Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Covid and the high school reunion

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My husband’s 45th high school reunion was the weekend of October 8 & 9 in Searcy, Arkansas where Joe was raised. He not only went to Harding University (where his mom was my girl’s club sponsor—and how we eventually met after I’d graduated), but he attended Harding Academy too. Here’s the returning class picture we snapped that evening . . . (Joe is back row, first on the left—Steve … [Read more...]

The Four Stages of Competence

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People who are really good at what they do make it look easy--but usually, it's not. Becoming truly expert at something, or even good, takes years of practice. Wasn't it Malcolm Gladwell who wrote that to become expert in ANYTHING requires at least 10,000 hours of purposeful practice? That's more than one full year of doing NOTHING else--no sleeping, eating, or stretching one's legs. And of … [Read more...]

Cover Matching Challenge + Autumn Prizes!

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Autumn is my favorite season of the year. After our long, scorching summer here in Texas, Autumn arrives like a blessing and a reprieve. It's now cool enough for me to write outside in the shade and I have high hopes that sweater weather will soon be coming around the corner! In celebration of the season, I've put together a challenge and a prize pack. To enter for a chance to win, correctly … [Read more...]

When Life Throws a Curveball & Giveaway

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I'm not a baseball fan, but sometimes life throws a curveball and you get to decide how to handle it. Last week, I was ready to write the next chapter in the book due December 1st, when and event happened locally that mirrored the plot. Almost exactly. Like too much. The next morning I texted my editor and then spent 20 minutes brainstorming with her what we needed to do. This book will get … [Read more...]

Female Protagonists:

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Do they still have to be young, pretty, and likeable? Hi friends, Happy Wednesday! I always look forward to my time with you. I attended a conference last weekend, and I was the moderator on a very interesting panel on female protagonists. The subtitle was: Do they still have to be young, pretty, and likeable? To be honest, I’d never thought about it. I write about characters in their … [Read more...]

Autumn Leaves

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Hello friends. I hope you are enjoying October so far. I've been head-down busy writing lately but I am taking daily walks to enjoy the beautifully colorful foliage here in the northern US. The leaves are so pretty that I brought some home with me. While I walk, I love to listen to audiobooks. I'm currently listening to a book by debut novelist Sara Brunsvold called The Extraordinary … [Read more...]

Exploring Our Adopted State

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Ken and I have lived in our adopted state of Missouri for more than three years now, but we are still in awe of all this incredible state has to offer. We've been traveling through the state this past week, exploring some of the wonderful state parks in Missouri. Here is just a sampling of what we've discovered so far. We've been to Branson many times, but this was our first time to discover … [Read more...]

Saying Farewell

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Today is a bittersweet day for me, as I’m saying good-bye here on Inspired by Life and Fiction. I’ve been a part of the blog for many years, contributing twice a month, sharing the joys and difficulties of the writing and reading life with all of you. But after adding some new writing endeavors to my schedule this year, I realized my plate had become too full and that I needed to examine … [Read more...]

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