Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Hero Inspiration

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Hi friends, I’m super excited to share my inspiration for characters with you today and to introduce you to Callen Frost. Callen is the hero of my first stand-alone novella, Deadly Isle. It was part of the Cost of Betrayal collection, but I’m thrilled to say it’s available for pre-order now and releases as an individual e-novella with a gorgeous cover on February 5th. Hope you’ll grab a copy. … [Read more...]

2019—New Year, New Plan

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I want to make my life count for eternity, don't you? Since we are between pastors at church, we have been enjoying a series of guest speakers. Recently, Dr. Ed Glenny has delivered a few sermons that have impacted me, especially  a new year's sermon about making our lives count for eternity. His text was the oldest Psalm in the Bible, Psalm 90: Since then, I've spent some time praying … [Read more...]

Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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I was seven or eight years old, growing up in a village in rural New York State, when I learned my first lesson about racism. My mom, my two sisters, and I had traveled to a nearby city on a shopping trip. For a treat, we went to the lunch counter at the dime store for grilled cheese sandwiches and French fries. That’s where I saw the two signs, one labeled ‘Whites Only,’ the other ‘Coloreds.’ I … [Read more...]

What Makes a Reader Pick Up a Book By a Debut Author?

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If you're like me, you probably have a handful of tried-and-true authors that you adore. We only have to see their name and we rush out to buy their book. We don't have to look at the back cover blurb or even know what the book is about. We trust that author will deliver. And if occasionally one of their books starts slow or doesn't necessarily appeal to us, we keep reading those authors … [Read more...]

Are You Listening?

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The older I get, the more I appreciate the sense of hearing. Because I'm losing it. I find myself turning up the TV volume, the stereo in the car, and the ringer on my phone. I mishear my kids when they are talking to me and have to ask them to repeat themselves. My youngest son speaks very softly anyway, so the poor kid gets frustrated when I respond with "What?" more than twice to the same … [Read more...]

Here Comes the Sun

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I’m not a morning person. Not. At. All. My husband is. For the first 20 or so years of our marriage, he thought if I just kept getting up early (as you have to do with babies, then school-aged children), it would become a habit. It hasn’t. He finally understands that there are some rhythms that are simply programed in our DNA. All that to say I’m not sure I’ve ever seen (or at least … [Read more...]

Odds & Ins

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Have you ever been excited to meet a friend for coffee and then when you got together, you couldn't decide what to share first? Well, that's me today. I've got lots of quick things to share, but these things don't really have a lot to do with each other. But they're fun! So here we go... Last week I headed to Dallas to help kick off the year for a dear friend's Bible Study group (hello … [Read more...]

A special anniversary (and a giveaway!)

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UPDATE: The winner is Angie Quantrell! Congratulations, Angie! I've sent an e-mail to you with the title of my book in the subject line. Thank you for all the great comments! New Years Day 2019 marked a special anniversary in my writing life. Twenty-five years ago on the first day of 1994, I sat down with a red felt-tip pen and a small steno pad to pen what would become the prologue of my … [Read more...]

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