Elizabeth Kipps's Blog

Hello, dear friends. A substantial amount of time has passed since I last posted on this blog, and an equally substantial number of events have occurred in my life during that time. I published a book, met a pretty cool guy, moved a few times, married the guy, and moved once more when we bought a house together. Now, in a few months, we are expecting to welcome a baby girl into our lives. There are many things I could say about any one of these milestones, but as none of them are what prompted m...

The aim of this post is to attempt to set forth to you, the public, my reasons for pursuing the publication of my first book. Before I tell you what goals I have, however, I think it best to strike up a list of what goals I don’t have. Somehow, those un-goals feel at least as relevant. So, what aren’t they?

Number one: I am not in pursuit of a vast audience.
Tens or hundreds of thousands of people are probably not going to be reading All The Queen’s Sons. I mean, it might be nice if they d...

In times of trouble, people often seem fond of asking where God is. Now, I haven’t actually heard anyone pose that question in the midst of the troubled days we are presently enduring. But it is a safe bet that someone, somewhere out there, has done so.

Perhaps part of the trouble is not that God is far away… indeed, He is as close as he ever has been. The trouble is that we don’t always know where to look for Him, or how to see Him when He is right in front of us.

For the past two mor...

Sing. Whether you’re alone, or with family, what better way to trim the tension than with some good old fashioned karaoke sessions?

Dance. Sometimes singing isn’t enough. You’ve gotta kick off your Sunday shoes and cut footloose, too.

Laugh. Watch some Muppets. Or old Carol Burnett sketches. Or whatever other brand of silliness floats your boat. We need nothing right now like a good laugh, a bit of a distraction.

All of the above combined. Because The Muppets have musical numbers th...

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the term “meek”? If you’re anything like me, you probably think of one of two things:

1. The meek shall inherit the earth!

2. Any number of negative qualities that have adhered themselves to the modern idea of meekness.

Meekness means a pushover. A pansy. A person who can’t or won’t stand strong in the face of adversity, instead running and hiding like a little mouse.

Right?

But if meekness means any of those pathetic things, then why woul...

If my research is correct, one of the less exciting prospects of becoming a self-published author is that one must be positive about everything. Everything. So if I don’t care for a book, or a movie, or a certain brand of toothpaste, I will no longer be able to publicly declare so. It will make me look like Debbie Downer, and no one will be interested in anything else I have to say (or so the theory goes).

Which essentially means that the review posts that have been my bread and butter for the p...

2019 is now in its death throes, and I don’t know about the rest of you, but I could not be happier to see it go. It’s a scab to flick away. A dry, dead skin to wriggle out of and leave behind. Something sleek and fresh is about to take its place. Something new is about to begin! We are embarking on a unique 365-day journey around the sun. Look at it, spread out before us like a blanket of pure, undisturbed snow glistening in the first light of dawn. I’m ready to step out and leave my trail.

So,...

In my previous post, I presented a list of 10 under-the-radar Christmas movies to enjoy for when you get sick of the same old things. Since the strains of Bing Crosby and Mariah Carey can become quite as tiresome as any festive flick, I wanted to share this list as well.

Here’s a collection of great NON-classic holiday tunes to get you in the Christmas spirit.

Album / Artist

Silver & Gold, by Sufjan Stevens

Song you don’t want to miss: Lumberjack Christmas

Sufjan Stevens has put out a literal t...

We all love White Christmas, It’s A Wonderful Life, and A Christmas Story. But let’s face it. We’ve seen these movies a thousand times, and every once in awhile, we want to try something fresh. Here is a countdown of 10 Christmas films that might fit the bill.

10. While You Were Sleeping

If you’re in the mood for a festive romantic comedy that’s a notch above the average Hallmark production, While You Were Sleeping is the flick for you. Granted, if this is your preferred kind of entertainment, ...

I would rather be launching into Christmassy posts, but first there’s a whole season’s worth of book reviews to dispatch. Yawn.

Here are the best and worst (not to mention everything in between) of my reads from September through November.

See You Again in Pyongyang: A Journey Into Kim Jong Un’s North Korea by Travis Jeppesen

The premise: An American man spends a month in the capital of North Korea as a student and tourist (yes, that’s possible).

I have many thoughts. None of them are too pleas...