Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Behind the Scenes of My Cover Shoot (and a giveaway!)

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The cover shoot for my new release, Let It Be Me, took place eight months ago. Today, I'm excited to share behind-the-scenes photos of that day + runner-up covers that the team considered for the novel + a fun giveaway! Cover designer Jennifer Parker (seated on right) told me that the cover creation process has been extremely challenging this last year because of Covid. Like so many of us, … [Read more...]

Christmas already? + Giveaway

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This week I turned in final grades for my day job -- professor at a Big Ten University. I have to say the big exhale I felt as the last one was entered was fantastic. This summer I'll do a little research and developing new classes, but I plan to read and write. A lot. First up on the writing front is a Christmas novella for a collection with my friends Pepper Basham, Janine Rosche, and Teresa … [Read more...]

Beach Reads

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Hi friends, It’s no secret my favorite season is Summer, and my favorite place to be with my family is at the beach. Being so close to God’s majestic creation makes me feel both at home and a sense of awe and wonder. It stills my mind (which anyone who knows me can tell you that’s a miracle in and of itself) and quiets my soul. A sweet author friend has a beach house in the Outerbanks that … [Read more...]

Silhouettes: The “Snapshots” of the Regency Era

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Photography began to develop (pun unintended) in the 1830s and 40s. Before that, likenesses were captured in other ways. This past Saturday, I attended an online class about one of the most popular methods. The class was called “Shades, Shadows, and Profiles: Silhouettes during the time of Jane Austen.” It was taught by Candice Hern, a well-known and respected Regency author and … [Read more...]

A happy meeting (and a giveaway!)

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Ken and I have been traveling for the last three weeks and at the end of our time, I had a happy, happy get-together with my dear friend and writing critique partner, our own Tamera Alexander! It had been almost exactly two years since we got to see each other face-to-face and I can't tell you how wonderful it was to make breakfast for Tammy and Joe at our campground, and then yesterday, to spend … [Read more...]

Inspired by Scripture

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The authors of Inspired by Life...and Fiction want to wish a very happy Mother's Day to our readers who are mothers or have played the role of loving mother in someone's life. This Sunday feature is brought to you by ClashVerseoftheDay.com. You may sign up to receive a beautiful photo with Scripture in your inbox each morning or view the verse each day online. … [Read more...]

Living at Full Speed Ahead + Giveaway

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Hello, friends. It’s been awhile since I’ve dropped in with one of my bonus Saturday posts. For those of you who don’t know, even when I don’t post, I am managing this blog in the background, making sure it is running well for all of the terrific authors who post every week. I love reading what they say every bit as much as I hope you do. Life has been a bit of a whirlwind this spring (not … [Read more...]

Creating Characters

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One of the best parts about writing is creating the characters that populate my stories. I love the process of bringing each new character to life.I’ve developed a character worksheet that I fill out for each main character before I begin writing their story. The four-page worksheet is SUPER detailed and includes physical descriptions, personality, family history, fears, favorite things, and much, … [Read more...]

Favorite Fictional Moms + Giveaway

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With Mother's Day right around the corner, I thought it might be fun to share some of our favorite fictional moms. I'll start. Ma IngallsI grew up with the Little House books and watching the series on TV. Caroline Ingalls seemed like the perfect mom. Patient yet firm. Courageous, wise, fun-loving, and full of love for her children. She also was a God-fearing woman who knew her Bible and saw … [Read more...]

Revisiting Savannah

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Savannah, Georgia, was always one of the places I wanted to visit during my lifetime. Mostly this stemmed from my love of Eugenia Price’s books. So for our 25th anniversary (2012), my husband took me on my first trip to Savannah and St. Simon’s Island. It is still one of my favorite trips ever. A couple of weeks ago, my husband had a week-long business trip to Savannah, so of course I tagged … [Read more...]

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