Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

The Bus Tour

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     I’ve done some unusual things during the course of my writing life, but my upcoming bus tour next month will be a first. The idea came from my friend Paul, who thought readers would enjoy touring some of the interesting sites from my novel, “Waves of Mercy.” The novel is set in the town of Holland, Michigan where Paul has lived most of his life, and it tells the story of the Dutch immigrants … [Read more...]

How to Write Historical Christian Fiction

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I've been asked by a public library in northern Minnesota to teach a 2-hour class on "How to Write Historical Christian Fiction." Apparently, their patrons requested such a class after an inspiring visit from beloved historical fiction author, Lauraine Snelling. Lauraine lives in California, so they sought out a local author instead—me. A joy shared is a double joy. A burden shared is half a … [Read more...]

Memories for a Lifetime

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If you follow me on Facebook, you might know that for the past ten days I've been traveling with my husband's family, visiting the beautiful islands of Hawaii! It's a trip I never thought we'd be able to take, but Ken's mother treated all five of her kids and their spouses to this trip of a lifetime. It's not easy to coordinate the work and family schedules of 10 people—including two of us who … [Read more...]

Public Library Association Conference

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Greetings from Philadelphia! I left Dallas on Tuesday to fly to the City of Brotherly Love for the Public Library Association conference.  Here's my view of Dallas from the air on the first day of spring: And here's my view of Philadelphia from the air on the first day of spring: What a marked difference!  A nor'easter arrived at the same time that we did, so this Texan and her … [Read more...]

A Perspective Change

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Last week, I was in Jordan. The one across the ocean. The one that required an 11 hour nonstop flight from Chicago to reach. It was an amazing and surreal experience--surreal in the sense that it was my first time to the Middle East. Notice the use of the word first. It's very intentional. [Tweet "Travel can change our perspectives. @Cara_Putman shares about her #trip to #Jordan. … [Read more...]

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