I love to interview authors and hear about how they come up with their ideas, where their inspiration comes from and what the writing journey looks like - it is different for each.

I realized today that I have 50 author interviews posted on RadiantLit. That blew my mind. 50 amazing authors took the time out of their busy lives to let me pick their brains. :)

You can also find a number of my interviews here on PreciousMoms and in their newsletter each month!

I love to travel and one of the main reasons is that I usually have lots of time to read. We've been 'on the road' for five days now and I've already finished 3 books and am just starting #4. I tend to choose short, easy reads for traveling. Don't want to be sitting in the airport with tears streaming down my face. :)

I'm really excited about the book I'm just starting (#4). It's "Blessed Are The Meddlers" by Christa Ann Banister. I loved her first book, "Around the World in 80 Dates," and this one is shaping up to be a great read as well. I'll keep you posted!

Now...back to reading on the beach for me. :)

There are very few things in this world that I enjoy more than reading. I love the feel of the book in my hands. I love the smell as I turn the pages. I love getting lost in someone else's world.

Every once in a while I find a book that literally changes my life. Books have helped me to see things from a new perspective. Some have helped me quite literally - non-fiction such as Tricia Goyer's Generation NeXt series.

Others have affected me in a more 'internal' way. One recent example is Virginia Smith's Stuck in the Middle. I'm not an middle child, in fact I'm an only so I have no brothers or sisters to use as reference, so I wasn't sure I'd even 'get' this book.

Thankfully, I read it anyway. The book is smart, witty and incredibly insightful. The main character struggles with what faith means, and while this isn't necessarily my struggle, I will admit that my faith is nowhere near perfected.

In the book, Smith shares a story about missionaries, a little boy and chocolate ice cream. I won't share the story here - I want you to be able to read it in context. It's a powerful example of God's love and provision in each of our lives. It brought to mind specific times I've seen God answer prayers in my life - both big and small.

The insights into my own life I gained from Smith's novel have stuck with me over the last few months. I placed her book in my office, on a shelf I use frequently and every time I see the cover I remember how the Lord used that book in my life.

Those are the reasons I want to share my love for books and the books I love with you, radiant readers. I hope you'll do the same. Maybe together we can remind moms everywhere of the power of the written word.