Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

A Prayer for 2020

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As we stand on the threshold of a new year, I thought I would offer up a prayer for us all: O Gracious Lord, In this coming year, teach us to trust You more, to love You more, to obey You more quickly and more completely, to forsake our besetting sins, to bridle our tongues, to live as children of God. May we be quick to repent and forgive, seek continual refreshment through Your … [Read more...]

8 Surprising Reading Habits

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Bookworms are united by our shared love of reading! But we also access and interact with books in ways that are intriguingly diverse. On my Facebook author page I recently invited readers to share their unusual reading habits with me. I found their responses fascinating! #1 To Re-read or Not to Re-read, That is the Question "I can read books I love over and over and over. It’s like … [Read more...]

Christmas Thoughts Leading to 2020

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Is anyone else having a hard time believing the New Year is only a few days away? 2019 has been a year of adventure and pain. Questions and joy. There's somthing about ending on Christmas that helps settle my heart and prepare for what's to come in the next year...and decade since we will soon turn the calendar to 2020. As we do, this is my desire and prayer: Does anyone else need the … [Read more...]

From All Of Us

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Thanks so much for spending your year with us. From all of us to all of you, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year. Robin, Lynn, Becky, Cara, Anne, Dani, Jody, Deb, Julie, and Tammy, and Karen. … [Read more...]

For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given

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One of the most sobering moments during my trip to Israel earlier this year was standing atop the Herodium—one of King Herod's fortresses and luxurious palaces—and looking out toward Bethlehem, the birth place of Jesus. Only three miles separate the two. Look straight out toward the two buildings that stand very close together in the far distance, just on the horizon. That's Bethlehem. … [Read more...]

Merry, blessed Christmas

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By now, no doubt, it's looking Christmas-y at your house or in your town. With just a few hours left for last-minute shopping and baking and decorating, if you're not ready now, well, somehow it always seems to work out. And if there are only 11 dozen cookies on the dessert table instead of your usual 15 dozen, nobody will likely complain. :) Our kids don't start arriving until Dec. 27, but … [Read more...]

What Causes a Reading Slump?

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Every year I keep a running total of the number of books I read over on Goodreads. Unfortunately, the number of books I read this year is slightly lower than the past few years. I’ve still read 42 and have time to squeeze in a couple more. But that number is eighteen less than the 60 of the previous year. Why didn’t I read as many books in 2019? As I thought about that question, it occurred to … [Read more...]

Getting Crafty at Christmas

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One of my favorite things to do at Christmas is to decorate the family tree. It's no magazine showpiece. It's a walk down memory lane. Photo ornaments from when my kids were babies. Ornaments they made in school. Ornaments we made together at home. The handmade ornaments are always my favorite. As an avid cross-stitcher, I love to make ornaments as gifts for others. My publishing team has been … [Read more...]

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