Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Snow Angels

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I am writing this from a beautiful rental home near Bird-in-Hand, PA, where I have had the privilege of being snowbound with five other writers. We gathered for a writing retreat in Lancaster County, a few hours from author Dani Pettrey’s home. We toured the countryside and an Amish house and farm, and also visited Hershey’s Chocolate World before winter storm Jonas hit. We planned on a … [Read more...]

My Side of the Story

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You heard Tammy's version of my visit to Nashville last week. Today, I'll share mine. ;) The purpose of my trip to Nashville was to attend the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) board meeting. Each winter, we meet in the city where our annual conference will be held. We tour the hotel to get the "lay of the land" and then we spend an entire day (sometimes more) discussing the business of … [Read more...]

Fitbit Musings

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When I was a mom of pre-schoolers I considered myself fairly physically active.  I made an effort to get to the gym 3-4 times a week and spent the rest of my waking hours carrying babies and chasing toddlers.  A year and a half ago, my baby started Kindergarten.  I wasn't a mom who was sniffling over this fact (unlike Celia in my Porter Family novel #2 Meant to Be Mine).  I was a mom who was … [Read more...]

With This Ring? Excerpt and Giveaway!!!

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I'm catching a flight at 5:30 a.m. this morning to head to a writer's retreat up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I've only been to Pennsylvania once before, and I'm really excited about having the chance to return. It will be chilly, but there will be plenty of warm spirit as 7 of us come together to write, brainstorm, and simply get away from it all. We even plan to write by the fire at … [Read more...]

Deadlines and Commitments

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I just finished up a couple of books that were due right after Christmas. It's always a relief to finish a book and hit SEND on it but after writing back to back projects all of last year, this was something to celebrate. However, the week before my deadline I wondered if I'd ever finish and if I'd even make my word count.  So I decided I needed a break and my husband and I took an afternoon off … [Read more...]

The Sweetest Things

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Deb Raney recently made a visit to Nashville, and we spent a quick—but oh so fun!—afternoon hitting some Nashville "musts!" Let's see if any of these would be on your "must" list! Deb and I have been friends since 2001 when we met at the first ever ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) conference in Kansas City. Been buddies—and writing critique partners—ever since! I took Deb to … [Read more...]

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

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Today is one of those days that probably inspired the lyrics of that famous song: “Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but inside it’s so delightful. And since there’s no place to go…let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!” I live in Michigan, so there is plenty of snow here. But I lived in Canada for eleven years, so I know lots of great things to do on a blustery, winter day. Here are just a … [Read more...]

Is On-Location Research Necessary for Creating an Authentic Book?

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This month I’m celebrating the release of my third lighthouse book, UNDAUNTED HOPE! While UNDAUNTED HOPE is connected to the first two books in the series, it’s also very easy to read as a stand-alone novel (at least that’s what readers who haven’t read any of the other books are telling me!). I’m super excited about this particular book because when I was in the process of writing it, I was … [Read more...]

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