Where True Hope Lies

By  Cynthia Roemer When the special weather report interrupted the president’s State of the Union Address, my husband and I knew something big was happening. A huge tornado had formed in eastern Missouri and had demolished one small town with more in its path. A...

Unexpected Friendships

By Regina Merrick In my book, “Carolina Dream,” Sarah’s best friend is Lucy, who she met in high school. They were inseparable. They even teach in the same high school – the one from which they graduated. Here’s a snippet from a deep conversation between the two:...

Special Friendships Usually Mean Something Special to Eat

By Mary Ellis Ever notice that when women get together food is almost always involved? From a cup of coffee with a few cookies to a full-blown extravaganza of culinary delights, Americans love to eat. And why not? We live in a land of plenty so we should be grateful...

That’s What Friends Are For

By Cynthia Ruchti I had an “aha” moment this morning as I contemplated the characters in the novels I’ve written to date. They’ve all had one key friend, and usually a small circle of others—the healthy characters, that is. And in none of the stories did the main...

Building One Another Up

By Sara Sundin Introverts and extroverts—we need each other. As a shy child who was rejected and bullied, I benefited greatly from extroverted friends. Those kind souls reached out to me, nudged me out of my shell, and included me in their fun. I loved their energy,...