by: Staci Stallings When readers think about the joy an author must feel when creating characters —the sheer exhilaration that here is a person under your complete control, that you can mold and form and make them do whatever you want (HAHA right!), I’m quite sure very few of them ever think about the issue […]
Planning a Wedding
One of the things I find most fun when writing Christian romance is planning a beautiful wedding at the end of a book. Of the five books out so far in my Abundance series, three of them end in weddings, including the most recent books I’ve written, Love and Roses and Love, Lies, and Homemade […]
An Opossum in Fiction: Janet W. Ferguson’s The Art of Rivers
I’ve had cats and dogs in my novels, even a hairless cat, but in The Art of Rivers, I wanted to have a more unusual pet. I asked my good friend who is a veterinarian for suggestions. She had a friend with a possum. (Technically, they are opossums, but in Mississippi with don’t say or […]
A Research Trip to Peacock Hill (+ #giveaway)
I have always loved old houses. And new ones, for that matter. I suspect it’s to do with my mom. We grew up touring historic homes whenever the opportunity arose. And, if it’d been awhile since we had the chance, there were usually model homes somewhere we could to wander through. (I’m sure that’s a […]
I’m Working…Really, I Am
I know there have been several posts here on Inspy Romance regarding travel research and specifically cruises. Today I have the pleasure of adding to those posts with a story of my own. The indie book I’m currently writing, the second in my Last Chance Ranch series, is called Serenaded by the Singer, and it, […]
Hello, Disneyland! It’s Research! I promise! & #Giveaway
“No. Really! It’s research!” My new accountant wasn’t sure whether or not he could believe me. Because, well, it’s Disneyland! Of course, everyone’s going to try to find a way to make it at least a little cheaper. But it really was research. And I even managed to convince him. Now, I wasn’t traveling from […]
Rolling with the Changes
Sometimes, you can plan all you want. But a book changes on you. I’ve had my French guy in my head for at least thirteen years. I’ve got about twenty-five thousand words I’ve managed in between contracted books and deadlines. After all these years, I have time to devote to it now, but I’ve struggled. […]
Do Awards Really Matter?
Do readers care if an author has won an award? A writer friend of mine recently contacted me, asking if I’d entered my book for the Rita Award. The Rita is an award presented by Romance Writers of America (RWA). The award is given to romance novels in various categories. The Rita is presented during […]
Bon Voyage for Research!
Happy New Year! I know it’s actually January 15th, but the last time I was here, I was talking about Christmas love stories, so this is my first chance to welcome 2019 in with you! I love the beginning of the year. I am a calendar junkie, and one thing I do at the beginning […]
Manna and Dessert
Are desserts mentioned in the Bible? Yes, I know that sounds like a weird question, but, when it comes to food and desserts, my mind wanders. And, when my mind wanders, all sorts of strange things go through my head. I didn’t really see much about desserts in the Bible. They talk about fruit and […]