Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

10 Writing Tips for Staying Focused

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Are you list lover? I am.  I recently made a list of 10 truths that I've revisited recently in my own writing career in regards to staying focused and to "finishing the book!" But these are truths that also apply to life in general. Which of these 10 tips resonate with you?   Disconnect…and be disciplined about it— So easy to say, so hard to do.In my early years of writing there … [Read more...]

Fearless

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The real-life sisters, Agnes and Margaret Smith, who inspired my newest novel, “Where We Belong,” had a favorite motto that continues to intrigue me. Whenever they were in danger or in a precarious situation they would say, “God knows when the end of our days will be. We have nothing to fear.” I borrowed their motto for my fictional sisters, Becky and Flora Hawes, to use whenever they found … [Read more...]

The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck (and a giveaway!)

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I'm so pleased to introduce you today to romantic comedy author Bethany Turner! I had the pleasure of meeting Bethany at the Christian Fiction Reader's Retreat, then spent time with her at the American Christian Fiction Writers conference.  She's a delight!  Welcome, Bethany!  -Becky Do you want to know my favorite part of writing romance? I should probably say it's capturing that moment … [Read more...]

A time to HOPE

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I'm in a season of life where I'm being asked to hope about something I don't have an abundance of hope for. It's one of those times, my mind gets to apply what my heart resists. It's amazing how now I'm seeing messages about hope everywhere I go. Have you ever experienced that? [Tweet "Need #hope? We all do. @Cara_Putman shares some along with a #giveaway"]I find it uncanny how from any and … [Read more...]

Walking Out Our Faith

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Last month, I had the blessing of reading Tricia Goyer’s new book, Walk It Out. From the blurb: When women stop focusing on their own dreams and purposes, and instead focus on God’s dreams and purposes, everything changes.” Friends, may I just say, add this book to your reading list at once. It is a powerful and personal book that will challenge you (as it did me) to walk out your faith … [Read more...]

Goodbye, Mr. Bennet

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Last month at this time I was in Bath England, where I attended an event called “Mr. Wickham and an Evening with Jane Austen” offered through the Jane Austen Festival. I was in the UK hosting my first-ever reader tour, and a large group of us opted to attend the event. It was promoted as an evening of drama and music with actors Adrian Lukis (Mr. Wickham in the 1995 adaptation of Pride and … [Read more...]

Conferences: the big and small of it

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In the past three weeks, I’ve taught at one of the largest and one of the smallest writers conferences around. At the end of September, Ken and I headed to Dallas for the American Christian Fiction Writers annual conference. This was our 16th year for the conference and I’ve never missed one! It’s a highlight of my year and a wonderful chance to get to visit with dear writer friends. I’m … [Read more...]

Why Getting Some Negative Reviews Can Be Positive

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Last week I stumbled across a Facebook comment from a reader who said: Gentle reminder for authors: if you can’t handle negative reviews, you need a new career choice. It was an interesting comment and got me thinking about negative reviews and author reactions. Obviously most writers would prefer to wow the socks off readers with each book they put out. I don't know a single author who … [Read more...]

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