I just had the privilege of hosting a second group tour of England. One of our stops on this trip was to Jane Austen's House Museum in Chawton, Hampshire. I have visited the novelist's grave in Winchester cathedral, but this was my first time visiting Chawton cottage, the only house Jane Austen lived in and wrote in that is open to the public. In 1809, four years after her father’s … [Read more...]

I am pre-posting this, but if all goes as planned (Lord willing!) I am now in England, preparing to lead my second group trip to the beautiful country where all of my books have been set so far. I am blessed to be traveling with a group of 30 reader-friends from many different states and 3 different countries (Australia, Canada, US). Together with two travel professionals, we have been … [Read more...]

Along with Inspired by Life authors Jody Hedlund and Lenora Worth, I also attended Book Lovers Con in New Orleans. I had never been to a reader conference and I had never been to New Orleans. Both were interesting experiences.  As Jody wrote in her recent post, I enjoyed spending time the other inspirational authors who attended the large conference. Sharing meals and conversation together was a … [Read more...]

When I write about tea-drinking in my novels, I am thinking of tea grown in China or India, but last week I visited the only tea plantation in North America. The Charleston Tea Plantation is located on Wadmalaw Island about 20 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina. I was in Charleston for a retreat with my Literary Agency (Books & Such) and enjoyed spending time with agents and … [Read more...]

This last week I spoke at three libraries (Alexandria, Fergus Falls, and Elbow Lake, MN), which I greatly enjoyed. The events were well-attended and everyone was friendly and interested. Meeting the helpful staffs and many readers was a blessing and an encouragement to me as a writer. But the coolest part? One of the libraries has a secret room! I have long been intrigued by hidden … [Read more...]