In reader groups, I’ve seen many readers complain that there are very few romances with less-than-model-perfect heroes and heroines. I’ve written a romance with a plus-sized heroine (Teapots & Tiaras), a highly unconventional heroine with a stuffy upper-class hero (Least Expected), an eighty-something heroine (Innamorata), and a couple of stories where the heroine needs a […]
Secrets and the Writing Journey
The tasks in a writer’s life are akin to the ebb and flow of waves that lap along the shoreline. No matter how many are checked off the list, there’s always another heading in. Sometimes, like a boat caught in those waves, a writer can become overwhelmed. A few years ago I was tackling a […]
Female Friendships and Romance Novel Expectations
One of the most common complaints about contemporary romance I see in various reader-based groups is some variation of “they give people unrealistic expectations for romance.” I guess I kind of get it. Real life romance doesn’t always look like what we see in the pages of a novel. (Although, I would also say there […]
Reflections of an Empty-Nesting Christian Mother (Happy Mother’s Day!)
Happy Mother’s Day to InspyRomance mothers — both authors and readers! While we’re not all mothers, we all do have mothers — some of whom have gone on ahead of us, and some of whom are still here with us. To tell you the truth, when I thought about what topic to write for my […]
Three Brothers and a Giveaway by Merrillee Whren
Sometimes stories are inspired by real life, but not exactly. My latest series features three brothers, and I have three brothers. Here I am many, many years ago at Christmas with my three brothers. We didn’t live on a farm, but we lived in South Dakota when this picture was taken. My grandparents lived on […]
Along the Texas Coast & A Book Giveaway
Hola! Jolene Navarro checking in from the beautiful Texas Hill Country. My writing view today. I was in San Antonio, so I stopped off at Panera to get some writing time. I love it when a writer submerges the reader into a new world and you get to experience it from the character’s viewpoint. […]
Celebrating 18 Years of Marriage + #Giveaway
In just two days, on May 5th, my hubby David and I will be celebrating 18 years of marriage. What?! Yup, you heard that right. 18 years of wedded bliss. (cough cough!) Let me phrase that again—18 years of mostly wedded bliss. :) I’m sure anyone who has been married for even a short period […]
Surrounded + A Giveaway by Melanie D. Snitker
My family and I went through a particularly rough time with our son last month. I can honestly say it was one of the hardest things I’ve experienced as a parent, and it tested my faith in so many ways. But God brought all of us through, and He used it as a catalyst for […]
St. Simons Vacation Inspiration-The Art of Rivers- Preorder 99 Cents!
A couple of years ago, my family spent our vacation on the Georgia coast at St. Simons. The large oaks lining the roads dripped with moss, giving it a romantic yet suspenseful feel to my vivid imagination. We toured the historical Christ’s Church, thought to have begun around 1776. We walked the town and toured […]
The Importance of Pie in My Fiction (and a Free Book!)
Hi there! I’m so excited to be here as a new member of the Inspy Romance authors! I wanted to take this first post to introduce myself, tell you about my books, and talk about pie. Yes, you read that right. Pie. I’ll get to that important topic in a moment. First, I should tell […]