Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

5 Ways Christian Fiction Builds Faith

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Every once in awhile you'll see articles that talk about how terrible Christian fiction is. As an avid reader (I read over 75 books a year) and writer (I've seen 20 books + 3 repackages in print in ten years) I avidly disagree. Christian fiction can fill a gaping hole in our world and communicate messages we desperately need. [Tweet "Can Christian fiction build #faith? @cara_putman thinks so. … [Read more...]

Who’s in Control?

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For those who read my personal blog, you'll recognize this post. I just couldn't stop thinking about it and so wanted to share with my Inspired by Life...and Fiction friends as well. I have always felt a great affection for Simon Peter. Who doesn't love a guy who jumps out of a boat without a second thought at the call of his Master? I know I'm going to love getting to meet Peter in … [Read more...]

Reading With Jane Austen

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Every now and again, I need a little dose of culture. So recently, I left the comforts of my suburban home and drove down to the Minneapolis Institute of Art to see their new exhibit, Jane Austen’s Reading Room (its curator is a fellow member of my local chapter of the Jane Austen Society of North America). This room, along with the Georgian Drawing Room, are part of the museum's "living … [Read more...]

Things Aren’t Always As They Seem

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A few years ago, I was speaking at a MOPS group (Mothers of Preschoolers) in a small Midwestern town. As I learned to do from the wonderful speaker and writer Liz Curtis Higgs, I had picked out my “balcony people" in each quadrant of the room—those women who were nodding and smiling and giving me positive feedback with their body language. Speaking to just those four people would keep me … [Read more...]

Audio Books: The New Reading Experience (and why you should give them a try!)

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No doubt about it. Audio books are growing in popularity. The Wall Street Journal calls the popularity an “explosion.” An article in The Telegraph in 2015 said: “Sales of audio books have doubled in the last five years, thanks to the popularity of digital downloads.” In fact, according to the American Publishers Association, audio books saw a 19.5 percent rise in unit sales over just the past year … [Read more...]

Romance is Alive and Well

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Every 4-5 years, my husband goes all out in the romance department. One year it was a surprise anniversary trip to the place where we spent the first night of our honeymoon. One time he bought me a complete outfit (undergarments and accessories included) then arranged for a facial before taking me out to a nice dinner. On a couple of occasions, he's cooked a romantic meal from scratch. Last … [Read more...]

Why I love writing about K9 police and their canine partners

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I write a lot of books about K9 police officers and their four-legged partners. My first such book was a stand-alone for Love Inspired titled A Tender Touch. I became fascinated with the dogs that are trained to protect and serve. They go through intensive methods to teach them to search and rescue, find drugs and bombs and to track down dangerous criminals. They can pick up scents from twenty … [Read more...]

What have you been reading?

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This is what I've been reading, along with the first sentence in each book. I just LOVE reading first sentences, do you? Me Before You by JoJo Moyes First sentence: "There are 158 footsteps between the bus stop and home, but it can stretch to 180 if you aren't in a hurry." I just finished this Sunday night. This was my first of JoJo's books, but it will by no means be my last. I loved it … [Read more...]

Dexter – A Love Story

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I’ve written about Dexter my “grand-cat” before. How he was rescued from the streets of Chicago and adopted by my daughter and her husband. How their patience and love transformed him from an aggressive, nearly-wild cat that couldn’t get along with any of the other cats in the Red Door Animal Shelter, into a much-loved family member. I’ve written about some of his quirks—how he likes to play kitty … [Read more...]

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