Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Nearly Half A Century

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Last week, my husband Ken and I celebrated our wedding anniversary, and it was an almost-big one—47 years. We are inching our way toward half a century. And what a crazy, exciting, 47- year ride it has been! When Ken proposed to me he said, “If you marry me we’ll probably never be rich, but we’ll see the world.” And he was right. We met while attending college in Michigan, got married in my home … [Read more...]

A Half Empty Nest

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This past summer was a challenging one for me in many ways. I shared about some of my earlier difficulties in this post here. After experiencing torrential rainfall in our town and almost two feet of flooding in our basement, I can empathize to a small degree with the Houston flood victims. It’s tough and the drying out and rebuilding is very time-consuming. Most recently, we had a couple … [Read more...]

An Audiobook Giveaway!

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Hey friends! Do you love audiobooks? Then this GIVEAWAY is for you! In celebration of the recent release of To Wager Her Heart, the third and final Belle Meade Plantation novel, I'm holding another giveaway. This time, for Belle Meade audiobooks. If audiobooks aren't your thing—which please don't tell me that because I love them and have always considered us kindred spirits … [Read more...]

Reading Challenge

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I'd love to talk about what you are reading this year. I've always been an avid reader, sometimes reading more than 50 books a year. But since I started writing over twenty years ago, my reading has suffered (at least reading for pleasure). Of course, I'm always reading for research, I read as a freelance editor, and I read what I'm writing myself. But it's a real treat to choose a book simply … [Read more...]

The 2017 Christian Fiction Readers Retreat

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I had the pleasure of attending the second annual Christian Fiction Readers Retreat on August 12th!  The retreat is the brainchild of bloggers Carrie (Reading is my Superpower), Annie (Just Commonly), and Bonnie (Overcoming with God) and it's a day of fun, fellowship, and worship for Christian fiction writers, readers, bloggers, and publishing types. After journeying to Cincinnati for the … [Read more...]

Bookish Quotes and Images

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The last week and a half have been exciting at our house. Our 13 year-old started full time at the high school. He's my first full time, outside the home student. My 16 year-old and I have been finishing her college applications. Gulp! She's taking the SAT Saturday and would appreciate any prayers for peace and wisdom. Then it's school time with our youngest two, and I started teaching again this … [Read more...]

Eye Surgery and Eclipses

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My corneal eye surgery last week went really well. The day after surgery was rough. The day after that was better. I'm still trying to limit computer time, and I'm also trying to avoid bright sunlight. Both strain my eye and cause some pain. But all in all, I'm hopeful for a good and timely recovery. Since Idaho was in the path of the Great American Solar Eclipse, I had to make one exception to … [Read more...]

On the Trail of (Often Obscure) History

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You know I like to do research and am fascinated by the history and customs of England’s Regency Era. However, you may not know that my husband loves history even more than I do.   He has stacks of nonfiction books beside his bed and around the house and he can’t part with a single one of them. (That How to Make Money in Real Estate book from the 1980s will, however, be making a … [Read more...]

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