One of my very first and fondest memories of my introduction to the wonder of books is of curling up in an armchair on my father’s lap while he read me Pat the Bunny. (Point of clarification: For my entire childhood and a good part of my adulthood, I thought “Pat” referred to the bunny’s […]
Play Ball!
In the US, baseball season is in full swing. Tee Ball and Little Leagues, high school, college, rec leagues, minor and major leagues. Of all the team sports, this one is the most quintessentially “American,” with deep historical ties to the national culture (the date and details of the game’s origins are highly disputed, so […]
The Day I Met My Daughters
May is National Foster Care Month in the United States, and if you’ve followed me on any social media for a while, you’ll know that foster care and foster care adoption are subjects that are dear to my heart. Three of my children were adopted through foster care in 2013, and we fostered two other […]
Never Underestimate the Power of Christian Fiction
Writing teachers often tell us to “Picture your ideal reader in your head and write to them.” I usually picture my mother. She is such a voracious reader that it would be a struggle to find a Christian romance she hasn’t read. But my mom did not grow up in a Christian home. She met […]
Montana Memories
From age four to ten, my family lived in Billings, Montana. My two youngest brothers were born while we lived there. My love for storytelling started there. After a big snowstorm, my oldest brother and I went under the back porch and picked up the lint from the dryer vent that lay on the snow. […]
The Moment I Fell in Love
Do you remember when you fell in love with romance? I was eleven years old, watching Sullivan Entertainment’s 1985 film Anne of Green Gables. I had never read the book and knew nothing about the storyline. I thought Anne was a little loopy but intriguing—and then Gilbert Blythe winked at her. I was a goner. […]
We Don’t Talk About That Story…
Some months ago, Jaycee Weaver wrote a blog post about the love-hate relationships authors have with their first books. Along with other InspyRomance authors, I shared with Jaycee about my first ever published book which, while flawed, still has a special place in my heart, and I love it despite its awkwardness. There is, however, […]
At the Altar (and a giveaway)
I have weddings on my mind. Thirty-six years ago, as of March 21st, I walked down the aisle and into the waiting arms of my beloved. On that happy day, I couldn’t imagine how hard Joe and I would have to work for all those vows we made—for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, […]
How It All Started (and a #Giveaway!)
A couple recent blog posts from my fellow InspyRomance authors have inspired me to share this story. Specifically, Milla Holt’s post Back to the 90s. And Jaycee Weaver’s It’s Complicated. How Authors Really Feel About Their First Manuscript. I had a finished manuscript. Now, what was I going to do with it? I was going […]
What’s Your Excuse? #Giveaway
I’ve been feeling a little “under the weather” as my mother still puts it, so that means … reading. I’m smiling as I write that because, let’s be real, readers like us can find any excuse to read. Am I right? It’s dark outside. It’s light outside. It’s cold. It’s warm. It’s windy. No reason […]