Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

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

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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

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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

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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

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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...]

The Berkshires

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While I miss my daughter living near us, one of the advantages of her living in Boston is getting to explore different areas when we visit. This fall, we went to the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts, near the New York border. We hoped to see some fall color and get in a bit of walking and relaxing. We didn’t expect to love this area as much as we did! Although we were a bit late for … [Read more...]

We’ll always have Paris

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Last Tuesday was such a fun day! Deb (Raney) my dear friend and writing critique partner for some 20+ years now and I met at a midway point for a visit—and that place happened to be Paris, TN! We started our visit at Sweet Jordan's, a wonderful restaurant that happens to serve some of the best bread pudding we've ever had! Sweet Jordan's is an extraordinary, not-to-be-missed … [Read more...]

In Memory of Stacy

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I'm sharing here the tribute to my sweet friend that I published earlier this week on Facebook and Instagram.... On Tuesday night I learned that one of the women in my local writers' group had passed away suddenly. Stacy Simmons had surgery a week and a half ago. This past Friday, I texted her to check on her and she responded right away, saying that she was doing well and hoping to be released … [Read more...]

A Life Well Lived

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Two weeks ago, my 96 year-old grandmother had a stroke. Saturday we will have her celebration of life ceremony. We were blessed as a family to spend an amazing three days together around my daughter's wedding at the beginning of September, and I am so very grateful. I have lived the last six years with a growing awareness that any visit could be the last. Still those few days between her stroke … [Read more...]

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