Inspired by Life ... and Fiction

Novelists bound by the pen, sisterhood, & more

Things I learned at Novelists, Inc.

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Hello. I just got back from the Novelist, Inc Conference which was held at the Tradewinds Resort in St. Petersburg, Florida. This year, the conference focused on Indy publishing and social media. I liken it to a gold rush. Some will strike it rich, some will find a few good nuggets and some will keep panning for crumbs. The buzzwords were all about discoverability, distribution, diversification, … [Read more...]

Pitcher Plants–Part Two

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So ... I've had people asking about the infamous pitcher plants. (I had a recent post on trekking through the swamp with my husband to find this plant.) I did some digging in the vast wasteland of my computer and finally found my husband's photos! They were buried under several layers of files since I'm not the most technically amazing person on the planet. But I'm a busy technically-challenged … [Read more...]

Looking for a Writer’s Conference? Come to ACFW

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In less than 40 days, one of my favorite times of the year happens. The ACFW conference! I'll never forget my first time at conference in 2005. I was coming with my dreams in my hands, scared that someone would tell me I was CRAZY to believe that I could write a book. Yet the dream hadn't died no matter how many times I'd tried to walk away from it. Still it was a dream I was scared to share … [Read more...]

A Deadline and a Giveaway

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I've been on deadline all summer, but "the end" (literally!) is in sight! I always feel sorry for my poor husband when I'm on deadline. I am getting better about remaining calm, but with every book, there is a certain amount of what Ken calls "fritzing out" that accompanies getting my manuscript turned in to my editor by the deadline. (Even when I'm generously given an extra few days or even … [Read more...]

Coming Down from the Mountains

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Ken and I spent last week in the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, teaching at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. I have been teaching at writers conferences for over a dozen years now...long enough to know that each has its own special "flavor" and they are all special in their own way. Ridgecrest Conference Center near Black Mountain, North Carolina, has to … [Read more...]

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