Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

The Making of a Cover

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I just received the cover art for my next book, A Love Like Ours!  Thus, I thought it might be fun to dip back into my computer files and remember where the cover-making process began for this particular novel. A Love Like Ours will release in May.  LAST May, Bethany House contacted me to discuss titling and cover ideas.  The working title that I'd given to the novel was, This Love of Ours.  My … [Read more...]

Authors having Fun: Do you recognize any of them?

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Right now I'm enjoying a Fall cold, which means no voice and lots of coughing. Aren't you so glad that we're connecting through cyperspace and not in a coffee shop -- though that would be so fun! So today I wanted to share a couple fun videos that show you another side of some of your favorite Christian novelists. We had so much fun at ACFW making the first. My kids agreed that I shouldn't try … [Read more...]

Autumn Comes Calling … And Brings the Birds

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I love autumns in Southwestern Idaho. Our nights are down in the forties, but out days are still hitting the high seventies and even the low eighties. Leaves are starting to turn. I run my space heater on my cold feet in my office in the morning. I run the air conditioner to cool down the house again in late afternoon. Yeah. It's a little crazy. This week, the California Quail returned, en … [Read more...]

Cooking up Fiction

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I love to cook. Or more rightly, bake. So as I'm writing my novels—especially the Southern ones—it's a natural thing for my heroines or secondary characters to be cooking up some scrumptious entrees and desserts. Here are just a few: Click each of the images for the recipe Ever had Buttermilk Pie?  This is a recipe that's been in my family for years. I bet you I've made this pie at least … [Read more...]

Fun at the Fair(s)

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You know summer is over and fall has arrived when it’s time for the county fair. I used to go to the Orange County Fair in NY State back in my youth, and I remember the livestock displays (and the aroma!); the games of chance where you could win a giant Teddy bear; the junk-food booths that sold corn dogs and funnel cakes and cotton candy. My favorite attractions were the carnival rides that … [Read more...]

The Plot Thickens | Shannon Ethridge

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Each Sunday "Inspired by Life...and Fiction" shares with our readers a Christian novelist's newest book and the garden spots where they find inspiration. Shannon Ethridge, author of To Know You says of her Texas garden, "Obviously we are flower gardeners, not vegetable gardeners!" Shannon is a million-copy best-selling author, international speaker, certified life coach, with a … [Read more...]

My Newest Obsession

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Over the past year, I've developed a new obsession. No, it's not eating more chocolate. (I already have that obsession!) And no it's not reading multiple books all at once or watching every season of Downtown Abbey. (I already do those too!) No also to baking, scrap-booking, crocheting, drawing, and gardening (although in another life, I'd love to do all of them). So what is this new … [Read more...]

Meet Me In St. Louis – Oh, Wait, You Did!

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Like many of the authors here on the Inspired by Life and Fiction blog, I had the honor of attending the ACFW conference in St. Louis, MO last week. What a glorious time of learning, fellowshipping with other authors, meeting new friends, and giving back to the organization that has done so much to bless my personal writing journey. In my previous post (which you can read here), I shared the … [Read more...]

Let’s Talk Books!

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  The first Christian novel I ever read was Love Comes Softly by Jeanette Oke. My mother had borrowed the book from a friend, and I asked to read it when she was done. I was fifteen-years-old, and I fell in love with Marty, Clark and little Missy. Unfortunately, I wasn't aware of other Christian fiction. During that stage in my life, most of my reading included books like The Thornbirds or … [Read more...]

Home from ACFW 2014 in St. Louis

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Seven of the authors who blog on Inspired by Life ... and Fiction had the chance to hug each other in St. Louis this past Thursday through Sunday (Becky, Cara, Deb, Jody, Julie, Karen, Robin). I even got to share plane rides with Julie Klassen, although I was closer to the front of coach and she was closer to the back. The photos below were mostly from my camera, and I'm sure you'll be seeing a … [Read more...]

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