Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Slow & Steady Gets It Done

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On Wednesday, D’Ann made mention of graduation (and gifts for graduates). I’m guessing she was thinking of 18 and 22 year olds, for the most part. A decade ago this month, I attended my oldest daughter’s college graduation. She’d had a long career as a flight attendant (close to 20 years) but was ready to stay home, so she went back to school to prepare for a career change. Now, it may have … [Read more...]

Fan Fiction Contest

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. One of the characters in my latest book - If the Boot Fits - is a young boy with a vivid imagination. Fergus Ellis is the hero's youngest brother, and he never goes anywhere without his pencil and tablet. He names the animals around the house and dreams up adventures for them that he jots down in his tablet. He has dubbed the family milk cow Mrs. Merriweather and has set her up as banyard … [Read more...]

The Merry Month of May

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It’s May, y’all. And you know what that means? Sooooo many gifts to buy! End-of-year- teacher gifts, Mother’s Day, graduations, weddings, babies—all the things. So I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite bookish gifts since, in my opinion, bookish gifts are suitable for all occasions!  Bookish tea towels—great for Mother’s Day, weddings, teachers, or a hostess gift! … [Read more...]

Lake House Getaway

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One year ago, I blogged in this post about the lake house my husband and I were in the process of building at Lake O The Pines in northeast Texas. We completed it early this year! Our family has been enjoying it immensely. As have the guests who've booked it as a vacation rental. A few photos... Didn't it turn out great? Since Monday, I've been on a "girls getaway" here at the … [Read more...]

Making hard choices

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Have you ever had a season where you've had to make hard choices? Choosing to say no to one thing to say yes to another? This week I had to say no to a book contract with an independent collection that I really wanted to say yes to, to make space for my family. I agonized over the choice. I loved working with this team last year. My novel Art of Deception came out in Come What May in … [Read more...]

Spring into Reading

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Happy Wednesday, friends! I don’t know about you, but when a new season rolls around, I like to pick a new batch of books to dive into.  I don’t read much fiction while I write. I primarily read non-fiction until after I finish a book, which I just turned in the first draft to the second book in my Jeopardy Falls series---YAY!  So now I’m ready to binge some fiction before my revisions … [Read more...]

Fun Book News

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A short and sweet post for today. I just want to share some good news. Last week I signed a contract with Bethany House Publishers for four more Regency-era novels. I'm excited! Past contracts have been in paper form, and I would pose while my husband dutifully took a signing photo. Nowadays, the contracts come by email and are signed with a few clicks online. To be honest, I was still in my … [Read more...]

Childhood Chapter Books

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I attended a two-room country schoolhouse, and we had a small, but incredible library. I'm sure I read every book on those shelves before I reached 7th grade, and those books greatly enriched my life. One library book I returned to over and over again was called The Village That Slept. It was the story of two young teens who survive a plane crash and care for a tiny infant survivor as they … [Read more...]

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