Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

A Thank You for my Readers

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Hi friends and happy Wednesday! I always look forward to spending these days with you. I’m excited to announce the upcoming release of The Deadly Shallows. After a two-year hiatus due to health reasons and a handful of surgeries, the third book in my Coastal Guardian series release on July 5th. To celebrate I’ve got a “Summer of Thank-You-Fun” planned, so be sure to stayed tuned to my newsletter. … [Read more...]

Mothering Sunday vs Mother’s Day

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As someone who has read many British books and watches programs from the UK, I have heard and often wondered how “Mothering Sunday” compares to Mother’s Day as observed in the US. I also wondered if Mother’s Day was a “Hallmark holiday,” or if it had other, older origins. So, with the passing of Mother’s Day a few days ago, I decided to look into it. Maybe you've wondered as well. Mothering … [Read more...]

Book Release (And a Giveaway!)

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To Tame a Cowboy, the third book in my Colorado Cowboys series, is now available! I’m happy to report that early readers are loving this new story! It centers around the third handsome and hunky McQuaid brother, Brody. Unlike his brothers, Brody fought in the Civil War. The death and destruction he witnessed destroyed his sensitive spirit and left him a broken man. His only interests in life … [Read more...]

Where Does the Time Go?

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Nearly 22 years ago, I welcomed an amazing human being into our family. Wyatt is the second of my three children, and I've had the honor of watching him grow from a sweet-natured boy with irresistible dimples into a godly young man poised to make an impact on the world. In two days, Wyatt will graduate summa cum laude from Abilene Christian University with a 4.0 GPA while double-majoring in … [Read more...]

God Doesn’t Give “Busy Work”

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I’m sure you are familiar with the concept of “busy work.” It’s the work given in an educational setting that keeps the students occupied for a period of time but doesn’t contribute much to the overall educational goals. Teachers use it when they need to work with smaller groups of students. Or when they need to get paperwork done. I think we’ve all experienced this at one time or another. But a … [Read more...]

Girls Night Out at the Symphony

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For months, our family has had tickets to The Music of John Williams at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center featuring the Nashville symphony. And this past Sunday night was the night! Except the boys got sick. So it turned into a girl's night out! The Schermerhorn is a lovely building with, as you would guess, fabulous acoustics! If you think you've never heard any of John Williams's … [Read more...]

Lost and Found

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Two weeks ago, my gentle, adorable grandson went to preschool for the first time. His entire family went to drop him off, and once he was safely at school, they left for work. Dad would pick him up when school dismissed. So at the appointed time, Dad drove into the pickup line and turned on his phone's video camera, because he wanted to record the moment for posterity--GrandBoy's first pick up … [Read more...]

Which Comes First? Character or Setting?

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In days, I'll be officially starting writing on two novellas I need to start, draft, and complete before the end of June. Fortunately, each is only 30,000 words, but at the moment I haven't written that many words since last summer. But the spring semester ends for my on Friday, and it's time to shift my focus to writing. The exciting part is that I get to create these two stories as parts of … [Read more...]

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