Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Crazy Days of Summer — with a giveaway!

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Forget the “lazy” days of summer. It feels like it’s been crazy in my little corner of the world ever since I returned from California. First I had a book signing at a cute little bookstore in Kuna, a town outside of Boise. In fact, my mother went to school in Kuna and graduated from the high school there in 1933. She wouldn’t recognize it anymore as it is no longer a small farming … [Read more...]

Chasing Waterfalls

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Despite the admonition from a famous pop song to "don't go chasin' waterfalls," that is precisely what I did when my husband and I traveled to Deadwood, SD last month. We were making the trip so I and several author friends could participate in a book event called Wild Deadwood Reads. Wes and I turned the trip into a mini vacation as well, touring as many sights as possible along the way. We both … [Read more...]

Turning Research into a Story

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My second book in Guidepost’s Secrets from Grandma’s Attic series came out this month. I had so much fun researching and writing this story.  For the historical mystery in this book, I latched on to a fact from a previous book—that Grandma’s brother died in the Korean War.  How did I turn that into a story? Research!  But I thought I’d peel back the curtain a bit so you … [Read more...]

Irish Twins? Well, almost!

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Join my family vicariously as (last night) we celebrated with Kurt and Kellie (our son and daughter-in-law—who we affectionately refer to as K2) as they announced—with a "light show"—that they're having their second child, a little girl, in January '24! WARNING: There is much excitement, especially from younger cousins who had already had a lot of sugar. LOL Notice K2's dogs, Malcolm & Rue, … [Read more...]

Christmas is Coming

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I know it's July, but I'm so excited about Christmas I can hardly stand it! A couple of years ago, I decided to get a holiday lawn ornament that would have something to do with faith--after all, I'd had reindeer and Christmas trees for a long time, and I wanted to tell my neighbors that we BELIEVED IN JESUS. So I found a festive lighted angel online. Trouble was, the angel had long … [Read more...]

Who’s Here for a Strong Heroine?

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I'm delighted to introduce you to talented author Carolyn Miller, who's guest-blogging for me today! Be sure to leave a comment at the end of the post for a chance to win a copy of her newest romance. (It stars a hockey player and if you've read My Stubborn Heart you know I'm a big fan of hockey playing heroes!) -Becky Imagine having hotdogs thrown at you simply for doing your job. Or being … [Read more...]

Our Words Matter, Book News & Giveaway

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Earlier this week I gave a keynote at a plenary session to approximately 350 court staff from across the state of Indiana on customer service and why they matter. As I left, I thought back to 12-year-old me who sat in a hearing room at the Nebraska Unicameral and was so impacted watching attorneys with a national advocacy organization testify on behalf of families like mine. Even at 12 I noted the … [Read more...]

Running the Publishing Gauntlet

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Happy Wednesday, friends. You might be wondering what on earth I mean by a publishing gauntlet. The word has different meanings, but the definition I’m referring to is:  Gauntlet: weapons that strike at an individual who is made to run between them. A race that poses an ordeal or is filled with obstacles. As Christians, we are called to run a race. One with great opposition that we must … [Read more...]

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