Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Bakers Gotta Bake—and a GIVEAWAY!

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We're hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year, and I'm already looking forward to being with family, to playing games, and to preparing (and eating) those delicious foods associated with the holidays. Which means I'm already thinking about food! What's new, huh? Are you a "traditional Thanksgiving dinner" family? Or do you cook something different? Like Mexican food? Or steaks with … [Read more...]

A Sneak Peek . . .

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One of the most exciting moments for me as an author is when I first get to see the cover design for my newest novel. There have been some that I have loved, some that were so-so, and a few that I’ve really disliked. My publisher asks for my input and ideas, of course, but I never know what the final outcome will be. It’s up to the design team to choose an image and a “look” that best fits the … [Read more...]

Cover Reveal (and a giveaway!)

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Oh, happy day! It's time to reveal the cover for Let It Be Me, book #2 in my Misty River Romance series! My Misty River Romance series is tied together by a group of middle school kids who were trapped underground by an earthquake while on a mission trip to El Salvador. The media broadcast their story, and for eight days Christians pleaded with God for their safety. When a rescue team … [Read more...]

Free Short Story & A Giveaway

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My latest novella collection, The Kissing Tree released this week, and I have to say that I think this is my favorite novella I've ever written. I had so much fun with the characters. Phoebe with her dreamy, romantic nature and Barnabas with his stodgy practicality and internal wit. They were both definitely Inn for a Surprise when cupid's arrow struck. Before Phoebe built the inn that she … [Read more...]

Time Well or Poorly Spent

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Hi friends, I always look forward to spending time with you all. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to spend a little of it with me. I’ve been looking at my priorities lately. Particularly as I deal with continued and increasing health issues. It is times like this that it makes you sit back and really think the best way to invest your time. I took the last few weeks and kept … [Read more...]

Teatime (with a side of Gratitude)

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I have posted in years past about the pleasures of visiting one of my favorite groups of women, the Tantalizing Ladies Tea book club. (These are the women I fictionalized as the “Ladies Tea and Knitting Society” in my Tales From Ivy Hill series.) But in the stressful, isolating year of 2020, this recent visit was even sweeter, especially because author-friends Michelle Griep and Erica Vetsch … [Read more...]

A BIG Giveaway (and a great reading list)

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Mark your calendars! Lisa Tawn Bergren's annual fall scavenger hunt starts this Thursday, October 15 at noon through Sunday, October 18, 2020 at midnight, MOUNTAIN time zone. Several of us here at Inspired by Life...and Fiction have books in the offering, including Becky, Robin, Tammy, and me. Not only is the hunt an opportunity to win some great prizes, but it's also a great place to … [Read more...]

Sisters Giveaway

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The Sisters Giveaway that Deborah Raney, Beth Vogt, and I are currently offering (scroll down for info on that!) has me thinking about how grateful I am for my own sisters. I'm the oldest, followed two years later by Kristen, followed two years later by Carrie. I can't imagine taking three kids this age on a driving trip of Europe for an entire summer, but that's what my parents did. (My … [Read more...]

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