Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Favorite new recipes—and game night!

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I love finding new recipes! Especially quick-to-prep recipes that taste delicious. Here are three recipes our family has quickly grown to love. The first is from Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman herself . . . Fresh Corn Casserole with Red Bell Peppers and Jalapenos Since I was crunched for time, I used frozen corn and it was still delicious! It comes together so quickly. The jalapenos … [Read more...]

Another Q&A

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After reading a historical novel, lots of readers (including me) want to know how much of the story is true and how much is fiction. I always try to answer those questions in the back of my historical stories. This one is from DAUGHTER OF CANA, the first book in the Jerusalem Road series. The book is about Tasmin, the twin sister of disciple Thomas. In the story, Tasmin does not immediately … [Read more...]

“Do Not Be Afraid, for I Am With You”

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When a verse pops into my mind that feels particularly relevant to my mood or situation, I'll sometimes turn to it in the Bible and read the whole chapter that contains the verse. A few days ago the famous "See, I am doing a new thing" verse rose to the front of my thoughts. I paged to Isaiah 43. What a rich and powerful chapter of scripture! It blessed me and so I thought I'd share snippets of … [Read more...]

London: A Change of Perspective

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This morning a little after one a.m., we arrived home from our latest adventure. It's the last as a family before our oldest gets married and we made the most of six days in London. I love exploring new to me places, but I appreciate the perspective shift that can come with travel. One of the things I wanted to do this time was to see a show. London's West End is famous, and we haven't made … [Read more...]

The Blessings of Friendship

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Hi friends, Happy Wednesday! I always look forward to spending these days with you. Two weeks ago, I got to visit my daughter, her hubby, and my grandkids' new home in Florida. Having them live fifteen minutes from our home for all these years, and now a fourteen-hour drive or two-hour flight away, is really hard. But, we had a wonderful visit. We went to so many beaches surrounding … [Read more...]

Sidmouth: The Setting of my Upcoming Series

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To me, choosing the setting for a novel is like designing an effective stage for the “actors” (in my case, fictional characters) to perform or live out the drama to come. My new novel, The Sisters of Sea View (December 2022) is Book One in a new series called ON DEVONSHIRE SHORES. I liked the setting and characters so much, I decided to stay there for at least two more novels. While I … [Read more...]

•♫♪ Happy birthday to Tammy! ♫♪•

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[AND THE WINNER IS... Tina Rice. Tina, send an email to Deb at debraney@mac.com and I'll get your book on its way to you! Thank you for all the birthday wishes for our Tammy!] Today just happens to be a very special day for my dear, long-time friend and writing critique partner of more than twenty years, Inspired by Life...and Fiction's own Tamera Alexander. •♫♪ Happy, happy birthday, dear … [Read more...]

Plotter or Pantser

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Plotter or Pantser. Those are the two terms authors often use to describe their method of writing. The plotter (as you might guess!) takes the time to detail out the finer points of the story before beginning to write. The pantser, on the other hand, doesn’t spend a whole lot of time (if any) on thinking through the story before starting it. She flies by the seat of her pants (hence, where … [Read more...]

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