Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Speaking in Libraries

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I don't do a lot of speaking gigs during the year since I have a regular 8-5 day job, but when I get the chance to speak at a library, I'm eager to participate. Last month, I had the honor of speaking at a lovely small town library in Alvarado, TX. The Texas Writes group organized the event and brought me out along with a fun middle-grade author name Jeramey Kraatz who writes for Harper Collins. … [Read more...]

Ancestry Treasure Hunt

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I've always been interested in genealogy in a distant sort of way.  For example, I thoroughly enjoy watching the show Who Do You Think You Are?  In each episode, a celebrity uncovers the stories, secrets, and history of their ancestors. My fondness for Who Do You Think You? inspired me to write a genealogist heroine.  Bookish Nora Bradford, Genealogist Extraordinaire and Historical Village … [Read more...]

A Few Goals for 2018

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The first month of the new year is awfully close to being over already. Amazing, isn't it? But it isn't too late for me to share a few of my goals for this year. So here goes: Read Through the New Testament Three Times In 1997, I began the practice of reading through the entire Bible in odd-numbered years and reading through the New Testament multiple times in even-numbered years. Last year I … [Read more...]

Libraries in Jane Austen’s Day

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As you know, I love libraries of all kinds (public libraries, church libraries, university libraries, etc.). In my latest book, The Ladies of Ivy Cottage, Miss Rachel Ashford (a gentlewoman in reduced circumstances), is determined to earn her own livelihood…somehow. Her friends encourage her to open a circulating library with the many books she’s inherited. As villagers donate additional volumes … [Read more...]

Extremes (and a prayer request)

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So, last week my husband and I spent the better part of an entire week either in bed sleeping or shivering by the fire under a blanket. Sadly, we had that awful 2018 flu that's making the rounds. I know a lot of you have had it too, and it is NO FUN! After sleeping, literally 90 out of 96 hours at one point, we started to feel like we might be back in the land of the living. It's been a slow climb … [Read more...]

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