Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Persevere, Surrender, Pursue Excellence & Take Heart

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Back in November, I had the very great honor of speaking at the Christy Award ceremony. A few weeks after that event, I shared the first part of my talk (my own personal love story with books) in this post here at Inspired by Life...and Fiction. Today, I'm bringing you the second half of my talk. Why? because I need to hear this weekly. Okay, maybe daily. If I need to hear this, then I'm … [Read more...]

Confessions of a Wonder Woman

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I was reminded this week of one of the nicknames I've acquired over time. It's one that wears me out just typing it: Wonder Woman. I've been able to do a lot of wonderful things during my relatively short life. I've been blessed, but sometimes it's exhausting trying to live up to people's expectation that I am Wonder Woman. I know the truth. I'm not. I'm just a woman who wants to live a life … [Read more...]

In Need of Hope

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Happy Wednesday, friends! I’m excited to be here with you today! Thanks for taking the time to drop by and say hi. I really appreciate it. A few years ago, I did a project called Alphabet for the Soul and each week I’d share a word that started with the letter I was on—A-Z. The majority of letters were easy to come up with words for them and each led to a small devotional. However, some … [Read more...]

Coming in July, Colors of Truth

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It's always a pretty good feeling (#majorunderstatement) when you finally get a book finished, edited, and submitted to your publisher. And when you get the final cover, too! That's where we are with my next release, Colors of Truth, the second full-length novel in The Carnton Novels Collection, releasing July 2020. Based on the real history of Carnton, an antebellum home that served as a … [Read more...]

At a Loss for Words

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Monday is coming and I have to write my regularly scheduled blog. The problem is, I’m all out of words. I have no more stories to tell. That’s because the deadline for my next novel is two weeks away. I’ve been writing it for a year, and it has turned out to be 130,000 words long. That’s a lot of words—which is why I’ve run out! The novel is finished but I’m spending the final month … [Read more...]

6 Ways to Keep Readers Up Past Their Bedtime

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One of my favorite compliments from readers is, "I stayed up really late reading your book." Story tellers would much rather have their books keep readers awake until unreasonable hours rather than having their books put readers to sleep. So how can writers make readers bright-eyed, excited, and turning the pages rather than bleary-eyed, yawning, and closing the book? Here are 6 ways to … [Read more...]

A Blog Full of Bargains!

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I love a good sale. Don't you? Well, today, my friends, we're all in luck. There are some fantastic sales going on in the world of Christian fiction. When my publisher notified me that I would have two books discounted this month, I decided to ask around and see if other author friends had promotions going on as well. Several did! Take a look: The first book in my Ladies of Harper's Station … [Read more...]

Day Trip: Taylor, Texas

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When we moved to Austin almost 4 (gasp!) years ago, my husband said we’d spend our weekend taking day trips around Central Texas. Little did he know his job would be so all-consuming and travel heavy as to make that nearly impossible! But just before Christmas, when the frenzy of holiday parties had ended and we hadn’t yet left to visit family, we had a rare, free Saturday and beautiful weather, … [Read more...]

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