Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

The Real Meaning of “Write What You Know”

By

My youngest daughter (age 12) loves to read. She’s enjoyed all of my medieval YA books, most recently A Loyal Heart which released in March. I also allowed her a taste of one of my novellas, An Awakened Heart (which just came out in print in a collection called All My Tomorrows). When she finished, she asked if she could read the first full length book, With You Always. I hesitated. … [Read more...]

Help Inspire a Writers Retreat

By

I have been blessed to participate in a handful of writing retreats over the years, but one of my favorites is with a group of writers known as the Inkettes. This fun group was started by Dani Pettrey a few years ago, and we've had an annual retreat that meets in a different location each year. Our first year (2016), we went to Hershey, PA. All writers need chocolate, right? Well, not only did … [Read more...]

Waco bound!

By

This past fall, I asked for "must sees, must dos, and must eats" while in Waco, TX because my daughter Kelsey and I were planning a trip to Magnolia Farm. Well... THE TIME HAS COME! We're headed to Waco on Friday!     So for all of you who've been and lived to tell about it, I'd still love to get your two cents about "must dos," if you're willing to share. So far, … [Read more...]

The Bus Tour

By

     I’ve done some unusual things during the course of my writing life, but my upcoming bus tour next month will be a first. The idea came from my friend Paul, who thought readers would enjoy touring some of the interesting sites from my novel, “Waves of Mercy.” The novel is set in the town of Holland, Michigan where Paul has lived most of his life, and it tells the story of the Dutch immigrants … [Read more...]

Inspired by Scripture

By

The authors of Inspired by Life...and Fiction wish a blessed Easter to all our friends and readers! He is risen...indeed!  This Sunday feature is brought to you by ClashEntertainment.com. You may sign up to receive a beautiful photo with scripture in your inbox each morning or view the verse each day online. … [Read more...]

My Favorite Tech Tools (at this moment)

By

I’ve loved the lists we’ve been seeing on this blog lately, so I thought I would jump in with my own version. These are in no particular order. Just as they came to me. 1) I am an Apple fan. Period. I left the Windows world behind in early 2006 and never looked back. So no surprise that the first item on my list of favorites is my 13” MacBook Pro. I also love my 27” iMac that’s in my office … [Read more...]

How to Write Historical Christian Fiction

By

I've been asked by a public library in northern Minnesota to teach a 2-hour class on "How to Write Historical Christian Fiction." Apparently, their patrons requested such a class after an inspiring visit from beloved historical fiction author, Lauraine Snelling. Lauraine lives in California, so they sought out a local author instead—me. A joy shared is a double joy. A burden shared is half a … [Read more...]

Memories for a Lifetime

By

If you follow me on Facebook, you might know that for the past ten days I've been traveling with my husband's family, visiting the beautiful islands of Hawaii! It's a trip I never thought we'd be able to take, but Ken's mother treated all five of her kids and their spouses to this trip of a lifetime. It's not easy to coordinate the work and family schedules of 10 people—including two of us who … [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."