Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Historic hotels

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I am very blessed to be married to a man who loves history as much as I do. We have spent many wonderful hours traipsing around historical sites, perusing museums, and touring old homes. And we love them all. But in the past few years we have come to discover another love: staying in historic hotels. Yes, we’ve also stayed in historic homes turned Bed and Breakfast or Airbnb, but it’s … [Read more...]

Beginnings

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I love beginnings. I love fresh starts. I've long been drawn to "path pictures" because they represent these beginnings and fresh starts. A chance to (as the Apostle Paul says) forget what is behind and press forward to what lies ahead. Of course, we don't truly "forget" the past in the sense that what's behind us is forgotten. Rather, with determination, we choose not to dwell on the … [Read more...]

Looking Back at 2018 and My Word for 2019

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Can you believe it's that time again? Time to say farewell to an old year and to welcome a new one. I am not big on New Year's Resolutions, but I do love reflecting on the year just passed and then to look forward with my new word for the year. My word for the past year: My word for 2018 was Grace. "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift … [Read more...]

A Few of My Favorite Things

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2018 is drawing to a close and I always enjoy looking back on the year that was. In the name of gratitude and nostalgia, I thought I'd take this opportunity to share a few of my favorite things from the past twelve months. Favorite TV show: New Amsterdam, NBC - Shows set in hospitals aren't always my cup of tea, because they can be too tense and too heavy for my taste. Not this … [Read more...]

My Word 2019

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January 1st is around the corner, and that means I've been praying about my word for 2019. I first started doing this probably 10-12 years ago. It's become a way to set a theme for the year about what I think God wants to teach me. Some of the words have been exciting. Others not so much. Some have been easy. Others quite hard. Some I immediately sensed what God wanted to tell me. Still others … [Read more...]

Inspired by Intentional Living

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Hi friends, I can’t believe Christmas was just yesterday! I hope you and your family had a beautiful time celebrating the birth of our dear Savior. We had a wonderful time! It’s also hard to believe that we are less than a week from 2019. As we move into the New Year, I’m not so much about New Year resolutions as I am about intentional living. What is intentional living? Here’s my … [Read more...]

Glad Christmas Tidings!

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Merry Christmas from the Klassen family! Since it's my turn to blog today, I thought I would make a Christmas-related announcement. Several people who have read my latest book, The Bride of Ivy Green (Book Three in the Tales From Ivy Hill series) have already emailed to say they are sad to see the series end, or to ask if I would please write another Ivy Hill book. The good news is, my … [Read more...]

Wishing you a merry, merry…

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Christmas Eve... I hope you are all planning for a wonderful Christmas Eve, whether it's a boisterous day with family and friends, a quiet family dinner, or an evening alone to reflect on the year that's flown past. As for us, we've had all of the above. Our kids all came early for Christmas this year, and the last of the seventeen who've been under our roof this past week drove away this … [Read more...]

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