I was thinking about Christians of many national origins and ethnicity, and that thought reminded me of a Scripture passage in the New Testament. In heaven, there will be saved people from every nation, tribe, and tongue, all worshipping God together as believers. “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man […]
Castles and Covers Revealed
While on vacation, my husband returned to his seat at the counter of a bustling seafood restaurant to find me accepting a napkin from a stranger who’d hastily written his phone number on it. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Scandalous! (The expression on my husband’s face said the same, haha.) To put your mind […]
In an Inn by the Sea
Nearly ten years ago, I was considering my first series of inspy romance and an idea was born. Book 1 would feature Leslie, a fifty-something teacher facing an empty summer. Her husband had just filed divorce papers. The house that had been her family’s haven for fifteen years was going up on the market. Her […]
The Setting + #Giveaway
The Setting. Every book has one. Some are fictional. Some are real. But all are essential to the story and can help bring the story alive. So how do authors choose settings? Well, I asked a few friends and I’ll also tell you how I chose the setting of the manuscript I’m currently writing. So […]
Fiction that Makes You Wonder: How Much is True?
Are you like me? Do you find yourself Googling Did that really happen? while reading a book or watching a movie or TV show that has roots in real life? (I’m looking at you,The Crown). That’s one reason why my novel, Chasing Valentino, was such a kick to write. The book’s setting is Hollywood by the […]
Creating Your Own Reading Challenge
Do you like reading challenges? I was thinking about books to read, other than my own, and I thought that it might be fun to categorize them into various little interesting groups. Have you done that, and if you have, what were the results? Was it entertaining or was it a disaster? Just assuming it […]
Inspired Locations
I love immersing in a story and transporting myself inside the pages. Books can take us places we’ve never been, but they can also take us to familiar places. While it’s fun to explore new locations we may never get a chance to visit, it’s also fun to read about familiar ones. Last year I […]
Real-life Location & #giveaway
I have a confession. Sometimes, when I write, I use a setting I haven’t visited yet. Can you tell? Don’t get me wrong. I do loads of research. I troll internet photos, read travel blogs, visit the website of the location. But it’s not the same as actually being there yourself, you know? Well, when […]
Hometown Settings in CCR
I enjoy reading books that are set in places where I’ve lived or visited. I grew up on the northern beaches in Sydney, Australia, and I’ve always loved reading books set in Sydney. I’ve even read books in genres I don’t usually read because they’re set in Sydney. Reading is a sensory experience and writers […]
Snow Daze by Deb Kastner
Talk about crazy weather in the US and Canada. Places that never get snow—California, anyone—have been pounded, while Colorado waited…and waited…and waited for even a dusting. We made a new record this year, with a LACK of snowfall well into November, and even then it was less than a quarter of an inch and melted […]