Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Coins on a grave, and a special day

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First, a quick history… Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Major General John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It's believed that date was chosen … [Read more...]

Weird Things Writers Say (and What They Really Mean)

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Those of us in the publishing profession have developed a lingo all our own.  If you've spent any time at all interacting with authors on social media, then you've probably been treated to it.  And if you're a reader and not a writer type, some of it may have struck you as peculiar and/or baffling.  Thus, I thought I'd offer a writer-civilian translation guide.... "I'm on deadline." First of … [Read more...]

British Blooms and Books Giveaway!

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  Hello, gentle reader, and welcome to the first annual British Blooms and Books giveaway! This week, we’d like to celebrate the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show with you. After enjoying this post, please visit each of the other five authors’ blogs (links provided below) and, after a bit of reading fun, follow one simple instruction and then leave a comment on each, to … [Read more...]

Lessons from a Family of Robins

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We've had the uncommon privilege of watching a pair of robins build their home and start a family. I'm ashamed to say that I was annoyed to see the twigs and straw appear in the hanging pot I'd so carefully planted with caladiums and begonias on our front porch. But remembering a nest of mourning doves we'd watched in the same planter the first summer we lived here, I relented and let the nest … [Read more...]

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