Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Retreat and Repeat

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Sometimes, things happen for a reason. A friend loaned me a library book and soon it was overdue before I could finish it. I immediately took it to the library and renewed it under my name but while I was there, I met the new manager and she told me about a writers retreat. That's how I found out that the first Blue Lake Christian Writers Retreat was being held about an hour or so above me near … [Read more...]

Unexpected Antebellum Blessings

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I love history. And I love weaving history into my novels. When we moved from Colorado to Nashville in June 2007 (has it really been almost 10 years?!), I set about discovering Nashville's history with the hope of incorporating some of it into my novels. But what I did not anticipate were the partnerships—the friendships—I'd cultivate with the staff at some of the local antebellum … [Read more...]

Living Boldly

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If you lived in the age of the explorers, would you have had the courage to sail across the ocean on a ship like this one? I toured the Maritime Museum of San Diego on our trip to California last week, and as I stood on the deck of the San Salvador, a replica of a Spanish Galleon from 1542, I asked myself that question. The ship is less than 100 feet long and only 32 feet wide, and seemed much … [Read more...]

To Walk Invisible?

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I watched PBS Masterpiece’s new program, To Walk Invisible, last night. It dramatizes a small slice of the life of three sisters, their destructive brother, and clergyman father. These sisters lived in obscurity for most of their lives, though now their names are famous and their works required reading in schools, printed in countless editions, and brought to life in several film adaptations: … [Read more...]

A farewell to the Chicory Inn…and a giveaway

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My fifth and final Chicory Inn novel is out and launched and I'm just a little sad to say goodbye to the Whitman family and the Chicory Inn. I'd like to give the Chicory Inn Novels series a last hurrah here on the blog by giving away an entire set of the books to one of our lovely readers. I'll leave you with a "family reunion" photo of the Whitman family as I envisioned them when I wrote them. … [Read more...]

Events for Readers

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It's both fun and comforting to interact with people who share your love of reading, isn't it?  Many of us are involved in a local book club.  Many of us congregate with like-minded readers via Facebook groups or Twitter, Instagram, and the like.  And perhaps a few of us have had the opportunity to attend a large-scale event for readers. I thought I'd take this post to list some of the … [Read more...]

Book Cover Love

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If you ask me which book is my favorite, I’ll try not to answer your question. Frankly it feels like you’re asking me to choose a favorite child. An impossible task! There are elements of each book that make it unique.  This week I’ve received the new covers for my three Ohio WWII romances, and so my thoughts have focused on them and my new legal suspense series. [Tweet "It's time for … [Read more...]

Fact and Fiction, Part 4

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(To see the story from the start, visit Part 1 and Part 2 and Part 3) What's a Query Letter? I wrote my first book long hand on yellow legal pads, then typed the manuscript on the typewriter at the office. I didn't use white out. I'd read that the manuscript had to be clean. So if I made a typo, I retyped the entire page. I estimate that I typed about four copies of that book. (I still … [Read more...]

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