Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Waiting On Spring! (Plus a Giveaway!)

By

It’s THAT time of year again! That time when we turn our clocks ahead and no longer have to drive our kids to evening activities in the dark. That time of year when those gray mountains of dirty snow in every parking lot begin to shrink. That time of year when a chorus of birdsong greets us in the morning. Everything is pointing toward spring. The hint of it is strong in the air. But it’s not … [Read more...]

Charting the Course

By

I’m currently working on a project related to an airplane crash at the same time that Boeing has had its fleet of 757 Maxs grounded in several places. It’s unnerving to think about a plane going down with a couple hundred people on board. Especially when you just got off or plan to get on a plane in the near future. Yet that’s part of the plot for my next novel. And it’s part of current … [Read more...]

Suspense Writer in Action

By

Hi friends, I'm often asked what life as a suspense author looks like. Many people have this glamorous idea of an author’s life.  They envision romance authors lying around on a chaise lounge penning away their stories and eating bon-bons. While suspense authors are fighting off danger and getting in the trenches to uncover a great story. While I’d love to say I got to live either life, … [Read more...]

Tea Time in Jane Austen’s Time

By

But indeed I would rather have nothing but tea.” —Jane Austen, Mansfield Park On Saturday, I attended another great meeting of the Jane Austen Society of North America, Minnesota Region. This month's topic was "An Exploration of Teas," followed by an afternoon-tea-inspired lunch. Since my friend Kristine has hosted me for many a tea party, I took her along as my guest. Our speaker was … [Read more...]

A Free e-book Offer!

By

Many authors are reluctant to name their favorite book they've written—it's akin to naming our favorite child!—but now that I've written over thirty-five books, a few have risen to the top. One of those in my top five...maybe top three...is my novel A Nest of Sparrows. That book also now wears my favorite all-time book cover, designed by my talented husband Ken Raney. I wanted to let our … [Read more...]

Fantastic Ebook Deals

By

I love a sale! I know that many of you love them, too. Which is why I thought I'd use today's post to spread the word about some current deals on my friends' books and on my own. Whenever a full length novel is priced at $4 or less, that's a great opportunity to try a new-to-you author, stock up on a title by a favorite author that you may have missed, or purchase a copy for your e-reader to … [Read more...]

From Generation to Generation

By

One of the joys of having children attend your alma mater, is seeing them participate in traditions that you remember fondly from your own college days. A couple weeks ago was what we at Abilene Christian University call Sing Song Weekend. This is a unique annual event that has been around since 1957. Sing Song is an a cappella singing competition in which students prepare rewritten medleys of … [Read more...]

A Must See Film for History Nerds

By

You know I am an all-out history nerd. So when I heard about the movie They Shall Not Grow Old, I knew I had to see it. Not only is it a documentary about World War I, the time period during which my full-length novels are set, but it was put together solely with actual footage from WWI and narration by WWI vets recorded up to sixty years ago! How cool is that? Add in a stellar director—Peter … [Read more...]

Monthly Archives

Blog Categories

Recent Posts

Disclosure

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the pages on this site may be "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, someone will receive an affiliate commission. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."