Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

The Path of Obedience

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For the last week and a half, I've been part of a blog tour of Christian fiction writers of World War II novels. We came together to honor the 70th anniversary of D-Day. I invite you to join the tour by clicking on the image above. It's been such fun (and fascinating to learn about what motivates people to write the stories they do. With each of us it was launched by a story spark. Maybe it was … [Read more...]

Collaborating on a Novella Collection

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Over the course of the last 30 years, I've written a number of novellas that were part of multi-author collections (sometimes called anthologies). For most of these, the publisher picked the authors who would write the collection and told those authors what was required in all of the stories (they have cats, they have dogs, they have horses, they are set in the West at Christmas, etc.). And then … [Read more...]

It’s the People that Matter Most

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For my last few posts, I've shared photos of some favorite moments during a recent trip to England. As I mentioned, the memories that stand out most are not the many interesting sights we saw, but the people we connected with along the way. Like the reader, Katie, who took us horseback riding around her family’s stables, then to tea at her mother-in-law’s 500-year-old cottage. And like Linda, the … [Read more...]

A moving story

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In the past 15 months, between Ken and me, and my parents, we’ve made four moves, one that involved a farm auction. Uprooting and moving house at any age is not for the faint of heart! But especially at our age! And most especially at my parents' age. Add to that the fact that Ken and I had the bright idea (not!) to move in February in Kansas, from our small-town house into the "big" city. (If you … [Read more...]

The Plot Thickens | Ruth Axtell

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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.   Ruth Axtell loves writing about the 19th century, whether it’s Regency or late Victorian England. Ruth studied comparative literature at Smith College, spending her junior year at the Sorbonne in Paris. After college, she … [Read more...]

Living With Chaos

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We're currently in the midst of having our kitchen renovated. For those of you who've gone through kitchen remodeling, I can hear your kind words of sympathy right now. Thank you. Please pass along your condolences. I need all I can get! :-) You know what it's like to have a kitchen that looks like this: You know what it's like to eat for a couple of weeks here: (in the … [Read more...]

Women Who Succeed in a Man’s World

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Full Steam Ahead, my latest novel, officially released this week. Hooray! It's always an exciting and nerve-wracking time when a new book comes out. Exciting - because I love hearing from readers who have been looking forward to the book and finally have it in the hands. Nerve-wracking - because . . . well . . . will they like it? So what does that have to do with women succeeding in a man's … [Read more...]

Take Time to Remember Your Story

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I'm blessed that my 84-year-old grandmother lives with me. My grandma is full of spunk. She is witty even though she can't remember what day or month it is. (She still thinks it's January and last Sunday she dressed for church in a heavy sweater before I made her change!) This photo is my Grandma Dolores and my Uncle Joe who served in World War II. Even though he was thirteen years her elder … [Read more...]

Belmont Mansion Returning Treasures

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The Belmont Mansion here in Nashville, Tennessee recently acquired over 200 new pieces that belonged to Adelicia Acklen, the mistress of Belmont Mansion, the setting of A Lasting Impression and A Beauty So Rare. These items have been in the Acklen family since being removed from the Belmont Mansion in the 1880s. But as you can imagine, the curator and staff of the mansion are welcoming them … [Read more...]

Grand Tour

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You won’t believe where I am. I can hardly believe it myself! Like a wealthy heroine in a 19th century novel, I’m on a Grand Tour of Europe. But this trip isn’t purely for pleasure, although I’m certainly having a lot of fun! My husband Ken and I are here in the Netherlands after a stopover in Copenhagen to watch as our son Benjamin is awarded his PhD in Biblical Studies from the University of … [Read more...]

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