Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Power Supply

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As I write this, we have just come through (or been passed over by) Hurricane Ian. We were fortunate, with damage limited to scattered fallen branches and a wee bit of rain, but others weren't so lucky. We continue to pray for the devastated communities near Fort Myers, Florida. But even though we suffered very little, much of our area is still without power. My daughter's family was at … [Read more...]

Reading Challenges and Audiobooks

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In 2013, I participated in my first Goodreads Reading Challenge. I set a goal of 30 books and I read 36. That was my first time to actually track the books I read in a single year. Off and on through the years, I'd tried keeping a notebook by my bed and writing down the books I read and maybe rating them. The habit never took. I kept forgetting the notebook was there. But Goodreads has made it … [Read more...]

Mentorship

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Hi friends, I’ve had a lot of people ask me about mentorship in the writing community, so I thought I’d share here. Let’s start off by the definition of mentorship. When I started out writing with the hopes of publication someday, I knew I had a big learning curve ahead of me. I wasn’t in a hurry. I had lots of reading, writing, and studying to do. Much like a pianist first learns … [Read more...]

At Long Last…

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In my novel, Shadows of Swanford Abbey (December 2021), the Swanford Abbey Hotel is an ancient monastery turned grand hotel. I wrote that mystery during lockdowns and was unable to visit in person. Swanford Abbey is a fictional place, inspired by past visits to the historic Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire, England, as well as photos and floor plans of the Stanbrook Abbey Hotel in … [Read more...]

Surprising St. Louis!

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2022 was my first year in eighteen years to attend the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference without the responsibility of being a board member! While I missed hanging out with the wonderful people who make up the executive board of ACFW for those day-long meetings immediately before and after the conference, it was also a delight to have a little free time to explore the city where the … [Read more...]

Steal and Deals!

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I've been fortunate because audiobooks have been created and made available for each of my novels. Here's how that went down.... Bethany House bought the rights to the novels. Then they sold the subsidiary audiobook rights to Recorded books. Then Recorded Books produced the audiobooks by selecting the narrators, directing the recording, handling the sound editing, etc. Then Recorded Books released … [Read more...]

Listening & Pausing

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This post is a little late because yesterday, when I would have normally written my post, I had to step back and listen to my body. In my 40s this is something I am learning the importance of doing. September has been intense, all. Two novellas due. My oldest getting married. ACFW national conference where I had board responsibilities in addition to co-teaching three workshops with … [Read more...]

Three One-Year Anniversaries–and a Giveaway!

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It’s hard to believe, but it has been one year since I launched my new website and republished my first novel, both using my real name! But perhaps the thing I’m most proud of is that this past Saturday I hit the 52nd edition of my weekly newsletter. Yep, one whole year. This was a huge leap of faith for me! I never liked sending out newsletters. I never felt like I had anything to say and … [Read more...]

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