Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Fall Feelings! (+ a $25 Starbucks card giveaway)

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I'm delighted to introduce you to Kelly D. Scott! I've been meeting with a small group of writers here in Dallas for years and Kelly has been a member of that circle since the beginning. Fall is my favorite season and so I think it's wonderful that she's joined forces with several other authors to release a FREE ebook collection of romantic fall stories. Be sure to grab a copy of the collection … [Read more...]

For the Love of Travel

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I’m preparing to head off for a season of travel through mid-December. I'll be taking one trip per month, and while it’s a lot of travel for me, I’m so excited about it. I love to travel, see new places, visit with friends, and gather with writers. This quote is one of my favorites.  I believe the more we travel, the more we experience, and it broadens our horizons. Anything that … [Read more...]

Writer Retreat & Events

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Last week, I rode with sister-Minnesota writer Erica Vetsch to Southwestern Missouri at the invitation of author-friend Michelle Griep. Together the three of us brainstormed, wrote, commiserated, and caught up on each other’s lives. And ate. A lot. Michelle is an amazing hostess who spoiled us rotten. That 9-hour drive was definitely worth it! We also did two speaking events while we were … [Read more...]

Going Back to Caledonia

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Going Back to Caledonia. Hmmm. That might make a lovely book title some day. But this past week, it was the "title" of our weekend. Many of you will remember that six years ago, my husband got the bug to get a camper. It did NOT sound like my idea of fun. But he talked me into a trial run, we rented a camper near St. Louis and made our way toward our daughters' homes in Southeast Missouri. (You … [Read more...]

FUNNY BOOK ERRORS

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I recently did an interview after my book, To Enchant a Lady’s Heart, won the Heart Award in the novella category. The interviewer asked me to share my funniest typo. Sometimes I’m asked questions that leave me scratching my head for a while. It can take time to dredge up an answer. But I had a fast reply for that question. I thought I would share that story with you plus one other, the second … [Read more...]

My Morning Was Hijacked by a Mystery Novel!

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Exactly one week ago today, I had the strangest morning. It all started with a thin glowing light emanating around the attic access panel in the hallway outside my bedroom. It hadn't been glowing the night before when we went to bed. Then a mysterious moisture covered our lawn, indicating the sprinklers had run but not on their assigned day. We'd not had any recent power outages to explain … [Read more...]

Mirror image?

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Because I am always reading more than one novel at a time, I often notice book similarities. It is not unusual for me to discover that the main character in one current read is named the same as a supporting character in another! But recently I ran across a book similarity that initially took me aback, and I wanted to discuss it here.  The truth is, there are only so many stories to be … [Read more...]

Shhhh…. The “real” acceptance speech

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In Deb's post last week, she shared the story behind her accepting the Carol Award for my novel A Million Little Choices at this year's ACFW Conference. But have you seen the video of her reading that acceptance speech? If you didn't read Deb's post, here's a quick recap of events:* Earlier this summer, I'm notified I'm a finalist for a Carol Award and ask Deb if she'll accept the award for … [Read more...]

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