Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Garden tour

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We have wind, hail, and even tornadoes predicted in Kansas as I write this, so I grabbed my camera and went to shoot a few photos of our flowers just in case they all blow away tonight. Won't you join me on a garden tour? It's been an early spring here in Kansas and after a long spell without rain, we got several inches and everything is just beautiful … [Read more...]

My Writing Closet (…and a giveaway!)

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Please extend a very warm welcome to my friend Jill Lynn!   Jill and I met a few years ago at an American Christian Fiction Writers conference.  Then, Jill was an unpublished writer who'd been nominated for (and went on to win) a Genesis award for her work.  Now, she's multi published!  AND she's giving one Inspired by Life...and Fiction reader a copy of her brand new release.  Check the bottom of … [Read more...]

A Blooming Texas Spring

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Spring is by far the most beautiful season in Texas. Rain brings out the green of the land before the scorching heat of summer burns it to a well-baked brown. Wildflowers bloom in yellow, pink, red, and iconic blue. The state flower of Texas, the bluebonnet, reigns supreme and steals my breath every time. Where I live in West Texas, we only get a sparse scattering of bluebonnets, but to the … [Read more...]

Three words…and listening to God’s whisper

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This "love one another" message is popping up all over Nashville, and it all started when this "firecracker" of a woman, Shirley Bachelder, who's 95, listened to her Lord… Bachelder, 94 (at the time), said the inspiration for the message came to her one day when she asked God, “What can I do for you?” “He told me just what he wanted,” Bachelder told The Huffington Post over the phone. … [Read more...]

The Enduring Feast

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The Feast of Passover begins this Friday at sundown. My Jewish friends, who call it Pesach, are busy cleaning their houses in preparation, careful not to leave a single crumb of leaven. They even vacuum their sofa cushions, something I probably should do more often. The table will be beautifully set with all the traditional items in place. Family and friends will gather for this annual dinner … [Read more...]

Can Covers Make or Break a Book?

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“The book was GREAT, but the cover and title were...well....wrong--they cheapened the great story.” That’s a line from a recent message I received from a reader about my debut book, The Preacher’s Bride. I remember my reaction the very first time my publisher showed me the cover. “She’s wearing a bonnet,” I squeaked in mortification. “People will think the book is Amish.” Since that … [Read more...]

How to support a writer on deadline

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I'm literally in the last hours of a race toward deadline on my next book. God willing and the creek don't rise, I'll turn it in tomorrow. If you're on Facebook or Instagram, you'll occasionally see posts from authors about going dark, so that got me thinking...how can readers encourage writers in those drudgery days of little sleep, blocked creativity, and panic-induced, wild-eyed mania?[Tweet … [Read more...]

And the Two Shall Become One

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Last weekend, my oldest granddaughter got married. We had incredible weather. 82 degrees and sunny on the 9th of April in southwest Idaho. Amazing. And perfect because the bride and her attendants arrived in a horse drawn wagon and the couple departed in the same. The ceremony and reception took place in a barn that is used for community events, which meant no heating or air conditioning. It was … [Read more...]

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