Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Setting Out on A New Adventure

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Hi friends, This week I’m sharing about a new adventure I’m about to embark on. I’m thrilled to announce the first book in my Coastal Guardian series, The Killing Tide, is officially available for pre-order! I’m extremely excited about this series not just because I’ve fallen in love with the characters and I can’t wait to introduce them to you, but because I’ve loved the setting for the … [Read more...]

Meeting Jane Austen

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I met Jane Austen this past weekend! Ok, not really, but I did meet actress Debra Ann Miller who brings to life the beloved novelist in a moving and humorous one-woman performance. I was especially impressed by her excellent script, which is drawn almost entirely from Jane's letters and novels. Ms. Miller has skillfully woven together Austen's own words into an entertaining and informative … [Read more...]

Giant Inspirational Christmas Book Giveaway

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If you popped in today expecting to read a post from the lovely Deb Raney, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until Thursday. She and I switched days this week so I could tell you about this fantastic giveaway before it closes on Wednesday. I'm participating in the BookSweeps Inspirational Romance for the Holidays promotion, and I'm thrilled to see 40 books included! Plenty of material to keep the … [Read more...]

Life Imitating Art (and a giveaway!)

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It's my pleasure to welcome my friend Susan Tuttle to Inspired by Life today!  Every writer works tremendously hard in the years that come between that initial [I'm going to follow my dream and write a book!] inspiration and the moment when their debut novel actually releases.  Susan's debut novel is now available and it's wonderful to see her effort and perseverance pay off.  Stay tuned for … [Read more...]

Favorite Quotes and Two Book Deals!

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Last weekend I keynoted a small writer's conference in Chicago. It was an honor to be asked, and after praying a lot, I spoke about how God fills us with the ability to understand and write literature. Then I talked about how walking in our creative gifts takes courage. I made the graphic on the left into square photos that I handed out to the attendees so they could have a reminder as they write … [Read more...]

Texas Book Festival

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A couple of weekends ago, my husband and I spent two giddy, glorious days standing in long lines, searching for each other through crowds of people, and spending money. No, we weren’t at Disney World. Or any amusement park for that matter. We attended the Texas Book Festival! Since moving to Austin almost three years ago, this has become our favorite weekend of the year. For two days … [Read more...]

What are you reading?

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What are you reading now? And what's next in your To-Be-Read (TBR) stack? Me? I recently finished reading Jolina Petersheim's March 2019 release for endorsement, and it was a real page-turner! Jolina's turn of phrase and descriptions are simply stellar. Click for more about How the Light Gets In   Joe and I are part of a community group, and this past weekend we began reading The … [Read more...]

Finishing Well

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I’ve been contemplating endings, lately, as I near the conclusion of my current work-in-progress. After 330 manuscript pages and more than 100,000 words, the end is in sight. I’m still not exactly sure how the book will end, since I’m one of those crazy writers who makes up the story as I go along, rather than plotting it ahead of time. I figure if I can’t guess what’s going to happen (and I’m … [Read more...]

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