Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Helpless

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Our two-week vacation on Sanibel Island in Florida was wonderful—just the break I needed after finishing my latest novel and before starting the research process for the next. I sat in the departure lounge in the Fort Myers Airport with my husband on Saturday, thinking about all of the things I needed to do when I got home, including writing this blog. The inbound flight arrived, but we were told … [Read 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...]

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