Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Research Road Trip

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Hi friends,  Excited to be back with you all today! Happy Wednesday. I hope your week is going well so far. If you’re waiting for the weekend, you’re halfway there. Yay! Last weekend my hubby and I took a road trip. Not far. Just from Maryland to Pennsylvania. It’s a trip we take often. We have friends in Lancaster and my husband gets his tattoo work done there. Yes, he has many. And, each … [Read more...]

Research & Pleasure: Jane Austen-Style

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I just returned from the 2019 Annual General Meeting of the Jane Austen Society of North America.  The conference moves to different cities every year, but when I heard this year’s setting was Williamsburg, Virginia, I knew I wanted to attend. I was in good company, as the conference sold out almost immediately and was attended by over 800 people. I attended for several reasons: To learn … [Read more...]

Doing Battle

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Last month, our town hosted a Civil War Muster in a local park. Re-enactors from all over the country came here to camp in canvas tents, wear authentic uniforms, and re-create famous Civil War battles. A friend and I sat on a hilltop to view the battles while our husbands performed period music in the brass band. As I watched the north and the south shoot rifles and cannons at each other, I … [Read more...]

To Those Who Stick Up Their Noses at Christian Fiction

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Earlier in the week over on Twitter, a conversation came up in my feed that really took me by surprise. An avid promoter of Christian Fiction posted a #FollowFriday with a list of Christian authors (myself included) that she supports. In response to her post, someone said this: “Christian fiction has become Pablum for those who have little time for God's word. Part of the great god … [Read more...]

An Old-Fashioned Texas Christmas

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The Archer Brothers Are Back! I'm so excited to share An Archer Family Christmas with you! Travis, Crockett, Jim, and Neill are back with their families for an adventured-filled holiday family reunion. Meet the next generation of little Archers, be swept up in the romance of 4 Archer happily-ever-afters, and best of all, find yourself caught up in an all-new Archer adventure filled with … [Read more...]

When You Pass Through the Waters . . .

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It started out as the perfect storm—in a good sense. We were bringing Jeff’s dad and stepmom to Louisiana to meet their first great-grandchild, but we also wanted to do a little extra, considering that Jeff’s dad turned 75 in August. So when we learned Jeff would have a speaking engagement in Houston in late September, it appeared the perfect segue between the two things. We bought their plane … [Read more...]

Satisfying Your Sweet Tooth

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"A great liking for sweet tasting foods." That's the definition for "sweet tooth." And I definitely have a sweet tooth! Do you? This past Sunday, I spoke to the fabulous women at Brentwood Church of Christ here in Nashville on the topic of Writing Real History, and they had the most adorable—and that doesn't even begin to describe them—cookies! See for yourself... Aren't these … [Read more...]

Residence Refresh

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After our oldest daughter moved out last month to attend college, my teenage son lobbied to move into her old bedroom. (That bedroom is the most popular kid real estate in the house because it has its own bathroom and he'd long been sharing a bathroom with little sister.) Little sister had her eye on brother's old bedroom. And I had my eye on little sister's old bedroom as a guest bedroom and … [Read more...]

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