Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Re-living History

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In case you can’t tell, I love history—both reading it and writing about it. I especially enjoy learning about local history. This beautiful resort, The Hotel Ottawa, once stood near the Lake Michigan beach where my husband and I walk every day. It was featured as a setting in my novel, “Waves of Mercy,” which takes place in 1897. The hotel was a popular tourist destination in the late 1800s … [Read more...]

What I’m Working on Now

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After a dreamy month of vacation in June, I began work on a new project at the start of July. My kids are out of school until August 6th, so I'll be writing at a relaxed and easy-going pace until then! Nonetheless, I did start back. :) Via my recently-completed Bradford Sisters series, I discovered that I really enjoy writing a set of connected books that includes a prequel novella, three … [Read more...]

Books, Sales, & Giveaway

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It's July and that means the countdown to back-to-school is starting. In four weeks my three younger kids start 11th, 6th, and 4th grade. Two weeks later our oldest starts her sophomore year at Purdue. There's so much I still want to do, but the reality is days are ticking down. But it also means many of us have some sort of vacation or staycation...and for me that means reading. Today, I'm … [Read more...]

Summer Splash Adventure

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Hi friends,  I’m super excited to be chatting with you today. I’ve got something really fun to share with you. I’m joining fellow Bethany House author Amanda Dykes to celebrate the release of her debut novel, Whose Waves These Are, and my upcoming novel, The Killing Tide (August 2019). Since both of our new releases feature lighthouses and coastal settings, we decided to give readers a fun … [Read more...]

A Visit To Famous Lyme Regis

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On our recent group trip (English Countryside & Coast Tour), we visited the coastal town of Lyme Regis in Dorset. Lyme's historic Cobb was featured in both The French Lieutenant's Woman and Persuasion--one of my favorites! The cobb wall provides a breakwater to protect the town from storms while at the same time creating the harbor that helped Lyme develop as both a port and shipbuilding … [Read more...]

Reading galleys

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My daily work recently (besides packing for our move to Missouri in two weeks!) has been to read the galleys for my new novel, Chasing Dreams, which releases October 22. Galleys are a PDF file of the pages of my book typeset exactly the way they will appear in the printed version. This is my last chance to catch any mistakes before the book goes to press. Usually, by the time I reach galley … [Read more...]

How to Know When to Stop Editing a Novel

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This year I’m publishing five novels! Yes, five! Eeek! The first book of the five released in June, A Reluctant Bride (my bride ship series). The next four books (in my medieval YA series) are releasing this fall, two books in August, one in September, and the final in October.  If you missed the cover reveal for Always and Evermore releasing in August, here they are! With so many … [Read more...]

Happy 4th of July!

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Second only to fireworks and flags, the things I most associate with the 4th of July holiday are cookouts and family. Burgers and dogs on the grill, homemade ice cream, cookies, apple pie. And biscuits. Honey-glazed biscuits, to be precise. Biscuits? That's not an item usually found at the family cookout. Perhaps not, but if a 19th century baker was given the opportunity to sponsor a 4th of … [Read more...]

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