Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Not-to-be-missed encouragements

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Hey friends! Do you need some encouragement either in your writing or personal life? Me too! First, for writers... Royal Writers Conference is coming up and, bless them, they've asked me to keynote for the conference. Tons of fabulous writers will be teaching and sharing their knowledge and journeys as well. I'm so excited to be part of this ONLINE event and invite you to join us! … [Read more...]

Setting the Setting

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Have you ever been in a place where you didn’t want to be? Or how about being in a place that you loved, and that quickly became your happy place? I’ve experienced both, and each time, the setting always seems to affect my mood and my emotions. A dreary place brings me down, while a beautiful place lifts my spirits. That’s how I’ve learned the importance of choosing the settings for my novels very … [Read more...]

A Romance Novel With All the Feels

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I admit. I like a really good romance story full of LOTS of romantic moments filled with LOTS of toe-tingling, stomach-flipping sizzle. Those are the stories I’m drawn to READ. Those are also the stories I’m drawn to WRITE. However, as a writer of inspirational fiction I want my novels to remain clean and sweet (without any sex scenes). So how do I balance keeping a novel clean while … [Read more...]

Patience or Procrastination?

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I am a very task-oriented person by nature. If I start something, I'm going to finish. I have to finish, otherwise it will drive me crazy. But sometimes, it's the starting that trips me up. Last week, I finally got around to starting a project I've had on hold for over 30 years. That's right . . . 30 YEARS! Thirty-two to be precise. The summer after I graduated from high school, I got a job … [Read more...]

From Anne to D’Ann

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Ten years ago this month my first novel released. It was a time of dreams come true in so many ways. But there was one dream I didn’t see realized in that moment—my true name on a book cover. When I received that first publishing contract from Bethany House, they had one request of me: a pen name. Why? A couple of reasons. First, they had historical author Deeanne Gist under contract. For … [Read more...]

Traveling with Mark Twain

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My husband and I have long enjoyed the travel writing of authors like Bill Bryson (A Walk in the Woods, Notes From A Small Island, etc.), and we were recently surprised to learn that more than 100 years before Bryson wrote, the famous Mark Twain wrote humorous travel books of his own. My husband and I visited Mark Twain’s Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri about a week ago. In … [Read more...]

It has come to my attention…

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It has come to my attention that one Deborah Raney was scheduled to share a post today. However, the day has come (and nearly gone) and— I see no post. I see no pictures. I see no apology. I see nothing! And you know why?? Because Deb and her husband Ken are currently traipsing all around the country on a grand national park adventure! Now seriously, is that any excuse to not … [Read more...]

Cover Reveal (+ enter to win bookish gifts!)

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For the the past few weeks, I've been working on a Christmas novella! I wrote a Christmas novella for my Bradford Sisters series and had so much fun doing so, that I always hoped to include a Christmas novella for my Misty River series, too. However, I wasn't certain my schedule would allow for that. Turns out, I was able to make it happen! I'm so glad I carved out time. I love penning … [Read more...]

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