Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Ready for fall, anyone?

By

I'm so ready for fall, I can taste it. First, another book is due September 2nd and I'm racing to finish. It's been a difficult one to write. Mostly because it's been inside me for a long time and those are always hardest to get onto the page. But also because we've recently moved. Still in Nashville, just a different house. It's been a long and frustrating process—is moving ever fun, though, … [Read more...]

My chicken, O my chicken . . .

By

I have a little black frizzle (her feathers curl upward) who's been with me several years. Blackie is sprightly and actually a little mean to the other hens, but she's healthy. But last week I let the chickens out and noticed that the rooster, who's always the first one out of the coop, had flattened her on the ground. I just assumed he was being a little over-eager, but once he moved away, … [Read more...]

A Knight Without Armor by James Scott Bell

By

Robin here: Because I'm busy brainstorming another book while retreating with some of my favorite people in the world, I asked my good friend—and one of my favorite writers—James Scott Bell to be my guest today. If you haven't read Jim's books, you really should. James Scott Bell is the winner of the International Thriller Writers Award, The Christy Award (Suspense), and the ACFW Lifetime … [Read more...]

Fan Fiction Story + A Party Invite

By

Back in May, I posted about a fan fiction contest I was running in conjunction with my western Cinderella retelling - If the Boot Fits. Fergus Ellis, the hero's youngest brother, never goes anywhere without his pencil and tablet. He names the animals around the house and dreams up adventures for them that he jots down in his tablet. He has dubbed the family milk cow Mrs. Merriweather and has … [Read more...]

A Midsummer Romance (& a giveaway)

By

I'm delighted to host author Alyssa Schwarz here on the blog today while I'm on a family vacation in the Caribbean! Be sure to comment for a chance to win the giveaway she's offering. (More on that at the bottom of the post.) Thanks so much for contributing to InspiredByLife, Alyssa! - Becky Teamwork makes the dream work. I can’t count all the times I’ve heard this phrase: classroom … [Read more...]

Some bookish quotes for you

By

Last week and this week, I've been surrounded by some pretty amazing young women in my day job. I'm also writing book three and in copy edits for book two. It's been full, y'all. Fun, but full. I'm honestly pretty tired as I've poured into more than 55 women each week. So today, I wanted to share some fun bookish quotes with you. These are from classic books, and I thought you'd enjoy them. … [Read more...]

Lessons Learned & Joyful Reminders

By

Hi friends, and happy Wednesday!  I just returned from hosting a writing retreat, and I had the best time. While I was the one teaching, the sweet attendees taught me just as much, if not more. We stayed at two cabins in West Virginia, and while that might bring something rustic to mind, these cabins my family loves to stay at are anything but. The owner has the best … [Read more...]

An Amazing Night

By

I recently shared about my experience participating in a book festival in Hungary. (You can read about it here.) During that same trip to Europe, I also had the opportunity to participate in one more book event. This one took place in Bratislava, Slovakia. Martin, the publisher who produces my books in the Slovak language arranged an event at a large bookstore. As authors, we never have … [Read more...]

Recent Posts