Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

A Truly GOOD Friday

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Nowadays, for most people Good Friday is just another day. Fewer and fewer people recognize it. Sometimes I even wonder if the holiness and gravity of it is becoming a thing of the past. And if so, that really saddens me. When I was growing up, Good Friday was a very special day. Schools were cancelled. Businesses closed early. And everyone went to Good Friday services. I was always … [Read more...]

My Trip to Dublin

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This past Saturday I traveled to and from Dublin in a single day. How was that possible? Well . . . my destination was Dublin, TX not Dublin, Ireland. Before this trip I never realized Dublin was so close - only an hour and a half by car. The local accent was more Texas twang than Irish lilt, but I still had a lovely time. Thanks to spring rains, the countryside was almost as green as the … [Read more...]

My Holy Week Focus: Sifting

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Every Christmas and Easter I look for a small moment of focus within the familiar stories. It helps me enter more fully into the holiness of these celebrations of Jesus in both his God-ness and his humanness. This year, I was reading a plan on the Bible app when Luke 22:31-33 grabbed me in a new way: Jesus says, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; … [Read more...]

Three “Last” Things

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What are your three "last" things? The last sweet you baked.The last book you read. The last picture you took (and if you know plants, please let me know what the name of this plant is!) I last baked this delicious Keto "Samoa" cookie bar. You might have eaten a Girl Scout Samoa cookie? Well this is the low carb gluten free version of that, and it...is...fabulous! I've been eying this … [Read more...]

Spring Fever

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Everyone I know has Spring Fever, including me. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and the last few piles of dirty snow are melting at last. The steady drip of snowmelt from the eaves outside my office sounds like a drumbeat, summoning me to come outside and play. The season of new beginnings is here. And it’s a new beginning for my next writing project, too. My contract schedule has me … [Read more...]

Top 2019 Reads Thus Far

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I haven't been blogging much this year. Life has a way of "happening," and I've been concentrating on lots of other things besides blog posts (including writing my next book). Some of my life's happenings have been joyous ones, as in the arrival of the newest member of my family, Adaline Jo. Here she is at a month old all dressed up for her uncle's wedding. She's in my arms (I'm her Grandy), … [Read more...]

Cover Reveal!

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My novella, Because of You, released this past fall as part of The Christmas Heirloom collection. This coming fall it will become available as a stand-alone ebook and, thus, has been given its own cover! Several months ago, I filled out a cover questionnaire for Because of You full of ideas, setting details, character inspiration, photos, and more. I knew that the design team at Bethany House … [Read more...]

2 million words & counting + Giveaway

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I've been a voracious reader from a young age. In my pre-teen and early teen years, I kept a log of all the books I read. Many months it was 30, a compilation of Nancy Drew, Mandy, Trixie Beldon, and Cherry Ames books. Is it any surprise I write mysteries and thrillers. One thing I have loved about being a parent is watching my children discover and love reading on their own. Our oldest has … [Read more...]

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