Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & 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...]

Swoonworthy Heroes

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Hi friends, Happy Wednesday! Always glad to spend a day with you. Last time I shared about female protagonists, and we chatted about whether they still needed to be young, pretty, and likable. Today, I thought I’d pose the question about heroes. Do they still need to be handsome, strong, and swoonworthy? Years ago, the debate was whether a hero should be an alpha or a beta. In case you … [Read more...]

New Directions

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I was sorry to see Jody step back from blogging after so many years with us on Inspired by Life...and Fiction. But I am delighted that the timing was right for me to return to a regular blogging schedule. And so here I am, your first and third Friday author. The year 2022 had a big change in store for me at the very start. In January I made the decision, for a number of reasons, not to … [Read more...]

Cover Reveal!

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Covers are vital when it comes to making a first impression on a reader. They need to capture the reader's attention; communicate the story's genre, mood, and setting; and most of all, entice the reader to learn more. A good cover can make a huge difference in how a book performs in the market. As a traditionally published author, I don't get as much say in the cover design process as indie … [Read more...]

Female Protagonists:

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Do they still have to be young, pretty, and likeable? Hi friends, Happy Wednesday! I always look forward to my time with you. I attended a conference last weekend, and I was the moderator on a very interesting panel on female protagonists. The subtitle was: Do they still have to be young, pretty, and likeable? To be honest, I’d never thought about it. I write about characters in their … [Read more...]

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