Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Living in the Chaos

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This week we're getting new flooring at our house. It was desperately needed, but if you've ever participated in a process like this, you know just how chaotic it is. Yesterday the installers were using the nail gun to affix plywood to the floor in prep for new laminate. The day before there was the strong smell of glue as the put down carpet in my bedroom, the hallway and stair. It'll be a … [Read more...]

This Empty Post is Brought to You By . . .

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. . . a 2,060 word, seven page (including citations) comparison essay of Stagecoach and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, entitled What Makes a Western Hero? I was still in my jammies at noon, having worked for over six hours on the essay, and I didn't realize I'd forgotten my regularly scheduled post until immediately after I submitted my finished paper. Since I am completely and thoroughly … [Read more...]

Travel With Me To England

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Over the years, readers have asked me offer a trip to England, so we could travel together to some of my favorite places and see settings from my books. It is something I thought I’d like to do a distant “someday.” But when a friend in the group travel business asked to meet with me about putting together such a trip, it seemed like “someday” might be sooner than I thought! Now I’m excited to … [Read more...]

Writers and Readers—a winning combination

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My dear Kansas author friend Kim Vogel Sawyer and I were invited to a Book Lover's Tea yesterday in a small town near Wichita. Not only did the event give Kim and me a chance to see each other—always a delight—but it allowed us to meet with a few of our readers, which is a privilege we writers don't take for granted. Oh, my! Did they treat us all! They called it a tea, but it was more like a … [Read more...]

Writing Historicals: Balancing Fact with Fiction

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If you’ve read my novels, you know I particularly like to write about the romances of true couples from history. Over the past couple of years, I’ve branched into writing true historicals (versus more of the “inspired-by” that I did earlier). Last year, I published Luther & Katharina a historical based on the love life of the monk Martin Luther and his bride, a runaway nun named Katharina von … [Read more...]

A Visit to my Publisher

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Last week, I had the opportunity to visit Bloomington, MN and the home of Bethany House Publishing. I had only visited once before, back in 2009, right after I signed my first publishing contract. In January. With snow piled higher than I was tall along the sides of the roads. This time, the sun was shining and temps were in the mid-sixties. It was a glorious visit. And not just because of the … [Read more...]

Rested and refreshed

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What's the last vacation you've taken? Me? Hilton Head Island in South Carolina—last week! Joe, Murphy, Kelsey, me, Kurt We love HHI and usually end up visiting there every 2-3 years or so. I love the beach. Only, I like it best in fall and winter. Strange, maybe. But since I've never been a sun goddess (I'm more the burn and peel variety), I love walking the beach instead of laying out. … [Read more...]

Time to Launch

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The fun began this week. Last Friday I got to leave my lonely office and travel to four different bookstores to meet with some of my readers. I was very excited to present my newest book, “Waves of Mercy” to them. The novel is based on the true story of the Dutch immigrants who left the Netherlands in 1846 to settle the town of Holland in the wilderness of Western Michigan. I even bought a new … [Read more...]

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