Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

The Plot Thickens|Nancy Moser

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Each Sunday "Inspired by Life...and Fiction" shares a Christian novelist's newest book and the garden spots where they find inspiration. NANCY MOSER is the best-selling author of twenty-five novels, including Love of the Summerfields, Christy Award winner, Time Lottery; Christy finalist Washington’s Lady; and historical novels Mozart’s Sister, The Journey of Josephine Cain, and … [Read more...]

Has Self-Discipline Become an Antiquated Word?

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My twin daughters (age 15) have gone without eating sweets for almost four months. In January they both made the resolution to eat healthier during 2015. They decided that one way they could do that was by cutting out desserts, candy, and any other sweet treats. While I applaud their decision, I haven't joined them in giving up sweets. At this point, I'm not feeling called to abandon my … [Read more...]

Hidden within the pages . . .

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A while back, a friend forwarded me a link to a fabulous collection of antique books. The books were wonderful in and of themselves, but what made them truly spectacular was the art hidden within the pages. Not illustrations inside the text, but hidden paintings secreted in the fan of page edges. The art is called fore-edge painting. When the book is closed the art is invisible. It can only be … [Read more...]

Day in the Life of a Best-Selling Author

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  How do you picture the day of a best-selling author? Sitting in a beautiful setting, sipping tea, reading classic literature, and penning prose? Or perhaps having time to sit and ponder major plot complexities. Or maybe ... just breathing life to words on this page this way. In real life this was my day: 7:45 a.m. woke up and realized I slept in and my three little … [Read more...]

Signs of Spring

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Last Thursday, April 9th, it snowed a few inches here in Minnesota. I was so thrilled, that I wrote a little song about it: "Oh, the weather outside is frightful Snow in April is NOT delightful But it’s better than 40 below So let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...." The next day, my family and I did the only logical thing—we drove to a state even colder than ours—North Dakota. It was … [Read more...]

Another Fun Book Cover Story

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Some of my favorite posts here on Inspired by Life...and Fiction have been those telling how our book covers came to be. I've loved seeing the photo shoots, the model makeovers, dressmaking, settings...the whole thing! Seeing a final book cover has to be one of the most exciting moments in the life process of any book. I got a peek at the new cover for the Dutch edition of my second Chicory Inn … [Read more...]

The Plot Thickens|DiAnn Mills

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Each Sunday "Inspired by Life...and Fiction" shares a Christian novelist's newest book and the garden spots where they find inspiration. DiAnn Mills is the author of more than fifty-five books. Her titles have appeared on bestseller lists and won numerous awards, including the Christy Award. A founding member of American Christian Fiction Writers, she speaks and teaches writing … [Read more...]

The Making of a Book Cover

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Jennifer Parker, the graphic designer who has designed all four of the covers for my Bethany House novels, is a very gracious person.  I may have a bit of a frustrated graphic designer within me because I always ask Jennifer inquisitive questions about my covers.  She always answers them with great patience.  She sends me 'behind the scenes scoop' on the creation of my covers.  And I send her … [Read more...]

4 Things They Didn’t Tell You about When Dreams Come True

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This week I learned that Shadowed by Grace finaled in Christian Retailing's BEST Awards in the historical category. This is quite a thrill because there was a journey to Shadowed by Grace getting published. As any author can tell you, each story has it's own road filled with twists and turns. [Tweet "4 things "they" don't tell us about chasing #dreams from @cara_putman."] There are so many … [Read more...]

Heads Up for a Great New Giveaway

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First, oops! I didn't get this posted at the usual time. I am writing to meet a deadline plus packing for a quick weekend driving trip to celebrate a special event with a friend, and I just plain forgot. But I want all of our readers to know that another Scavenger Hunt is coming. It begins next week, and you are not going to want to miss it. We've changed it up a bit. This time there will be … [Read more...]

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