Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Happy End of Summer!

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In 2020, our family (like many of you) had to put big vacation plans on hold due to Covid. Instead, we did a couple of shorter trips. I’d hoped 2021 would allow us to move forward with a bigger vacation. But this year, my twins graduated from college. With one starting grad school and one getting a new job, we couldn’t find a block of time that worked for everyone to take a trip. So . . . … [Read more...]

Christmas is Coming

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I admit it. I'm one of those grumbly types who complains about Christmas merchandise showing up in stores before Halloween. No carol singing allowed until after Thanksgiving. No decorations put up until the first weekend of December. Bah, humbug! The one area where I make an exception is shopping. Christmas shopping can be stressful, so if I can pick up a few items throughout the year and store … [Read more...]

Feeding our History-loving Hearts

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Jeff and I went to Boston to visit our daughter a couple of weekends ago. Which was so fun. But in spite of all the history in and around Boston, that is not the focus of today’s post! Instead, I want to tell you about the few days we tacked on to the end of our trip just for us.  It’s been a crazy almost 11 months and we were exhausted. (Well, really it was crazy for 5 years, bu the last … [Read more...]

My Reading Life

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This summer I spruced up my website again. This time it was inspired by the cover of my June 2022 release (still to be revealed to readers). Two of my favorite colors are mauve (pretty much all of the “pink” shades and tones are favorites) and teal. The changes I made to my website went beyond the color scheme. They included a change in the look of my blog. And that has caused me to do some … [Read more...]

Three Perks of Working for a Food Truck (and an e-book up for grabs!)

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I'm delighted to welcome author Emily Conrad to the blog today! She's been a supportive and encouraging presence in Christian reading/writing circles for years and her second novel has just released. She's kindly offering a giveaway copy to one of you, so be sure to scroll down for details on how to enter. Congrats, Emily! - Becky A man with a walkie talkie and a staff T-shirt approached to … [Read more...]

Some of my Recent Reading Recommendations

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So far this year I've read 90 books, so I thought I'd take some time today to share my favorite recent reads. These books are from a variety of genres, so I hope you find something you like in the mix. These options are from several different genres. What have you read likely that you've loved? Denise Hunter is always a good choice when you're in the mood for a contemporary romance, and … [Read more...]

Becoming a Warrior

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Hi friends, Happy Wednesday! Hope you’re having a wonderful week. I always look forward to spending it with you. A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned on social media how my daughter Ty took Little Man to a Ninja gym and he had a blast! It was so fun seeing him enjoying the obstacle, parkour course, especially because we’ve been huge fans of the show Ninja Warrior for years now. While we … [Read more...]

Thankful for Bookstores

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Last week, I attended the Christian Product Expo (CPE) near St. Louis, MO, flying for the first time since the pandemic began. (Sigh… Traveling isn’t the pleasure it used to be, but I was grateful for uneventful flights.) CPE is a trade show where booksellers learn about new products, order inventory, and receive training and inspiration to continuing doing their jobs, often during trying … [Read more...]

A Disappointing Ending

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Ken and I experienced a pretty big disappointment this past week. Nothing that was life and death, for sure, but in the space of an hour, we went from being giddy with joy to being crushed when a big landscaping project in our backyard got washed away less than 24 hours after it was completed. Our landscapers brought heavy equipment into our backyard last Tuesday and by the end of the day, we … [Read more...]

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