I’m a planner. No, I’m a super planner. I love planning things almost as much as I love doing the actual things. I can spend a year planning a family vacation. Imagine how unprepared I was for the curveballs of this year. I had big plans in my personal life and for my books. I […]
Top 10 Small-Town Book Vacations
There is something about small-town stories that I just love. The quirky characters, the picturesque settings, the sense of community! Since my summer vacation plans are on hold, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite fictional small towns due for a literary visit. I especially love when I can read many books set in one […]
Your Vacation between the Pages…plus #Giveaway!
Hi Everyone! I’m writing today about vacation planning. Yep, vacation planning. Oh, I know, we’re supposed to stay at home, but you know as well as I do that readers like us can go anywhere we want, any time. All we need is a good book! To start my post today, I’ve got a list […]
The Heart of Community
Ask my readers what makes my novels special, and many of them will say, “community.” The term comes up in reviews often enough that I’ve added it to my tagline: Engaging characters. Strong communities. Deep faith. Sweet romance. I’m currently writing within my fifth and sixth series, and I can definitely see the underpinnings of […]
Hey! What about Thanksgiving?!
Here in the US, it seems like the last wisps of smoke from the fireworks have barely begun to fade from the July sky when all the craft and hobby stores begin rolling out the fall and Christmas stuff. It never fails, immediately people begin lamenting it coming “earlier every year” and grousing about seeing […]
Small Town Girl
Tomorrow marks the four-year anniversary of our family’s move to Waukesha, Wisconsin, for my husband to take a position as a pastor here. With a population of 72,000, this is the biggest city we’ve ever lived in by far. And it’s part of the Greater Milwaukee area, which has a population of over 1.5 million. […]
FALL IN LOVE IN AFRICA #giveaway
Last weekend, I discovered that Netflix has a new movie releasing November 1st. I can’t wait! Holiday in the Wild looks like such a fun movie, and it’s set right here in Africa… actually, in the land of my birth, Zambia. To be honest though, when my son told me it had orphaned elephants, the […]
Where in the World is Saddle Springs, Montana?
Inventing geography is a ton of fun! Right up there with finding character inspiration photos and house floor plans and music that matches the mood or theme of the story. My characters need places to hang out, which means they need a town with a few amenities even if they live out on a ranch […]
Inspy Romance Across the USA + #giveaway
According to AAA, they estimate four out of ten Americans will travel for a family vacation this summer. Although we don’t have a specific vacation this year as opposed to our Branson destination last year, we’ve certainly added miles on our vehicles visiting family and enjoying summer outings. I started thinking as the Arduini family […]
Heidi Mccahan on Setting for Sweet Melody and Giveaway
Today I welcome former Inspy Romance blogger Heidi Mccahan to share about her setting for Sweet Melody: A Seabrook Romance! Tell us about Seabrook! I’m always up for a great coastal setting! Hello, Inspy Romance fans. It’s been awhile. Thank you for inviting me back. Let’s talk about settings, shall we? As authors, we try […]