Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

The Power of Christian Fiction 

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Hi friends,  So happy to be back with you this week. I spent this past weekend at the Christian Fiction Readers’ Retreat. It’s an amazing event and if you’ve never been as a writer or a reader, you definitely need to attend. It’s a day and a half of readers and writers coming together to celebrate the love of books. This year, I was a keynote speaker. I shared on the Power of … [Read more...]

In Praise of Audiobooks

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As an author, I like all the published editions: paperback, hardcover, international versions, large print, and collections. But my favorite version? Audiobooks. I know people who listen to them while sewing, exercising, or even cleaning house. I don't do any of those things (at least not often enough :)) but I love listening in the car—and not only on long trips. I don't like driving in general, … [Read more...]

Welcome to Club Deb

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I'm rerunning an oldie today, a post about my dear Club Deb friends that first ran here in 2015. Club Deb is still going strong and in fact, we got together this past weekend for an early celebration of my birthday. As we get ready to move away from Kansas, these dear friends become all the more precious to me! (Stay tuned at the end of the post for a few new photos from our most recent … [Read more...]

An Invitation to Join “Jody Hedlund’s Reader Room”

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With the many changes Facebook has made over the past years, we never know what will show up in our “home feeds.” Sadly, Facebook limits the number of posts we see from the people we follow and instead inundates us with ads. To combat this trend, many people start Facebook groups so that they can “chat” without Facebook’s interference. There are many, many groups out there, including some for … [Read more...]

Sneak Peek & Sale

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It's always exciting when a new book gets dressed up and ready for her big debut at the Reader's Ball. More Than Words Can Say has finished primping and is anxiously waiting for the carriage that will carry her to the Bookstore Ballroom. Unfortunately, that carriage ride is still two months away. But never fear . . . our little princess is a lady through and through. Because you are such … [Read more...]

The Austin Central Library

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Libraries held a significant place in my younger years. First was the library at my elementary school, with a librarian who recommended books that nurtured my reading and sparked my love of story. Then was the branch public library near my suburban home, where we would venture every week of summer, browse for a good hour before bringing home a stack of books checked out on my own library card. … [Read more...]

Walking Where Jesus Walked

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Hey friends! I’m currently in Israel with my daughter, Kelsey, and 34 other fabulous women! We fly home on Thursday night, so we have 3 more days here. We’ve seen and done so much, yet it’s still surreal to be here. To walk where Jesus walked.  But what has made the biggest impression on me is how much BETTER God is than I ever imagined. And how radical Jesus’s love was—and is! … [Read more...]

Celebrating Community

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I’ve done a lot of odd and interesting things in my life as an author, but being auctioned off at a fundraiser last week was a first! Happily, it was for a very good cause—the 90th annual Tulip Time Festival—and it turned out to be a lot of fun. The evening included a gala dinner, entertainment, and lots of other prizes to bid on besides me. Each May since 1929, the town where I live—Holland, … [Read more...]

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