Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Technology and long goodbyes

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I'm excited to head to Atlanta this week to see my precious Dad again. I do my best to get down there every couple of weeks. Dad entered memory care earlier this year in February and has adjusted fairly well. But recently, he's becoming more confused, more disoriented. And frightened. Which breaks my heart. As I shared on Facebook yesterday, this pic is from two weeks ago when I was … [Read more...]

Fiction Tips From My Granddaughter

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Last week our family welcomed a new grandbaby into the world. Mama and baby are both fine, thank the Lord. And I had the pleasure of taking care of Lyla, who is two and a half, while mama and papa were in the hospital. I thought I would be taking time off from writing, but it so happened that I learned a few lessons from my granddaughter about what makes a good story. Lyla currently has two … [Read more...]

A Glimpse of My Summer

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This past week, my college kids returned to school, leaving my nest half-empty. My three oldest children are all attending Cedarville University (a Christian college in Ohio). That leaves me with two at home (a tenth and eighth grader). While the summer was busy (and at times chaotic), I loved having everyone home and being together as a family. We made some wonderful memories over the past … [Read more...]

Hairstyles of the 1890’s and a Giveaway!

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When I was a little girl dreaming of fairy tale romance I always pictured myself in a long dress with my hair styled in a fancy updo. That's part of the reason I was drawn to historical stories. All the dresses and fancy hairstyles! I have loved all of my book covers, but there is one sticking point that I keep poking my editor about - almost none of my heroines have period-appropriate hair! … [Read more...]

Novella Cover Reveal!

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I love finding obscure bits of history that I can build a story around. My soon-to-come novella came about in just that way. As I was looking through some history timelines, I came across a reference to The Toledo War in Ohio. With a little more digging, i discovered that the state of Ohio and the territory of Michigan each did a some grandstanding over the official placement of the line between … [Read more...]

Transition Time

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The end of summer is known for transitions: back-to-school, back to a regular schedule, back on track. Here are a few transitions going on in my life right now: I completed my first ever series. The Bride of Ivy Green, Book 3 in the Tales of Ivy Hill series, is finished. I have proofed the final galleys and the next time I see those pages, they will be inside a printed book (December). I know … [Read more...]

Out of Their Element

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Our own IBLF-er Robin Lee Hatcher and I, along with authors Angela Breidenbach and Vickie McDonough, have a fun new collection of four full-length novels that released earlier this month. Available for your Kindle (or any reader that uses the Kindle app), Out of Their Element features four mismatched couples who find unexpected romance. I'm especially partial to our beautiful book cover because … [Read more...]

Brainstorming and Changes

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Right now I'm in the season of writing where I'm wrapping up one project and preparing ideas for new books. It means, a dizzying array of what ifs are playing through my mind. On Saturday morning I found twelve ideas just flipping through the headlines of the weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal. Now I need to massage them, combine them, and see what comes out to play. [Tweet "Join … [Read more...]

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