Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Finding Middlemarch

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I don't believe I've ever read Middlemarch, a novel by author George Eliot (pseudonym used by Mary Anne Evans) but I certainly enjoyed the beautifully-made 1994 BBC/Masterpiece series starring many wonderful British actors like Robert Hardy, Patrick Malahide, Douglas Hodge, Pam Ferris, Jonathan Firth, Juliet Aubrey, and a young Rufus Sewell ("Lord M" of recent Victoria fame, though I have been a … [Read more...]

A New Adventure

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My husband has a dream of traveling the country for a year in an RV. Alas, Ken's dream is my nightmare! As my friend Bonnie described it, my hubby is a snowbird with clipped wings and I am a homing pigeon! But since my sweet husband has supported my dream of being a writer for almost a quarter of a century now, I figured the least I could do was consider it. So... ...this week, we are … [Read more...]

You’ve Got Words Challenge Grand Finale (And a BIG Giveaway!)

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As you may be aware, a group of authors including Becky Wade, Dani Pettry, Jamie Jo Wright, and Katharine Reay, and I have been participating in a month-long “You’ve Got Words” challenge. If you missed the first two weeks challenges, be sure to go back to Becky’s post and read through our entries where we crafted titles and heroes using random words that we drew from a cup. Last week we crafted … [Read more...]

A Series of Unfortunate Events

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Have you ever had one of those weekends that started out so promising before life started handing out curve balls? Well, the romantic getaway my husband and I had planned for the few days following the ACFW conference had one curve ball after another thrown at us. We had breakfast on Sunday at the Pancake Pantry in downtown Nashville, waiting outside in a line for a table. Light rain wasn't a … [Read more...]

A Writer’s Life

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Last week, on the first cool morning since spring, I walked to a nearby coffee shop and sat on their patio to write this post. I live downtown, so the coffee shop’s patio was just beyond the foot traffic and the street. Buildings rose high in front and beside and behind, leaving my view of sky only a sliver. Pedestrians, cars—even bikes and electric scooters—passed by, close enough to hear … [Read more...]

More ACFW Conference Memories (and two giveaways!)

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I loved Deb's and Cara's posts last week and am continuing the ACFW conference memories theme today! It was such fun to be back at ACFW this year. It's been several years since I attended, and I loved every minute of catching up with old friends and meeting new. Here are some glimpses . . .   Deb and I have been writing critique partners for 17+ years. What a blessing! I haven't … [Read more...]

Launch Day

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There are two days I look forward to the most in my writing life—the day I turn in the finished manuscript of my novel, and the day the novel is finally released to the public. Tomorrow is launch day for my newest book, “Legacy of Mercy.” The novel is a sequel to “Waves of Mercy” and features the same main characters. Geesje DeJonge is a 67-year-old widow who told her story of immigrating from … [Read more...]

New Life for Old Books

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As little as a decade ago, books (other than major bestsellers) had a few weeks or months on bookstore shelves, then any unsold copies were remaindered (meaning the author made nothing on copies sold at those bargain prices), and after that, the book was gone for good. Readers could only find them in libraries and garage sales. With the advent of ebooks, books can remain available to readers … [Read more...]

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