Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Sixteen Under One Roof

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My husband and I are still floating on a bit of a cloud from the trip we took earlier this month. We flew to Seattle where our sons both live. At the same time, our two daughters and their families were in St. Louis boarding a plane for Seattle (all eight of them on the same plane—you can believe some prayers were going up for that flight!) By early Saturday morning, we were all under one … [Read more...]

Don’t Miss the Moment!

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Please welcome author Catherine West to Inspired by Life...and Fiction today!  This month, Cathy is celebrating the release of her first traditionally published novel.  Many of you may have already read her independently published books, Yesterday's Tomorrow, Hidden in the Heart, and Bridge of Faith.  Glad to have you here, Cathy! -Becky The release of a new book comes with … [Read more...]

Cover Reveal – Worth The Wait

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Now that my first book in the Ladies of Harper's Station series has been out for about 6 weeks, reviews are accruing and readers are starting to ask about the next story. Since Emma and Malachi have successfully found their happy ending in No Other Will Do, everyone wants to know what will happen with shopkeeper Tori Adams and freighter Ben Porter. If you are a regular reader of the Inspired by … [Read more...]

Little moments that hold big details

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We moved recently. Normally, we stay in a home around nine years. Or at least we did once we settled in Louisiana and bought our first starter home. When we outgrew that one, we moved not far away and lived right by some close friends. So close that we had a gate between our fences and constantly moved back and forth during holidays and weekend cookouts. Around that time, I sold my first book and … [Read more...]

On Vacation

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It’s summer. I live within walking distance of the beach. I’ve waited many long months for beautiful weather like this and for leisurely afternoons to enjoy it. Most of all, I’ve waited for my family and friends to visit so I can do all of the wonderful, summer-y things this area has to offer. At the same time, I have a book to finish, a deadline to meet. These conflicting desires pull me in … [Read more...]

How to Achieve an Empty Inbox With Emails & Life

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This past week it dawned on me that I had a huge email problem. I realized that every day I was having to spend valuable time weeding through dozens of emails from retailers, magazines, radios, conferences, etc. Even deleting them or marking them as spam was taking time. Time I wanted to protect. Some of them were good places that I’d subscribed to—for example Twitter notifications and even … [Read more...]

The Courage to Chase Dreams

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I'm in the middle of a dream. Hard work, but a dream. For ten years, I worked toward the dream of writing for one editor at one house. I've had the great privilege of writing many books for many wonderful editors, but there was a special click when I met this particular editor at our first ACFW. Last week I turned in the macro edits for the book we are working on together. You can get a sneak … [Read more...]

Does Writing Ever Get Easier?

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Three weeks ago, I hit the Send key on my computer, and away went my latest manuscript to my editor (as well as to my agent). Trust me, sending in a manuscript is a fearful moment for me. I am too aware that I haven't achieved all that I'd hoped to achieve when I first began writing the story. My agent and I just celebrated our 27th "anniversary," and if there is one thing I know about this … [Read more...]

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