Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & 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...]

Entertainment for the Novelist

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The fall television season is upon us. Recently, I posted on Facebook about my excitement regarding the return of Poldark (Season 2) to PBS on Sunday nights. If you haven't seen the show, you should. I believe you can still stream the first season on Amazon Prime. Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark is reason enough to watch it. LOL! Anyway, someone on Facebook asked me if I watch movies and TV show … [Read more...]

In Search of Thrush Green

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When we were in England recently, my husband kindly let me dress him up for the Jane Austen Festival in Bath, as I wrote about in my last post. So when he asked to take a day or two to visit a place he was interested in, I of course agreed. Poor guy had it coming!   He wanted to go to a town called Witney in Oxfordshire. He is interested in the history of the "point blankets" once made … [Read more...]

Early Autumn Garden Tour

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I gave a little tour of our yard here on the blog back in April, but I hope you won't mind if I show you around again before cold weather sets in and puts an end to all this loveliness! We've had an abundance of rain here in Kansas all summer long (even as I write this, a gentle rain is falling) and the flowerpots and beds have loved … [Read more...]

A Visit to Fixer Upper’s Magnolia Market

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Are you a familiar with the show Fixer Upper on HGTV?  We're fans!  It's fun and inspiring to watch run-down houses renovated and decorated gorgeously.  Plus, the husband and wife team of Chip (contractor) and Joanna (interior designer) are wonderful together.  They're talented.  Funny.  Sweet to each other.  And their farm house and kids are adorable. The only liability of watching Fixer … [Read more...]

5 Things Every Book Lover Needs

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As an avid reader and bibliophile, I love little more than spending an afternoon curled up with a book or strolling through the stacks of a library or bookstore. Now that the weather is beginning to hint at fall, rather than pumpkin spice lattes, I want to talk about the perfect season for curling up with a favorite book. So what does the ultimate bibliophile need? Here are a few items. (And don't … [Read more...]

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