Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Encouragement for the Dull Days

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Hi friends! Happy Wednesday. I'm excited to have the fabulous Jaime Jo Wright sharing with us today. I love her encouragement, and really, who can't use a little encouragement for those dull days! Hope you enjoy her thoughtful post. It’s that time of year again. It rolls around once every six months. That moment I stare at a blank screen, cursor blinking, and a new story trolling around in my … [Read more...]

New Books to Start the Year off Right

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There’s nothing quite like book mail, is there? I thought I’d start 2022 off right by ordering some new-to-me books (from Baker Books and Christian Books). Here’s what I ordered and why: Jesus Always by Sarah Young:  I kept seeing a woman I follow on Instagram posting pages from this book with many meaningful phrases highlighted—phrases that struck me so hard I found myself taking screen … [Read more...]

A “typical” week in the life of a novelist

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One of the things I love most about my job is that there is really no such thing as a typical week. My work tasks and workload change from week to week, depending on where I am in the deadline process, and I love the variety and the fact that—unless I’m on a tight deadline—I’m able to choose my hours and rearrange my schedule to fit in lunch with a friend, babysitting our grandkids, or an … [Read more...]

What’s New in 2022

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With as busy as I am, sometimes I know I’m confusing my readers with everything I have going on! (I honestly confuse myself sometimes too!) So in an effort to give the bigger picture, I thought I’d take today’s post to outline what to expect from me over the coming year. As you know, in this month of JANUARY, my second Waters of Time book, NEVER LEAVE ME, hit shelves. If you haven't yet gotten … [Read more...]

Favorites from Under the Tree

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I know, I know. Christmas is so last year. 2022 has arrived. We should be looking forward, not back. Perhaps we should, but I have a few new items around my house that are still making me smile every time I see them, so the Christmas joy is living on in the New Year. Besides, I'm still a little giddy over them, and I've just got to share with people who will understand my bookish … [Read more...]

The Stories in Old Books

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As you know, I’ve been cataloguing the books in my library. I got about half done via barcode, but the other half? Too old for barcodes! So I’ve been inputting them manually, little by little. The other day I did a shelf of Grace Livingston Hill novels. I have a ton of them! Most are reprints from the 1970s-1990s, but a few are the old, hardbound books with fragile pages. As I carefully flipped to … [Read more...]

Redeeming Love the movie – at last!

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Last Tuesday night, I attended a screening of Redeeming Love, the film adaptation of Francine Rivers' bestselling novel Redeeming Love that releases nationwide this Friday, January 21st. Oh, oh, oh... I went in with high expectations, and the movie exceeded them all. It has everything—poignancy, humor, passion, gut-wrenching heartbreak, and, of course, redemption. I can't wait to see it … [Read more...]

Husbands and chickens and possums, oh my!

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In 2017, we moved to a house on a larger lot. In 2018, I implemented my dream of having chickens. They are entertaining, excellent pets, and always a source of adventure. Last night we had another night to remember. My chickens have two areas: the run, a huge wire pen, and the coop, where they sleep at night. The large coop has an automatic door, which closes at sunset and opens in the … [Read more...]

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