Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

The Story Behind the Story, What I’m Reading, and Giveaway

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Here in Indiana the leaves are beginning to turn signaling fall is on the way, but if you've been to a bookstore lately, you may have noticed the Christmas collections are releasing. Last week my novella Beauty Bright in the We Three Kings Christmas novella collection released. It's been so fun to read early reactions to this collection. I shared the Story Behind the Story on Book Talk with Cara. … [Read more...]

Fun with Character Names

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One of my favorite things about being an author is getting to select the names of my characters. I only had three babies of my own, but there are so many other wonderful names out there to choose from! Besides, I love to play with names. Fit their meaning to my characters or even create plays on words. For example, my teacher heroine in Head in the Clouds is Adealide Proctor - Proctor being a … [Read more...]

Trips near and far

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Do you love the beach? I do, but not for laying out and baking. God did not gift me with the skin tone for that. Can you say burn and peel? But this past weekend, my daughter Kels and daughter-in-law Kellie—and LEO!—went to the beach. Kellie has skin that turns a deep golden brown (bless her!), so she while she laid out, Kels, Leo, and I joined her under a cabana one day, then the three of us … [Read more...]

Giant Back to School Giveaway

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Sometimes when I read, I have fun matching the book to the season or activities I'm involved in. I read Christmas stories in December and romantic stories in honor of Valentine's Day. OK - I read romantic stories all year 'round, but particularly in February. Sometimes I'll match a book to a trip I'm taking or a craft project I'm working on. In my Posse, we are matching the time of year with … [Read more...]

Favorite Romance Heroes in 2023 (so far!)

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I’ve read romance my whole life—along with a lot of other things. But even in my romance reading, I’ve never been the type to have “book boyfriends”. I enjoy the romance as a whole, and I very often feel a connection with the heroine in that. But rarely do I sigh and swoon over a hero after the book is closed. At least not since I was a teenager! (Maybe this is because, as Emma Woodhouse said, “I … [Read more...]

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