Posts by Gina Conroy
Pre-Teen and Teen No Hassle Birthday Parties
We’ve done it all, from renting ponies for a backyard cowboy party to having a dozen princesses over (the kiddie variety) and building a huge cardboard maze castle tunnel. But with four kids and the older ones getting too old for backyard birthdays, we’ve decided a couple of years ago that Chris (12) and Joey…
Read MoreGrace Turns 5 this Month
I wrote this a year ago. My how time flies… Grace turned four last month, but we’re just now getting around to having her Princess Birthday party. It was a great time filled with a dozen little girls in their princess gowns. The boys and a friend dressed up as princes and I swear they…
Read MoreMidweek Motivation
Start Your Day out Right! Scripture, Short Devotion If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself. – 2 Tim. 2:13 If you’re like me, you might be an overachiever. Some of the time. It’s so easy to set high goals, then give up on them when they turn out not…
Read MoreI Will Persist Until I Succeed
“By perseverance the snail reached the ark.” ~ Charles Spurgeon ~ As a writer, I know if I don’t persevere I will never succeed. Rejections can destroy even the best of writers. Yet perseverance didn’t come naturally to me like the snail gunning for Noah’s ark. He knew if he didn’t keep going, he…
Read MoreFiction In Rather Short Takes
I’m starting something new here at Portrait. In an effort to promote Christian literature, I’ve joined FIRST and CFBA. Fridays will be my official FICTION days where I will post something ficiton related, but each first of the month, I will also feature the first chapter of a novel. I mentioned The Heir before, now…
Read MoreGuest Blogger: Brandilyn Collins on Prologues
Hearing that there are those who don’t read prologues makes me sad. Can’t blame these non-readers, though. I blame the writers who’ve so misused prologues that these readers have given up on the things. However, if you’re in the “non-read” group and you pick up a book by an author who knows how to use…
Read More“They”
This was supposed to be a reply to rule mongers in a writing group, but since I don’t think “they” will get it anyway, I decided to turn the specific lesson into a general one for any time I come face-to-face with “they.” I will tell you from experience that “they” will do everything in…
Read MoreWinds of Change
I feel the winds of change are blowing, and I’m not resisting. Hopefully I’ll be able to spread my wings and ride the current, trusting God all the way. We’re looking into schools for all our children next year, and I’m feeling such a peace about it while in the pass I’ve been resistant, wanting…
Read MoreMy Little Babe
Last time I wrote, I wasn’t excited about Chris playing baseball. It cost a lot of money, took up a lot of time, and Chris wasn’t even guaranteed a starting position. I was’t confident at my son’s baseball skills because the last time he played baseball was four years ago when he got hit with…
Read MoreThe Three Chapter Rule
The Three Chapter Rule By Gina Conroy In a recent critique I was told my opening needed to move quicker. I thought I had done that after scrapping the first opening. But I heeded their wise advice and went back and hacked and pushed things up, and I’m very happy to say the pacing starts…
Read More