While vacationing in the Florida Keys recently, my family and I visited the Key West home of Ernest Hemingway, one of the most famous and influential American writers of our time. He received the Nobel Prize for literature and won a Pulitzer Prize. He wrote The Sun Also Rises at age 27, followed shortly by A Farewell to Arms. As my younger brother and I toured his former house, we teased each … [Read more...]
Close Encounters of the Best Kind
Every five years or so, the family I married into holds a reunion, and my husband, his mom, three brothers, "baby" sister, and as many of the grandkids—and now great-grandkids—as are able, gather at the designated place for a week of fun and adventure. After forty-plus years as a Raney myself, I'm here to testify that the Raneys have a corner on the "adventure market" and when you get twenty-five … [Read more...]
Happy Father’s Day!
The Plot Thickens will return next Sunday. … [Read more...]
A Dedication . . . to My Father
I love reading the front part of a novel where an author dedicates the book to someone. It's always so touching to see the sweet words of love and appreciation. Most of the dedications are usually to family members, husbands, children, or parents. Sometimes authors will dedicate a book to an agent or a critique partner. Or sometimes the dedication will be more general to a group of people, like … [Read more...]
The Redcoats are Coming!
I'm probably way behind the viewing curve here, but I just discovered the series When Calls the Heart on Netflix. It was inspired by the classic books by Janette Oke. As far as I can tell there have been two seasons that have aired on the Hallmark Channel. Netflix has access to season one. I watched the first episode this week, and I'm already in love. Period dramas are right up my alley, … [Read more...]
Adoption in Fiction . . . and in Life
Do you ever look back and can see how God is working and are amazed? Have you ever had a moment when you have an “ah-ha” moment and the only thing you can do is praise God? That happened to me today. That happened to me when I was writing this post. I sat down to write about a few of the books that include adoption. I was going to share first about my novel Love Finds You in Lonesome Prairie, … [Read more...]
Through the Gates of Splendor, indeed
As I'm sure you've heard, Elisabeth Elliot passed into glory yesterday morning. Through the Gates of Splendor, indeed. Bless you, Elisabeth Elliot, for enriching our lives and deepening our longing for Home, and for challenging us to trust in God even when trusting seems next to impossible. Can you imagine what that homecoming must have been like? Elisabeth finally seeing her Lord face to face, … [Read more...]
Pursuing a Book
I’ve found inspiration for my books in some pretty strange places. Take A Proper Pursuit, for instance. That idea started when my book club read the popular book, The Devil and the White City by Erik Larson. I have to admit that I skipped the “devil” parts (much too gruesome!) but the story of the White City—the 1893 World Columbian Exposition held in Chicago—fascinated me. I lived in a Chicago … [Read more...]
The Plot Thickens|Cynthia Ruchti
Each Sunday "Inspired by Life...and Fiction" shares a Christian novelist's newest book and the garden spots where they find inspiration. Taking multi-tasking to new heights (or depths, depending on your perspective), Cynthia Ruchti makes potato corn chowder for her husband of over 40 years, loves on her three kids and five grandchildren, recently retired after 33 years of writing … [Read more...]
Secretariat’s Race Into Fiction
I was fortunate to attend a writer's conference this past November with Inspired by Life... and Fiction's own Tamera Alexander. While Tammy and I were talking about our upcoming releases (To Win Her Favor and A Love Like Ours) we realized that both books were scheduled to release at the same time and that both books feature Thoroughbred racehorses. Not just Thoroughbred racehorses, but horses … [Read more...]
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