or some writing-based idea. Where do you start? There is such a wealth of info out there that it quickly gets overwhelming. The road to becoming a writer in… https://mrshanni.com/blog/4-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-i-started-freelancing https://mrshanni.com/blog/4-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-i-started-freelancing Tue, 09 Feb 2021 12:00:00 GMT This week is National Freelance Appreciation week and this month also marks six years since I started my own freelance career. In that spirit, I'm sharing a few things I wish I knew before I started… https://mrshanni.com/blog/favorite-books-on-writing https://mrshanni.com/blog/favorite-books-on-writing Tue, 19 Jan 2021 12:00:00 GMT When you are a freelance writer/indie author, you don't just get to "write." You have to be your own marketer, HR department, project manager, and boss. That means the ethereal writer side of you that… https://mrshanni.com/blog/2021-the-year-you-write-your-book https://mrshanni.com/blog/2021-the-year-you-write-your-book Tue, 05 Jan 2021 12:00:00 GMT Have the last couple of years given you a lot of material to work with? Did you take up writing as a way to process all that life was throwing at you and discover a story or message just begging to be… https://mrshanni.com/blog/100-books-in-2020 https://mrshanni.com/blog/100-books-in-2020 Tue, 29 Dec 2020 12:00:00 GMT Are we sick of the word unprecedented yet? At the risk of overusing the word, I have to share this was indeed an unprecedented year of reading for me: it's my first year to hit triple digits for my… https://mrshanni.com/blog/bloom-series-christmas-gifts-for-girls https://mrshanni.com/blog/bloom-series-christmas-gifts-for-girls Tue, 08 Dec 2020 12:00:00 GMT The Christmas season is upon us! If you're looking for a special gift for the young girl in your life, may I humbly offer the Bloom devotional series? Bloom is a three-book series for girls ages 9-14… https://mrshanni.com/blog/how-do-i-put-my-reader-first-part-2 https://mrshanni.com/blog/how-do-i-put-my-reader-first-part-2 Tue, 24 Nov 2020 12:00:00 GMT In part 1 of putting your reader first, we discussed three questions you can ask yourself to help keep your readers' needs top of mind during the writing process. But the truth is, you need to carry… https://mrshanni.com/blog/4-helpful-editing-tips https://mrshanni.com/blog/4-helpful-editing-tips Tue, 17 Nov 2020 12:00:00 GMT You've typed "The End" on your manuscript. You're about to send it off to your editor. But is your manuscript actually ready to send to your editor? In today's post, I'll be sharing four common areas… https://mrshanni.com/blog/how-do-i-put-my-reader-first-part-1 https://mrshanni.com/blog/how-do-i-put-my-reader-first-part-1 Tue, 10 Nov 2020 12:00:00 GMT Over the past four years, I have had the privilege of working on 150+ different writing projects. Those projects include my own books that I've written, articles I've either written or edited for my… https://mrshanni.com/blog/hope-in-the-face-of-suffering https://mrshanni.com/blog/hope-in-the-face-of-suffering Wed, 14 Oct 2020 12:00:00 GMT I was sitting in church one day a few years ago, trying to gather hope and confidence around me like a pillow fort. In that moment, the enemy shot an arrow of doubt into my mind. I instantly felt… https://mrshanni.com/blog/the-bullet-journal-one-year-review https://mrshanni.com/blog/the-bullet-journal-one-year-review Wed, 30 Sep 2020 12:00:00 GMT Last December, I published an excessively fussy post about all the planners I had used for the past decade. At the time of publishing that post, I was currently using a bullet journal and had been for… https://mrshanni.com/blog/what-can-you-expect-with-copy-editing https://mrshanni.com/blog/what-can-you-expect-with-copy-editing Thu, 24 Sep 2020 12:00:00 GMT When working with authors who are new to the writing process, I sometimes get the sense that when they deliver their manuscript to me, it's like they are delivering a freshly baked pie, perfect and… https://mrshanni.com/blog/hope-in-the-face-of-tragedy https://mrshanni.com/blog/hope-in-the-face-of-tragedy Wed, 19 Aug 2020 12:00:00 GMT What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient? Job 6:11 These are indeed strange times we are living in. Collective grief and trauma, huge unknowns,… https://mrshanni.com/blog/remembering-elisabeth-elliot https://mrshanni.com/blog/remembering-elisabeth-elliot Mon, 15 Jun 2020 12:00:00 GMT Today marks five years since Elisabeth Elliot passed away at the age of 88. Elisabeth Elliot was a missionary, author, mother, and wife of slain missionary Jim Elliot and perhaps no other Christian… https://mrshanni.com/blog/marking-milestones-in-a-pandemic https://mrshanni.com/blog/marking-milestones-in-a-pandemic Wed, 06 May 2020 12:00:00 GMT Last week marked one year since launching Bloom Book 3. But instead of feeling joyful, I found I had more mixed emotions than expected. As I started to dissect why I was feeling this way, I realized… https://mrshanni.com/blog/april-favorites https://mrshanni.com/blog/april-favorites Mon, 04 May 2020 12:00:00 GMT April was a blur, and not in the sense that it went by fast. Fast it was not. But there were a few things that made this month a little more bearable. Enjoy some links to my April favorites! Reading… https://mrshanni.com/blog/bloom-book-3-is-one https://mrshanni.com/blog/bloom-book-3-is-one Thu, 30 Apr 2020 12:00:00 GMT Bloom Book 3 is one today! The last year has flown by and it's been so wonderful getting to share this third book in the Bloom series with all of you. If you're looking for a Bible study for some… https://mrshanni.com/blog/trusting-the-promises-of-god https://mrshanni.com/blog/trusting-the-promises-of-god Tue, 28 Apr 2020 12:00:00 GMT What do moving a safe and trusting the promises of God have in common? More than you might think... Not too long ago, my husband and I were moving a large safe from the front of the garage to the back… https://mrshanni.com/blog/a-simple-prayer-for-midweek https://mrshanni.com/blog/a-simple-prayer-for-midweek Wed, 22 Apr 2020 12:00:00 GMT Dear Lord, we come to you and offer this simple prayer for midweek. Our strength and creativity may be flagging. So where we are tempted to trust in our own resources, let us lean into your strength… https://mrshanni.com/blog/a-simple-prayer-for-sunday-evenings https://mrshanni.com/blog/a-simple-prayer-for-sunday-evenings Sun, 19 Apr 2020 12:00:00 GMT Toward the end of 2019, I was struggling with falling asleep. Especially as I would try and fall asleep on Sunday evenings heading into a new week, my heart would be overwhelmed with processing all… https://mrshanni.com/blog/the-tears-of-the-saints https://mrshanni.com/blog/the-tears-of-the-saints Wed, 15 Apr 2020 12:00:00 GMT Today's post is different from my normal posts. I wrote the first draft of this four or five years ago. I don't even remember what spurred me on to write it. In light of our collective grief over the… https://mrshanni.com/blog/easter-plan-available-now-on-youversion https://mrshanni.com/blog/easter-plan-available-now-on-youversion Wed, 01 Apr 2020 12:00:00 GMT Happy April everyone! As we are all in the midst of navigating this pandemic and adjusting to our shelter-in-place routine, we are also looking at Easter celebrations that will look very different… https://mrshanni.com/blog/top-books-from-the-decade-all-the-rest https://mrshanni.com/blog/top-books-from-the-decade-all-the-rest Fri, 10 Jan 2020 12:00:00 GMT If you've stuck with me this far, congratulations! This final post rounds up my top books from the decade with some odds and ends: a memoir, books that have expanded my horizons, or taught me… https://mrshanni.com/blog/top-books-from-the-decade-fiction https://mrshanni.com/blog/top-books-from-the-decade-fiction Mon, 06 Jan 2020 12:00:00 GMT As I look back over my top fiction books from the decade, it got me thinking about the novels I'd read when I was younger. As a kid, it seemed like every novel I picked it up was a good one. Adult… https://mrshanni.com/blog/wrapping-up-a-decade https://mrshanni.com/blog/wrapping-up-a-decade Tue, 31 Dec 2019 12:00:00 GMT Earlier this year, I started a blog series intending to recap each year from my twenties. I got through 2012 and then I just...stopped. This year has proved to be one for the books, and I've had a… https://mrshanni.com/blog/top-books-from-the-decade-non-fiction https://mrshanni.com/blog/top-books-from-the-decade-non-fiction Fri, 27 Dec 2019 12:00:00 GMT It's the end of the year and not only is a new year just a couple of weeks away, but a whole new decade also awaits us. In my end-of-the-year writing, my thoughts naturally turned to books. I decided… https://mrshanni.com/blog/a-fussy-planner-roundup https://mrshanni.com/blog/a-fussy-planner-roundup Fri, 06 Dec 2019 12:00:00 GMT I don’t know how to say this, but I have a problem. I’m obsessive about my planners. (In 2018 as you’ll see, I dallied in three different planners). I am very particular about my planners and approach… https://mrshanni.com/blog/how-do-amazon-reviews-help-authors https://mrshanni.com/blog/how-do-amazon-reviews-help-authors Mon, 23 Sep 2019 12:00:00 GMT Thank you again for all your support with the release of Bloom Book 3. I couldn't do it without you. This series has been four years in the making and it's so crazy to see the writing and releasing… https://mrshanni.com/blog/2012-harvest https://mrshanni.com/blog/2012-harvest Wed, 07 Aug 2019 12:00:00 GMT "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3 I turned twenty-two in 2012. If 2011 was a list of traumatic events, 2012 was a bumper crop of blessings. In April, I… https://mrshanni.com/blog/2011-trial-by-fire https://mrshanni.com/blog/2011-trial-by-fire Wed, 05 Jun 2019 12:00:00 GMT "Amidst my list of blessings infinite, stands this foremost, that my heart has bled..." —Streams in the Desert, October 1 I turned twenty-one in 2011. When I reflect on this year, I am humbled when I… https://mrshanni.com/blog/bloom-book-3-is-here https://mrshanni.com/blog/bloom-book-3-is-here Tue, 30 Apr 2019 12:00:00 GMT Today's the day! Bloom Book 3 is available for purchase through Amazon and if you live locally, available for purchase directly from me! It's hard to believe this is the last book in the series. Thank… https://mrshanni.com/blog/2010-entering-my-twenties https://mrshanni.com/blog/2010-entering-my-twenties Tue, 02 Apr 2019 12:00:00 GMT As I celebrate turning 29 today (no for real, this is the year I really do get to say I'm 29!) I'm also publishing the first post of my twenties flashback series. So let's start at the very beginning… https://mrshanni.com/blog/bloom-book-3-launch-date-cover-reveal https://mrshanni.com/blog/bloom-book-3-launch-date-cover-reveal Mon, 04 Mar 2019 12:00:00 GMT I'm so excited to announce that Bloom Book 3 will release on April 30! Hard to believe this is the last book in the Bloom series; it's been four years since I wrote the first draft. I can't WAIT for… https://mrshanni.com/blog/change-the-conversation-facelift https://mrshanni.com/blog/change-the-conversation-facelift Thu, 14 Feb 2019 12:00:00 GMT I'm excited to reveal the NEW cover for my first book, "Change the Conversation," available soon! Stay tuned for details! If you want to get a jump start on reading the book, here's the first chapter,… https://mrshanni.com/blog/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-freelance-writer https://mrshanni.com/blog/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-freelance-writer Mon, 04 Feb 2019 12:00:00 GMT In honor of Freelance Writer's Appreciation Week, I thought I would pull the curtain back on a typical week for me as a freelance writer. Working from home requires a lot of discipline. Like a lot. If…