Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Christmas Reading Reward

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Every year I set aside the time from Thanksgiving week through New Year’s Day to read Christmas-themed novels. It’s one of the ways I enjoy the season. However, this year my Christmas reading can’t start until Dec. 1, the day I turn in my book. And so Christmas reading will be my reward for finishing. Only I had no idea how motivating this would turn out to be! Three of my (many) favorite … [Read more...]

Visiting Bridges (and a book deal!)

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One of the first stops Ken and I made in our recent six-weeks-long trip was Winterset, Iowa, home of the covered bridges of Madison County and the setting for my newest novel, Bridges. (KEEP READING FOR A DEAL ON BRIDGES TODAY ONLY!) We'd visited Winterset several times during the years our youngest son attended college in Iowa. And the charming town that inspired the bestselling novel The … [Read more...]

Researching?

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If you’re going to write historical fiction, it helps to enjoy doing research, which I really do! This past weekend, I set out on a fun trip with my husband, not intending for it to be a research trip. But since I can’t seem to stop looking for insights and tidbits to add to my stories, it ended up being a little bit of a research trip after all. My husband Ken has been a car buff for as long … [Read more...]

Happy Anniversary, Inspired by Life and Fiction

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Ten years ago tomorrow (October 17, 2011), Tamera Alexander and I launched a new group author blog with eight other writers. We called it Writes of Passage and it was hosted on Blogger. Over two years later, it became obvious the blog would be better served if it had its own website. I no longer remember if the website name (writesofpassage) was already in use or if we simply wanted a new name … [Read more...]

A Few Reasons Why I Gave Self-Publishing a Try

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Recently, I got an email from Allyson, young, aspiring writer. She had a great question that I thought I’d answer here on the blog today. Her question was this: “I can’t decide whether I want to self-publish or traditional publish . . . I know you've done both, and I've been curious why you self-publish your YA books?” To self-publish or go with a traditional publisher, that is the question … [Read more...]

Fall in its Images

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It's taken awhile, but it's finally beginning to feel like fall in Indiana. I love the transition from the heat of summer into the crisp air and chilled temperatures. There's something satisfying about sliding in the third of four seasons. In the last two weeks, I've had two novellas release. Dangerous Pursuits released on the 12th, and is a collection of 15 novellas by a host of top romantic … [Read more...]

Go In Peace: Why “Happily Ever After” Matters

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Hi friends! Happy Wednesday. I've got a treat for you today. The lovely Kristy Cambron is sharing a guest post about peace today. I don't know about you, but I feel we all can use more peace in our lives. If you aren't familiar with Kristy or her books, run—don't walk—to your nearest bookstore or online retailer. Her books are deeply researched and brimming with emotion and beautiful … [Read more...]

Fall Writing Retreat

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I have just returned from a writers' retreat a few hours from my home at the beautiful Blue Belle Inn in St. Ansgar, Iowa. Sadly, a few friends (Erica Vetsch, Gabrielle Meyer, and Lorna Seilstad) had to stay home due to C*vid in their families or being sick themselves. Disappointing, for sure. But the rest of us regrouped to share rooms and have a fun, productive retreat. The attendees … [Read more...]

The Food We Eat

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We are home from our almost six weeks of wandering through 11 states, 8 national parks, and 14 state parks. It was wonderful, but oh, my, is it ever good to be home! As I was looking through our photos, it struck me how many different things we ate, but more specifically, how many things I eat (and love!) now that I didn't even know existed when I was growing up (or even when we were raising … [Read more...]

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