Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

In the Works: WWII Fiction + Friends + Cover Reveal!

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One thing readers maybe not realize is the friendships between Christian authors. Some of my best friends are fellow authors. We help each other, we support each other, and we UNDERSTAND each other! A few years ago my friend Cara Putman said, "A few of us should come together and write a World War II novella." This is Cara and me . . . aren't we cute?   A third friend join … [Read more...]

Giveaway: Win $200 in the Romantic Weekend Getaway Giveaway (ends 6/8/14)

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Hey, friends. In celebration of the release of The Heart's Pursuit, I'm running a Romantic Weekend Getaway Giveaway. (Say that three times real fast! LOL!) The grand prize is a $200 Visa cash card (US dollars). Open to US and Canadian residents. Lots of different ways to enter, beginning either by signing in with Facebook or signing in with your email address (for non-Facebook … [Read more...]

Favorite Quotes from Christian Novels

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I recently had the awesome experience of working with a launch team for A Beauty So Rare, the second standalone novel in the Belmont Mansion series. And oh, what fun it was! I'm honored that the nearly 60 bloggers were interested in partnering with me to help get the word out about this novel, and I enjoyed each minute of our chatting and sharing. As part of the process, I created a … [Read more...]

Life Lessons

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I attended a funeral recently for a man I didn’t know well. His daughter is a friend from church, his wife a friend from book club. “It is better to go to a house of mourning,” scripture says, “than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart” (Ecclesiastes 7:2).  I need a reminder, every now and then, of how short time my time on earth … [Read more...]

The Plot Thickens | Tamera Alexander

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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. Tamera Alexander is a bestselling novelist whose works have been awarded and nominated for numerous honors, including the Christy Award, the RITA Award, and the Carol Award. After seventeen years in Colorado, Tamera and her husband have … [Read more...]

20 Easy Ways Readers Can Help Promote a Book

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Dear readers, did you know authors need YOUR help in promoting their books? Yes, they really do! Many readers already do a superb job promoting the books and authors they love. Some promote formally by signing up with a publisher’s book review program or with an author who asks for Influencers. (An Influencer is a fancy term for someone who gets a free book for the purpose of helping spread … [Read more...]

When Your Cover Doesn’t Quite Match Your Story

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I can honestly say that I've never had a bad cover. Bethany House has a phenomenal Art Department, and I've been blessed with some truly wonderful covers. However, when I first saw the cover for my e-single novella, A Cowboy Unmatched, I was a little confused. You see, in my novella, the heroine Clara is 9 months pregnant. Nowhere in the story does she sport the svelte figure of the lovely … [Read more...]

There’s Always a New Story to be Told

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  Novelists get asked all the time where their stories come from. My answer, as I've probably shared in this blog before, is that story ideas are a dime a dozen. They are everywhere, like wildflowers growing on a hillside in the spring, just waiting to be picked. Do you want proof? Yesterday, my 71st book—The Heart's Pursuit—was released. Trust me. When I put pen to paper on what … [Read more...]

Personal Connections Across the Pond

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I've just returned from 10 days in England, and along with the inevitable jet lag, I am filled with images and impressions still forming in my weary-but-content mind. The memories that stand out most are not the many interesting sights we saw, but the people we connected with along the way. One of my favorite days was one we (me and my travel-companion, driver, photographer, and friend, Sara) … [Read more...]

A different kind of cover shoot post

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I've absolutely loved seeing the cover shoot posts that Tammy, Becky, and others have shared recently. I've never gotten to be involved in a shoot for one of my own covers, but since I'm married to a graphic designer who's created many book covers, I've been on the other side of the shoot, toting the tripod, fluffing models' hair, and tilting the reflector just so. Ken wrote and illustrated two … [Read more...]

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