This past Saturday night, my book Memory Lane received a Carol Award in the romance category! That particular award is organized by American Christian Fiction Writers and judged by writers. This recognition means a lot to me. Memory Lane is the first novel I independently published. I hired my editor, I collaborated on the cover, I hand-picked the audiobook narrators, I formatted the … [Read more...]

I'm the oldest of three sisters and so it feels like an honor to tell you a story today about a sister's love. My history with Stacy Simmons began seven years ago when Lynne Gentry and I felt led to mentor a group of Dallas-area aspiring authors of Christian fiction. Stacy was one of the women who attended our meetings right from the start. We met for YEARS. In fact, about half of these … [Read more...]

I'll be back to blogging next Friday, but until then I'm so pleased to introduce my final guest-blogger of the summer. Jessica Wakefield! As an Australian author, she's sharing about the challenges she's faced writing the dialogue of American characters. And she's giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to one of you! Thanks so much for contributing to our blog, Jessica. -Becky “So? You mean … [Read more...]

Wonderful Australian author Carolyn Miller is joining us today! The heroine of her new book is a ballet dancer, which I love. When I entered Kindergarten, I clearly remember the teacher doing a "What do you want to be when you grow up?" unit. My answer: "I want to be a ballerina." Books like Carolyn's give me a chance to live out that childhood dream vicariously! Details on the giveaway she's … [Read more...]

I'm delighted to host author Alyssa Schwarz here on the blog today while I'm on a family vacation in the Caribbean! Be sure to comment for a chance to win the giveaway she's offering. (More on that at the bottom of the post.) Thanks so much for contributing to InspiredByLife, Alyssa! - Becky Teamwork makes the dream work. I can’t count all the times I’ve heard this phrase: classroom … [Read more...]