Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Sing Me a Song, Cowboy

By

There are few things that get my heart to pitter-pattering more than a deep-voiced cowboy. Sam Elliott, anyone? That man's voice epitomizes the rugged west for me. Every time I hear his commercials, I want to get up and buy a Dodge Ram. And I don't even like pickup trucks! But even better than the rasp of Sam Elliot is a deep singing voice. That's probably why I married my very own bass-singin' … [Read more...]

What will you give up during Lent?

By

Hello. It's the first day of March and it's Ash Wednesday.  This is a very important day to Christians, of course, because it's the first day of Lent. We have forty days (excluding Sundays) of "giving up" to represent how Jesus spent forty days fasting in the desert where he overcame temptations from Satan.  The ashes come from the burning of palm branches that were used on the previous Palm … [Read more...]

A Secret Society…and a Giveaway

By

If you have read my latest book, The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill, you may recognize the ladies in these photos. Well, not “recognize them” exactly, but their names will sound familiar to you.   In the book, the village of Ivy Hill has a “secret society” of women who get together to help and support each other as women managing businesses of various kinds. I named them The Ladies Tea … [Read more...]

A little tour of where it all happens…and a giveaway

By

Since my office just got a good cleaning after my deadline, I thought it would be fun to take you on a little pictorial tour of the place where I write and do much of the other work my job as a novelist requires. Some people are surprised to learn that more than half of my working hours are spent doing things besides actually writing. My office is full of things that inspire me, and … [Read more...]

Victoria (and a giveaway!)

By

I'm a huge fan of BBC productions!  In fact, Nora, the heroine of my upcoming book True to You, has a passion for British movies and mini series and television shows that was inspired by my own enthusiasm for the same. After completing Downton Abbey and season #1 of The Crown, I've been indulging my BBC love with Netflix episodes of Call the Midwife.  But then I heard that PBS was airing a … [Read more...]

Writing as Worship

By

Yesterday a friend emailed me a beautiful prayer she has for her writing. It resonated so strongly that I made the graphic and printed it off. Have you ever thought of that book you're reading from a favorite author as part of that author's worship to God? I often tell people that much like Eric Liddell felt God's smile when he ran, I feel God's smile when I write. [Tweet "Is writing one form of … [Read more...]

Fact and Fiction, Part 2

By

Continuing with my Fact and Fiction story (see Part 1 here)... Life Happened I had what I would call a normal, happy childhood, even though my dad died when I was a baby. My brother and I were raised by my mom and grandmother, and we had a close-knit and loving extended family. I have fond memories of holiday gatherings when we would play games like "Spoon" around a large dining room table … [Read more...]

LCGF Favs & GIVEAWAY

By

When you love something you just have to share it, right? And I love eating Keto (low carb gluten free). Here's why: I can still eat the things I love while losing weight and getting into better shape. I have an insatiable sweet tooth and a love affair with anything bready. But like bad boyfriends, I love those things but they do not love me back. Plus, frankly, in the past I've used the … [Read more...]

The Secret

By

The fairy-tale-themed wedding was lovely. My husband’s nephew and his bride made a beautiful couple. Afterwards at the reception, the DJ invited the bride and groom and all the other married couples out onto the dance floor for a Generations Dance. It was crowded at first, but each time the DJ called out an anniversary—five years, 10 years, and so on—couples who had been married for only that … [Read more...]

Monthly Archives

Blog Categories

Recent Posts

Disclosure

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the pages on this site may be "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, someone will receive an affiliate commission. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."