Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Chickens 101

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I am a writer, sure. But I have many other interests, including my grandchildren, my dogs, and my chickens. The chickens are a relatively new fascination, as I got my first flock in 2018. I quickly learned the following things about them: Chicken facts you didn't know you NEEDED to know. There are more chickens than people in the world. There are in fact 3 chickens per every man, woman … [Read more...]

What does “really liked” mean?

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As a reader, I love Goodreads. I especially love seeing the reviews by my friends because that often means I discover books I wouldn’t have read otherwise. But I am also an author, and I have struggled with putting ratings on books. So for a long time, I only rated my 5 star reads. All other books, many of which I loved, got a review but no rating. The problem with that is, I don’t get an … [Read more...]

The Top 7 Reasons I Stop Reading a Novel

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I've noticed over the past couple of years that I've developed an especially bad habit–I'm having a harder and harder time finishing novels that I pick up.I wasn't always so hard to please! There once was a time when I finished almost every book I started.But these days, my shelves (both real and virtual) are overflowing. I have plenty to read. But not enough time.And to be perfectly honest, the … [Read more...]

Karen Recommends . . .

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A couple weeks ago, I was asked to put together five book recommendations based on a theme of my choice. Since I love historical romance flavored with humor, it seemed like the logical choice for my recommendation list. There was a catch, however. I couldn't list more than one book by any author. I accepted the challenge. I even got my Posse to weigh in with their favorites. Since I would be … [Read more...]

A Quick Trip to Charleston

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Months ago we made plans for me to accompany Jeff on a business trip to South Carolina—and to stay a couple of extra days in Charleston. We've been there a couple of times before, always on business. And, I confess, since spraining my ankle very badly in Charleston in 2017, I always go back with a bit of fear and trepidation!  But this time would be a different trip. Unlike the previous ones, … [Read more...]

Be careful what you wish for

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Meet Gary Garrison, a good friend, who once asked me to put him in one of my books. Since we're such good friends, of course, I said YES! Gary’s first preference, he stated, was to be a cover model, shirt ripped opened and chest bared. Hairy chest or not, was negotiable. He said we could Photoshop that as desired. And he wanted his long, thick mane flowing behind him in the wind. I told him … [Read more...]

Happy Valentine’s Giveaway

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[AND THE WINNER IS...Julie! Congrats, Julie. Watch your email for information on how to receive your journals.] Wishing a very happy Valentine's Day to all our wonderful readers of Inspired by Life...and Fiction. Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays, and to celebrate, I'd love to send one of our readers these two journals from Raney Day Press. To be entered for the drawing, simply … [Read more...]

A Passion Project

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Back in 2009, I started posting weekly prayers for writers in an email group. After a few years, one of the leaders in the group suggested I keep those prayers and think about publishing them one day. About two or three years ago, I moved the prayers out of my email program and into a Scrivener document, thinking I would finally get around to organizing them. And there they sat. Not long … [Read more...]

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