Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Transitions

By

 Hi friends,  Excited to spend my Wednesday with you. Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to drop by and say hi. Please know how much I appreciate it.  This time of year is a time of transition. The days grow cooler and shorter. The leaves begin to turn and fall. Starbucks brings out their Pumpkin Spice Latte. Yum!  Back to School This fall is a … [Read more...]

Book Titles: Do Authors Choose?

By

I am often asked this question: Do you get to choose your own book titles? The answer is Yes, and sometimes, No. My editorial team always asks me for several alternate title ideas. Sometimes they choose my preferred working title, sometimes they do not. It is a collaborative, back and forth effort. Just for fun, here are some of my early working titles that did not make it to the … [Read more...]

A Loyal Fan & an Inheritance

By

I got such a fun note in my inbox a couple of weeks ago. Let me start at the beginning. When our kids were growing up, we lived in the small town of Hesston, Kansas. One of our favorite families there was the King family. Like us, they had four kids, except their oldest was in the same class as our youngest. Still, Mike and Peggy let us oldsters be friends with them, and we spent many fun hours … [Read more...]

5 Ways to Get Teens to Put Down Their Phones and Pick Up a Book

By

1. Model a Love of Reading First, if we want our teens to read, then they need to see us as adults doing it. We have to make a conscious effort to limit our own time on Netflix or Hulu and spend time reading instead. If we don’t do it (and love it!), how can we expect them to?  2. Make Reading Cool Point out the many cool people who are already reading for the fun of it. Give them … [Read more...]

Something Old, Something New

By

Out of all the books I've written, one particular family has proven to be most popular with my readers. You guessed it - the Archer brothers. These four reclusive brothers who raised themselves on the wild Texas frontier are not only named after heroes from the Alamo, but they are each rather heroic in their own right. As are the women who win their hearts. Now you might notice in the … [Read more...]

The Hats We Wear

By

When I was young and dreaming of being a writer, I thought that meant I would spend my days, well, writing. As in spinning stories one after another after another—with the rest of my time spent reading of course! Clearly my child, and even teenaged, view of reality didn’t quite match the experience. But in case there are some of you out there who imagine that writers have idyllic careers in … [Read more...]

My Eulogy to Dad, Part 2

By

Two weeks ago—after receiving requests from several of you—I shared the eulogy I gave at Dad's funeral on August 21 in which I shared seven lessons I learned from my precious Dad, who truly modeled what it was like to be a man after God's own heart. But I shared an abridged version. Because, well, like my books the eulogy was a little long. #majorshocker #notapithywriter Anyway... I posted … [Read more...]

Numbering Our Days

By

I’ve been working from breakfast until bedtime this past week, juggling three important writing projects. This blog is project #4. I feel like a circus performer spinning plates, trying not to let any of them fall. Besides my writing deadlines, I also spoke at a women’s retreat last Saturday. And I have a husband and children who I love spending time with. And grandchildren who are growing up much … [Read more...]

Monthly Archives

Blog Categories

Recent Posts

Disclosure

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the pages on this site may be "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, someone will receive an affiliate commission. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."