Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Returning Home

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I just returned from a wonderful visit with my mother and my sister Peggy and her family in the little village in New York State where I grew up. The town is nestled in the Shawangunk Mountains, and seeing the mountains again is like seeing old friends. I always forget how much I’ve missed them while living in the flat Midwest. Peggy and I had a chance to go on several hikes while I was home, … [Read more...]

Catching the Wind

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Every spring the youth group at our church holds a banquet where they auction off an assortment of great prizes to fund their summer mission trips. I bought a ticket for a chance to win a sailboat excursion on Lake Michigan. I’ve never sailed before, but I love to sit on our beach and watch the sailboats gliding gracefully across the lake, their white sails billowing. It looks like such a calm, … [Read more...]

Unpack and Repack

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On Monday afternoon, my flight from Spokane touched down in Boise after five days and four nights at our annual brainstorming retreat. This was our 15th retreat, and every year they grow sweeter and sweeter. Yes, we brainstorm book ideas. We usually do a book each for nine novelists. We also have a couple of non-fiction writers who are with us. In addition to brainstorming, we share deep thoughts … [Read more...]

Simple Pleasures–from an Upbeat Author

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I like that word upbeat. But sometimes in life, it gets turned around and we feel just beat up. A good friend of mine who has become a lifeline since she moved from Tennessee to a few miles down the road from me, has decided to do something about the beaten moments of life. Trish Milburn has turned that frown upside down after reading the book "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. She created … [Read more...]

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