Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

In Memory of Stacy

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I'm sharing here the tribute to my sweet friend that I published earlier this week on Facebook and Instagram.... On Tuesday night I learned that one of the women in my local writers' group had passed away suddenly. Stacy Simmons had surgery a week and a half ago. This past Friday, I texted her to check on her and she responded right away, saying that she was doing well and hoping to be released … [Read more...]

A Life Well Lived

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Two weeks ago, my 96 year-old grandmother had a stroke. Saturday we will have her celebration of life ceremony. We were blessed as a family to spend an amazing three days together around my daughter's wedding at the beginning of September, and I am so very grateful. I have lived the last six years with a growing awareness that any visit could be the last. Still those few days between her stroke … [Read more...]

Swoonworthy Heroes

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Hi friends, Happy Wednesday! Always glad to spend a day with you. Last time I shared about female protagonists, and we chatted about whether they still needed to be young, pretty, and likable. Today, I thought I’d pose the question about heroes. Do they still need to be handsome, strong, and swoonworthy? Years ago, the debate was whether a hero should be an alpha or a beta. In case you … [Read more...]

Scramble, Scramble, Scramble

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Hello friends. Please forgive the brief post today. I’m down to one week to get a draft of my December 2023 release to my Beta readers on November 1st, so I’m scrambling here! (I’m sorry if you thought the title of this post related to the game Scramble, which I LOVE. I don’t get to play often but do enjoy a few rounds of Words with Friends while I eat my lunch. 😊) For now, I thought I’d share … [Read more...]

Right Where They Belong (and a Giveaway!)

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[THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED. AND THE WINNER IS… Amy M.!! Congrats, Amy! Please send me an email with your snail mail address to debraney@mac.com and I'll pop your books in the mail to you! Thanks so much for all the nice comments. I loved Amy's "going Dutch" comment. :) ] Gather 'round, friends! I want to share a fun story today that begins back in 2016. Actually, longer ago than that... Maybe … [Read more...]

New Directions

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I was sorry to see Jody step back from blogging after so many years with us on Inspired by Life...and Fiction. But I am delighted that the timing was right for me to return to a regular blogging schedule. And so here I am, your first and third Friday author. The year 2022 had a big change in store for me at the very start. In January I made the decision, for a number of reasons, not to … [Read more...]

Cover Reveal!

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Covers are vital when it comes to making a first impression on a reader. They need to capture the reader's attention; communicate the story's genre, mood, and setting; and most of all, entice the reader to learn more. A good cover can make a huge difference in how a book performs in the market. As a traditionally published author, I don't get as much say in the cover design process as indie … [Read more...]

The Joy of Learning New Things

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Do you remember the joy of finally leaning to ride a bike without training wheels? Or swimming across the pool for the first time? Or learning to read and finding a whole new world of books?  We get to experience the joy of learning new things when we are young. But the older we get, the fewer things there are that drive us to master them.  Of course we often hear the call to “never … [Read more...]

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