Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Traveling through England and Wales

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A few weeks ago I shared about our time in Paris on the first few days of our overseas trip. Ken and I traveled with his three brothers and sister and their spouses. I've known the Raney family for over 50 years now and these people truly feel like brothers and sisters to me. Even so, it's pretty amazing when nine people can travel together for more than two weeks and actually miss each other when … [Read more...]

Speed date my books!

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Barnes & Noble sent me an email a few weeks back containing bite-sized summaries of books so that I could "speed date" them to decide which one was a fit for me and my current reading mood. Isn't that a darling idea? Speed dating books sounded like my kind of speed dating. I was inspired. So, over on Instagram, I've been providing super short summaries (10 words or less) of several of my … [Read more...]

Greetings from the Netherlands

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This week, I'm writing from Holland. Yep, I'm on another continent. There is sometihing about traveling that feeds my soul and this trip is reminding me of that in all the best ways. I just don't get to see cathedrals like this walking around my town in the middle of cornfields in Indiana. Much as I'd like to imagine it, it's not the case. I also don't see markers like this reminding … [Read more...]

Life Together

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Hi friends and happy Wednesday. Today I'm so excited to welcome my friend and mentee, Lisa Kelly. I'm so proud of her and asked her to share her story with you. I know you'll enjoy her post and I'll see you back next time. One thing I’ve learned since embarking on my writing journey is the importance of community. I don’t believe anyone can survive going it alone. I imagine this could be a … [Read more...]

The book I’ve wanted to write for over 15 years

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A Million Little Choices, my first dual timeline story, releases TODAY and, friends, it's been a long time coming! I first had the idea for this story back in 2006, and I pitched it to the publisher I was writing with at the time. But they passed on the idea (very wisely in hindsight) and encouraged me instead to stay the course in writing historicals. To build my readership. Establish … [Read more...]

The Topic We Never Want to Talk About

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Several months ago, Jerry Jenkins and the folks at Focus on the Family approached three novelists to tackle important issues in our society. Those novelists were me, Tamera Alexander (yes, our Tammy!), and Chris Fabry. Those three books have just released, and all three of them are moving stories about issues that are affecting Christians and our society. My book is about suicide, perhaps … [Read more...]

Guest Post: What Makes Dual-Time Novels Appealing to Readers?

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Since on this day I should have been on an airplane or in an airport on my return from Israel when this post went live, I asked my friend Carrie Turansky to fill in for me. Of course, I am not on a plane or in an airport because the terrorist attack on Israel stopped my planned pilgrimage to the land. But this post is too good not to feature as planned. Enjoy! ~robin My latest novel, The … [Read more...]

We Have a Title!

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When it comes to making a first impression on a new reader, the title comes second only to the cover art in making an impact. That's why selecting a title should never come lightly. But what a huge challenge! To capture the essence of an entire story in less than 5 words (usually). I'm currently writing Book 3 in my Texas Ever After series - 19th century western fairy tale retellings. The … [Read more...]

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