Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Decisions, Decisions

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In my last blog post, I shared a little bit about the changing face of publishing since I got my start in 1984. I’m even more aware of the changes as I move more deeply into the indie publishing world. Wide or Kindle Unlimited? One of the decisions an indie author has to make is whether to go wide (meaning ebooks are available across numerous devices and retailers) or whether to be exclusive … [Read more...]

The Art of Reading

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One of the things that I love about Victorian era portraits is that many of them show the connection between women and books. One of my favorite artists from this time period is Charles Edward Perugini. He was an Italian artist who moved to England to study under Lord Leighton. He started painting classical scenes then turned his talents to the more profitable work of portrait painting, … [Read more...]

Saying Goodbye

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As you read this, we are on our way home from the East Coast, where we’ve traveled twice in the past two weeks.  On Oct. 31 we got word that Jeff’s mother had passed away. While she hadn’t been in great health, the conversation the prior week was about moving her to assisted living, not end of life issues. She lived in Pennsylvania, in a small town a 3 hour drive from any major airport. … [Read more...]

Love Down-home Southern Cooking?

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Just in time for Thanksgiving! If you're looking for down-home, delicious Southern Cooking, meet Tammy of Collard Valley Cooks in South Georgia! Delightful. Unpretentious. And a fabulous Southern Cook. That's Tammy (and Chris, her husband, who does the videoing)! I don't exactly remember when I ran across Tammy's YouTube channel. It's been a while. But every recipe I've tried of hers … [Read more...]

Upcoming Event (and a Free Book)

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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

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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

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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

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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...]

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