Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

A Favorite App plus Puppy Photos!

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Last week a PDF copy of my first pass pages of You're Gonna Love Me arrived in my inbox, with a print copy arriving at my door a few days later. Depending on the publisher, these can be called different things, but basically this is the author's last chance to catch typos and other errors in her manuscript before it goes to press. Although most authors probably still write their … [Read more...]

Love Yurts

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How’s your summer going? Mine has been a blend of writing time and family time so far. Nothing too exciting, but you might find one of the things we did interesting. We went camping in a yurt.  YURT yərt/ noun A circular tent of felt or skins on a collapsible framework, used by nomads in Mongolia, Siberia, and Turkey. For years, my husband has been saying he wants to sleep in a … [Read more...]

Deb’s Semi-annual Garden Tour

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🎉 UPDATE: The winner of a copy of RIGHT WHERE WE BELONG is Tonya Robinette. 🎉 (Congrats, Tonya! See my instructions in the comments for getting your book.) I haven't taken you on a garden tour yet this summer, so thought I'd show you around our yard before the squirrels and rabbits destroy everything! I don't want to complain too much because we do love our wildlife. The animals and birds … [Read more...]

What I’m Working On Now

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Last fall, I had the pleasure of hanging out with authors Karen Witemeyer (who we all know well here at Inspired by Life), Kristi Ann Hunter, and Sarah Loudin Thomas at the American Christian Fiction Writers conference.  We all write for Bethany House and Karen, who's become quite the matriarch of Bethany House novella collections, floated the idea of a multi generational novella … [Read more...]

A Walking Tour of Florence & Giveaway

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Today I thought I would do something a little different and take you on a walking tour of Italy. The last week of my stay, I was on my own. Being me, that meant finding reasons to walk as far as I could. On this particular day I actually got out a tour book and selected a walking tour that would take me to some sites I already knew and a few that I didn't. [Tweet "Join @cara_putman for a … [Read more...]

Roses, Rain, and Rodeos–Oh, my!

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I've been focusing on getting several projects done this week. One involves roses, one involve rodeos and I'm also working with seven other writers on a military continuity that will be out next year. So I've been holed up in my office a lot, with chocolate and coffee to see me through. Meantime, outside my window the rain is falling as Tropical Storm Cindy comes calling along the Gulf coast. I do … [Read more...]

2 ways to brighten your Tuesday

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Hey friends! Do you love free print books? If yes, then . . . Be sure to sign up on Goodreads to win 1 of 10 print copies of EACH of my Belle Meade Novels this week. enter the goodreads giveaway But hurry, the giveaway ends this Saturday (June 24). And now a second opportunity… Harper Collins Christian Publishing and I are gathering a STREET TEAM to help spread the word about my … [Read more...]

A “Fly Away” Giveaway

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The notice in the newspaper intrigued me. It called for volunteers to help with a hot air balloon race, which was taking place in a few days in a nearby park. I remember thinking, “Hmmm. Maybe I could use this experience in a novel someday.” We lived in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada at the time, and my children were small, but I talked my family into volunteering with me, thinking it might be a fun … [Read more...]

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