Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

A Dream Come True

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The Christy Award is considered the most prestigious award for Christian fiction. Named in honor of Catherine Marshal's groundbreaking novel, Christy, this award was established in 1999 to acknowledge the value and impact of the novel of faith in contemporary culture. Christy was published in 1967. An historical novel set in the fictional Appalachian village of Cutter Gap, Tennessee in 1912, … [Read more...]

Writer & Reader Retreats

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Hi friends, Happy Wednesday! I can’t believe it’s nearly Thanksgiving. I hope you all have a wonderful long weekend ahead. Last weekend, I hosted a writing retreat for aspiring and newly published writers. It was so much fun. I knew three of the participants ahead of time, but everyone else was new to me, and most were new to each other. When you have a brand-new group, most who don’t … [Read more...]

Decisions, Decisions

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In my last blog post, I shared a little bit about the changing face of publishing since I got my start in 1984. I’m even more aware of the changes as I move more deeply into the indie publishing world. Wide or Kindle Unlimited? One of the decisions an indie author has to make is whether to go wide (meaning ebooks are available across numerous devices and retailers) or whether to be exclusive … [Read more...]

My, How Things Have Changed

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A Bit of History My first book was published in 1984. That was before the internet. It was before most business offices even had computers. Back then, authors sold their manuscripts to publishers by sending a query letter and sample chapters. We watched our mailboxes like hawks because everything happened via mail. Publishers sold books into bookstores with sales reps who took samples of … [Read more...]

Grace Hitchcock & First Dates

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Karen here. I'm excited to introduce you to Grace Hitchcock. Graces writes super fun historical romances, and her latest features a Phantom of the Opera twist! Take it away, Grace! Crafting a Great First Date for Your Hero and Heroine Early in my writing career, before my first story was published, I read a blog post about how you should give your characters first dates, planning them … [Read more...]

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