Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Ending and Beginning (In Life and Writing)

By

I think it’s this way with most authors—by the end of a project you are weary of it. The story. The characters. It feels as if it is the most horrible thing you have ever written, but there it is. Done. Finally. This is especially true, I think, if the story has been more difficult to wrangle than usual. And so during those very final days and hours, it’s hard not to want to shove aside the … [Read more...]

RT Convention Wrap up, Plus Line Edits Done

By

First, let me just say that, of all the blessings my writing career has given me, the best of all have been the many friendships that came with it and through it. Writer friends. Publishing professional friends. Reader friends. RT Convention On Tuesday of last week, I flew from Boise to Reno to attend the 2018 RT Convention. The most surprising thing to come out of the convention happened on … [Read more...]

Another day in the writing life

By

This summer I'm writing two books, maybe three. That means I have to make every moment count now that the semester is over, and I don't teach again until the middle of June. Yesterday I spent about four hours in my office at Purdue, but instead of grading or prepping for classes, I was writing. I wish I could pretend it was a pretty process. All you have to do is look at these photos to see … [Read more...]

Cover Reveal: Who I Am with You

By

In 2017, after turning in the manuscript for You’re Gonna Love Me, I was reading my long-used (over 20 years), well-loved Bible which is full of highlights, dates, and notes in the margins. Suddenly I wondered what this Bible might mean to members of my family after I am gone. Will one of my daughters or grandchildren or as-yet-to-come great-grandchildren one day leaf through this book and hear … [Read more...]

The Author-Editor Relationship

By

Recently, my local chapter of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) asked me and my longtime editor, Karen Schurrer, to speak about the author-editor relationship. Karen Schurrer has edited Christian fiction for almost twenty years, primarily for Bethany House Publishers. She has worked with me on all twelve of my Bethany House novels in one capacity or other, along with my acquisitions … [Read more...]

Recent Posts