Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Upcoming Event (and a Free Book)

By

Ken and I are traveling again. It might seem a little crazy, but we headed north to Michigan! We have a good reason though! Tomorrow evening I'll be signing copies of O Little Town at Baker Book House in Grand Rapids, along with my co-author Janyre Tromp (and we hope our other co-author, Amanda Wen will be able to join us via Zoom sometime during the evening.) If you happen to live in the area, we … [Read more...]

Four Fun Announcements

By

There's a lot going on in my corner of the writing world at the moment! #1 Turn to Me is six months old Turn to Me, my most recent release, just celebrated its half birthday! If you haven't met Luke yet, I'd love for you to do so because he has my heart. As it happens, the paperback is currently on sale for 50% off the list price and free shipping at Baker Book House. #2 The Misty … [Read more...]

4 Simple Ways Readers Help Authors

By

Readers often ask me how they can help their favorite authors. I love to get that question because it is so very easy to help your favorite authors. Today I want to share a few of those with you. 1) Tell your friends about the book. Word of mouth is still one large way that readers discover new-to-them authors . If you loved a book, then be sure to tell friends and family that are readers … [Read more...]

Christmas Reading

By

Hi friends, Happy Wednesday! Excited to spend today with you. Can you believe we’re already into November? Thanksgiving is only two weeks away, which means Christmas tree decorating is right around the corner. We always put our tree up the day after Thanksgiving and make a full day of it. We get Entenmann’s donuts, coffee (of course) hot cocoa, a handful of our favorite Christmas movies and … [Read more...]

Jane Austen at Church | Guest Post by Brenda S. Cox

By

Hello friends. Julie Klassen here. Today, I am delighted to have author Brenda Cox share with us about her new book, Fashionable Goodness: Christianity in Jane Austen’s England. I met Brenda after one of her informative talks at a meeting of the Jane Austen Society of North America. Brenda has been researching and speaking about this topic for years and I'm so glad that her book is now available. … [Read more...]

TO LOVE ISRAEL

By

When I was in high school, I played with the church high school hand bell choir. One day our director, Dr. Jim Whitmire, told us we had been invited to play at a local synagogue. I was surprised, to say the least, but Jim said that if we blessed the Jews, God would bless us--it's a scriptural promise. So we went and played, and God planted something in my heart that later blossomed into a … [Read more...]

My, How Things Have Changed

By

A Bit of History My first book was published in 1984. That was before the internet. It was before most business offices even had computers. Back then, authors sold their manuscripts to publishers by sending a query letter and sample chapters. We watched our mailboxes like hawks because everything happened via mail. Publishers sold books into bookstores with sales reps who took samples of … [Read more...]

Grace Hitchcock & First Dates

By

Karen here. I'm excited to introduce you to Grace Hitchcock. Graces writes super fun historical romances, and her latest features a Phantom of the Opera twist! Take it away, Grace! Crafting a Great First Date for Your Hero and Heroine Early in my writing career, before my first story was published, I read a blog post about how you should give your characters first dates, planning them … [Read more...]

Recent Posts