Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Writerly Advice

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Hi friends, Happy Wednesday! I always look forward to my Wednesdays with you. I hope your day is off to a beautiful start. I always start my day out with quiet time or group Bible study followed by writing. I find my mind is freshest first thing in the morning, so I block my mornings until lunchtime exclusively for writing. In the afternoon, my brain just doesn’t work as creatively, so I … [Read more...]

Saved from Sinking Sand

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My husband and I recently returned from a trip to the UK, fulfilling travel plans made and cancelled more than two years before. We were so thankful to be able to visit England again, and felt oddly privileged to be there when Queen Elizabeth died—to be able to watch the news with locals and to witness their heartfelt reactions firsthand. While we were “across the pond,” one of the places we … [Read more...]

My Social Media Ad Purchases — Hits and Misses

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Do you ever fall victim to the ads that infiltrate your social media feed? I scroll right past most of them, but every once in awhile, an ad will catch my eye. I'll click over to the product's web site, read about it, look at pictures and reviews. Ponder. Then, if I'm in a shopping type of mood and sufficiently hopeful that I'll love the product, I'll hit "buy". Here's a wrap-up of my … [Read more...]

Finding Hope in the Waiting

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This week I'm in St. Louis for the ACFW conference and board meetings...It's been three years since we've been able to meet face to face and this is so fun. It's so good to be in the same space as my writing friends and able to meet so many new ones. There is an energy and power that comes from sharing space with other creatives. I love what I do in my day job, but it's different from hanging with … [Read more...]

Hurry Up and Wait

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Once I make a decision to do something, I’m ready to get it done. As in ASAP. Which is near realistic, of course. Especially in our post-pandemic world where things seem to be constantly behind. So I’m in “hurry up and wait” mode on several projects at the moment and it’s driving me crazy! Our new ceiling fan. Our ceiling fan in the living room randomly turns off and on. At one point, we … [Read more...]

Another novel finished and in

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Since 2005, I've had this story inside me—and now it's finally on the page. Yep, finally! ; ) The stories that have lived inside me the longest are often the most difficult to write, and A Million Little Pieces was certainly that. Not only because of the subject matter—marriage and infidelity—but because these characters are all so real to me and the settings so tangible, that "first … [Read more...]

Time Machine

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The other night I came into the bedroom, dropped onto the bed, and started clicking the TV remote, looking for something to watch while I rested. I don't even remember what channel I clicked, but suddenly there was the Lawrence Welk show, and the familiar walls of my bedroom seemed to melt. I felt as though I was being swept into a time machine and transported back to 1960 or so, when life was so … [Read more...]

The Beauty of Weddings

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As many of you know, this was a busy summer for our family with our first wedding among our children. One of my daughters got married in July, and we celebrated with a lovely wedding with friends and family in central Ohio (where my daughter went to school, where she met the love of her life, and where his family lives). Though the weather was rainy (and by rainy I mean down-pouring with … [Read more...]

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