James D. Witmer's Blog

Today is earth day, and I wanted to take a moment and express my gratitude for this world of natural beauty, and the way it restores and sustains my soul. I’m also grateful for all the people who work to care for what we’ve been given, like the workers and reformers who invested so much…

These stories are my participation in the annual Advent Ghosts 100 Word Storytelling hosted by my friend Loren Eaton at I Saw Lightning Fall. “Whenever five or six English-speaking people meet round a fire on Christmas Eve, they start telling each other ghost stories,” wrote British humorist Jerome K. Jerome as part of his introduction…

Here’s some more good news for fans of The Big Old Garden – Beside the Pond, featuring our favorite undersized bullfrog, is now available on Amazon in paperback, audio-book, and e-book! So, if you’ve thought you’d like to pick up another book to give a friend, or your kids would like to listen to another…

“Hutchmoot” is an annual multi-day conference on the intersection of Christian faith with art, music, and story. “Hutchmoot Homebound” is a multi-day digital event with even more content! One of the great things made possible by the digital venue is a space for kids Hutchmoot is calling The Playroom. I’m excited to say that I’ll…

 Thank you everyone! Thank you so much. 🙏  —James

Lots of folks have been terrific about sharing this campaign to publish Beside the Pond: A Big Old Garden Story, and telling about the laughter and enjoyment A Year in the Big Old Garden (book 1) has brought to them. Thank you, thank you, thank you — and now is the time for a strong…

Folks, Thank you so much for supporting this book, and for spreading the word. Three days in, and we’re already 23% funded! On top of that, Beside the Pond has been selected as a Kickstarter “Project We Love,” which Kickstarter says:”…Is our way of highlighting brilliant examples of creativity.” They also say, “We’ll feature your…

Hello friends, I’m excited to tell you that my newest book, Beside the Pond: A Big Old Garden Story is now available on Kickstarter! In my first book, A Year in the Big Old Garden, I introduced you to a garden that resembles the one at my house, and we shared adventures with the birds and other backyard wildlife…

Announcing Beside the Pond: A Year in the Big Old Garden Hello friends, I wanted you to know that on April 14, we will launch Kickstarter pre-orders for the sequel to A Year in the Big Old Garden! Here’s the official blurb: Beside the Pond: A Big Old Garden Story is a nature-inspired children’s book in…

I’m not sure there’s a better compliment for an author than to receive a good review from a Real Live Librarian. You can read Laura’s at: https://storywarren.com/james-d-witme... “In the great tradition of stories like Bunnicula and the movie Homeward Bound, The Strange New Dog features a lovable collection of dogs, cat, and parrot, and is told from their perspective, rather…