Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

On Turning Sixty (waaaaahhhhhh!)

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I loved turning thirty. I was one of those baby-faced moms who often was mistaken for the babysitter, so something about turning thirty made me feel finally "legit." I didn't bat an eye at turning forty. My career had just been launched, our kids were finally all old enough that life was worlds easier (and our older kids were helping raise the "oops" baby, born when I was thirty-five). Nope. … [Read more...]

The Plot Thickens|Gayle Roper

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Each Sunday "Inspired by Life...and Fiction" shares a Christian novelist's newest book and the garden spots where they find inspiration. Award-winning novelist Gayle Roper has been writing stories for more than thirty-five years. "The nice thing about writing," she says, "is that as long as the mind functions and the hands can still type, you can turn your imagination lose." … [Read more...]

Among the Fair Magnolias

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I had the pleasure earlier this year of writing my first novella, which was quite a feat for me—telling an entire story in 26,000 words. But I had a blast doing it and really learned a lot about pacing and sticking to the action in the process. To Mend a Dream is part of the Southern novella collection Among the Fair Magnolias. What made the experience of writing this novella so … [Read more...]

The Genesis of a Book

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One of the questions authors are frequently asked is, where do our ideas come from. My answer? Everywhere! It seems different for me for each book. Since many of my readers have told me that Candle in the Darkness is their favorite book, here’s the story of how that novel came about. It started when my musician husband, Ken, performed at a Civil War re-enactment with the “Yankee Brass Band.” I … [Read more...]

The Plot Thickens|Deborah Raney

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Each Sunday "Inspired by Life...and Fiction" shares a Christian novelist's newest book and the garden spots where they find inspiration. Deborah Raney enjoys writing in the gardens tended by her artist husband, Ken. The Raneys recently moved to the city after many years at their little house on the prairie in small-town Kansas. They are enjoying the challenge of city gardening and … [Read more...]

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