For the past few days, I've been racking my brain for a blog topic and drawing a BLANK.  So I asked two of my heroic writer friends, Courtney Walsh and Katie Gansert, for help.  Katie came up with the idea for this post and the three of us compiled the below list together.  Please keep in mind that we love writing and publishing and that we were laughing and only wincing a little when we … [Read more...]

I'm in the Caribbean at the moment, so author Carol Moncado is guest-blogging for me today AND offering a giveaway.  So be sure to check the bottom of this post for the inside scoop on the prize pack we're offering. I first touched bases with Carol when she sent me a note of encouragement after the release of my first novel for the Christian market.  Shortly after, I was able to meet her in … [Read more...]

I've been traveling since I last blogged here at Inspired by Life!  I arrived home to Dallas yesterday and thought I'd take this opportunity to give you a peek into my Travel Journal. I don't do much writing during the summer months when my kids are out of school.  For one thing, my kids are out of school.  For another, I typically turn in my manuscripts at the beginning of June, and after the … [Read more...]

Last fall, I had the pleasure of hanging out with authors Karen Witemeyer (who we all know well here at Inspired by Life), Kristi Ann Hunter, and Sarah Loudin Thomas at the American Christian Fiction Writers conference.  We all write for Bethany House and Karen, who's become quite the matriarch of Bethany House novella collections, floated the idea of a multi generational novella … [Read more...]

I turned a book in on June 1st and I've been in "deadline detox" mode ever since. True confession: I love my job, but I'm not a fan of deadlines. Nonetheless, deadlines are a fact of life for the traditionally published author.  The contracts we're fortunate to be offered often span 3+ books and our upcoming deadlines are written into those contracts.  So it's not unusual for us to commit to … [Read more...]