Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

What’s on Your TBR Pile?

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Now that we're pretty well settled into our house in Missouri and I'm back on a regular writing schedule, I've had a lot more time to read. Here are some of the books I've enjoyed recently, and others that are up next on my (tall!) TBR pile. (That's "to-be-read" pile in case you're not familiar with the acronym.) … [Read more...]

My Summer (And Two New Covers!)

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To me, the first week of September always feels like the end of summer and the beginning of fall. Saying good-bye to summer is bittersweet, isn't it? Mine was full of many happy memories. My college-age daughters were home, and so family life was busier and noisier in a wonderful, crazy way. I loved having a special trip just with my college daughters to New Orleans, a time to catch up and … [Read more...]

Top 5 Writer Movies

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Earlier this summer, one of my agent's partners shared a blog post about her 5 favorite movies about writers. I have to admit that I had only heard of one of these films and had never seen any of them. But it did give me a fun idea about creating a list of my own favorites. You might sense a theme in my preferences. All of them are period pieces. And in all but one, the author character is a … [Read more...]

My Inaugural iPad Pro Trip

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As you know, I’m on the road a lot. I tend to accompany my husband on business trips at least once a month, sometimes more. And between times we travel to see our kids and our granddaughter, too. Sometimes I get frustrated because I never seem to get as much writing done as I would like on those trips. Mostly it’s the travel days that upend me, but it is other days as well. Days where I debate … [Read more...]

My Eulogy to Dad

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Several of you have asked about the eulogy I gave at Dad's funeral almost two weeks ago and if I would share it. I'm happy to. But first, thank you, friends, for your recent prayers. I felt them every step of the way. It was hard saying goodbye—however temporarily—to Dad, but being at his bedside with Doug and Esta (Dad remarried at age 79 after Mom passed) was such an incredible blessing. One … [Read more...]

Labor Day

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I’ve learned over the more than 30 years that I’ve been writing, that I need to get away from my desk from time to time and refresh my creative juices. So, over the Labor Day weekend my husband and I decided to go on a short adventure in his little red sports car. It’s such a fun, liberating feeling to ride with the top down, with the view open to the vast, infinite sky! I not only have a new … [Read more...]

Finishing Well

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Hi friends,  Always happy to spend my Wednesdays 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.  I recently turned in my rough draft of The Crushing Depths—the second book in my Coastal Guardian’s series. It was a long process mainly because I have a very unique (most say crazy, I prefer unique or … [Read more...]

Praying with Jane (and a giveaway!)

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When I was recently in England (how much do I love typing that line? :) ) I was delighted to see Rachel Dodge's book, Praying With Jane, in a most auspicious place: Jane Austen's House Museum, where Miss Austen lived for many years and wrote and revised the majority of her beloved novels. It's always fun to spy author-friend's books out in the world, but this sighting was especially significant to … [Read more...]

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