Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Swag Boxes!

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Some of you may remember that I ran a Kickstarter campaign prior to Memory Lane's release and offered swag boxes full of books and items that tied in with the theme of the novel. We ended up hitting and surpassing the Kickstarter goal and the profit raised went to support the production of Memory Lane's audiobook. To be honest, though, I found Kickstarter challenging in a few ways. One, I was … [Read more...]

A Bookish Advent (& Goodies!)

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When I was a girl, one of the simple joys of Christmas was opening the doors on the paper advent calendars I would get every December. Usually it was nothing more than a picture that I revealed, but there was joy in the anticipation of discovery. Much like opening the cover of a new book to discover the story waiting inside. When my kids were young, we had a wooden advent calendar with little … [Read more...]

A Reminder of God’s Faithfulness

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I love the color blue. I especially love using it in my home.  When we moved into this house three years ago, my friend Mary suggested I do a blue-and-white plate grouping on my dining room wall. I loved the idea, but I’m not one to do such a thing myself. Partly this is because decorating is last on my list of priorities. Don’t get me wrong, I love a wonderfully decorated home. I just … [Read more...]

Mom/Grandmother/Aunt advice needed

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December 13 approaches, which means we're coming up on Leo's first birthday! I can hardly believe it. Leo's younger sister Ari (pronounced "R-ee," the name is Hebrew and means Lion of God) is due at the end of January. Almost Irish Twins! Kellie, our fabulous daughter-in-law, is hoping Ari has her coloring and skin (Kellie's a brunette and tans beautifully while the rest of us Alexanders, … [Read more...]

Happy Hanukkah!

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Did you know that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah? He did. And even though most Christians do not celebrate this Jewish holiday, trust me on this: without Hanukkah, we would not have Christmas. This year Hanukkah runs from sundown on December 7th through December 15th. My synagogue is having a Hanukkah party this weekend. :-) Then came Hanukkah; it was winter in Jerusalem. Yeshua was walking in the … [Read more...]

Ten Things About Me — and a great deal!

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A couple of weeks ago, Julie shared her answers to a questionnaire. On the day she posted her answers, she said it was because she was at a loss what to blog about. Guess what? Me, too. So here are my answers to the same ten questions. Don't go yet . . . Next week, you can buy three of my most powerful stories of hope in one collection! WOMEN OF HOPE, regularly priced at … [Read more...]

One Week Till Release!

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In one week, my new novel, A Winter by the Sea, releases. It's book two in my On Devonshire Shores series. If you live near St. Paul, Minnesota, I hope you will join me for the biggest night of my year. Book Release Parties are always a fun time of celebration, seeing old friends, and learning about new books. Please join us! There will be refreshments and a fun gift for everyone who … [Read more...]

Ireland and Scotland…and That’s a Wrap!

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Thanks so much for your patience as over the past month I've shared our trip to Paris, the UK, and my time in York, England where I got to see the home where my great-great grandparents lived at the time they emigrated to America. Today, is the final installment of our trip—our time in Ireland and Scotland. After our tumultuous ferry crossing, we drove through the lush, green countryside to the … [Read more...]

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