Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Cover Reveal!

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Except for the moment I hold a brand new book in my hands, I think one of the most exciting moments for me as an author is when I first lay eyes on the cover of a new book. And even more fun: sharing it with my readers. Today is the day I get to do that! You may recognize this title. The first story in this two-novella collection was first published as a hard-cover gift book from Barbour … [Read more...]

My Health Journey in 2023

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I shared this on social media this week and wanted to share it with you, the wonderful Inspired by Life and Fiction community, too. . . I’ve had my hands so full with this privately that I haven’t felt the tug to share this publicly until now—at the start of this new year. (I’ve never been so happy to see one year end or so grateful to welcome a new year with new hope.) In February of … [Read more...]

5 Book Recommendations for Your Reading Pleasure + 1 Giveaway

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With the cold weather or book deadlines, all I've wanted to do is curl up with a good book. Thanks to that, I've been reading a lot of great books lately. Today I thought I'd bring you a few of my favorite reads form the last few months. I love writing, but I also love sharing books I enjoy with other readers. It's one of the reasons I started Book Talk. So be sure to check out these books if you … [Read more...]

A New Wave of Christian Fiction

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Hi friends and happy Wednesday!  I read a great article by Christianity Today on the growth of Christian Fiction. If you haven’t had a chance to read the article and you’re a fan of Christian fiction, I highly recommend taking a look.  The article focuses on the growth and range of Christian fiction over the last few years. Christian fiction started out as Christianity Today says: … [Read more...]

Words That Have Stood the Test of Time

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In the Inspirational Regency Readers group on FB, I recently shared some hymns that were written during or around the Regency period (the late 18th century through the early 19th century--the time my books are set). I thought I would share some here as well. These hymns have stood the test of time and are still sung in many churches today. We know the authors were human and imperfect (aren’t we … [Read more...]

Metaphor in a Tree

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I was going back through some old blog posts and came across this one: ******** As we close out 2007, I'd like to leave you with a metaphor that startled me the other day. True story.  A few years ago I went through an "orchid" phase.  I bought about a dozen orchids and planted them on the front porch, the back porch, etc.  I bought special orchid pots, special orchid growth mediums, and … [Read more...]

Another Celebration — A Big 4-0!

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On Monday, Deb shared that she began writing 30 years ago this month. So many great books by Deborah Raney have found their way to my shelves because of her decision to write. So I am definitely celebrating this milestone with her. I have an anniversary of my own this month. Actually a couple of them. First, a little history. In March 1981 (I don’t know the exact date), I sat down with a … [Read more...]

Happy New Year = Deadline Met!

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Are you a list maker? I am. I love the satisfaction of checking things off of my to-do list. So I had a special thrill this week by being able to check off a big item from my 2024 list. I had a book deadline on January 2, and I emailed the manuscript to my publisher on January 1. Boom! Done! Such a satisfying feeling. Though, things looked dicey for a while. The book refused to be wrapped up in … [Read more...]

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