When Characters Travel: Central America When I started writing Leaving Oxford, a character in the story wanted to start a medical clinic in Honduras. Then, in Going Up South, a group of characters travel there for a mission trip. Tackling the Fields begins immediately afterward. I interviewed so many people about their trips to the […]
New Beginnings
If Spring were a color what color do you think it would be? Green! Well, that’s what I think. Fall used to be my favorite time of year, but as I get older, spring has leaped into that favorite spot. I love the smell of spring. I love the crispness of the air, the budding […]
Meet the Hart Sextuplets
Happy March! Around NE Ohio the sun is out, the snow is gone, and the birds are chirping. Sure, I have a dead willow tree that fell in November still taking up space that we need to deal with, but I’m full of hope for the new season. It’s been a rough start to the […]
My Regards to Elvis
My Regards to Elvis Sometimes an author will add an element to book one in a series and then decide to carry the theme through to the end of the series. For example, Vivian Emerson in Irresistibly Yours liked to collect seashells and make stuff with them which she sold in The Clever Mermaid. Both […]
Birth Order & Relationships (+ #Freebook)
In case you didn’t know, I have a background in psychology, which explains why I love to write and read character-driven stories. I enjoy figuring out what makes people tick and how their backgrounds and life experiences help shape who they are. One area I especially like delving into is birth order. Here are some […]
The Blended Family
Happy February! Before we talk blended family, I wanted to thank everyone for their kind messages and prayers regarding the loss of my mom. We’re still in a state of shock, to be expected, and both my sister and I are overwhelmed with the business side of the transition. It’s been hard to focus on […]
Coincidence
by: Staci Stallings In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, there is a line that says, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” The line comes in the immediate aftermath of Hamlet and Horatio seeing the ghost, and Horatio literally can’t believe his eyes nor does he have any experience […]
So you want to be a Billionaire
Once upon a time, there was a little girl who fell in love with reading romance novels. She spent hours curled up in a chair in the living room, zipping through the pages of books filled with nobility who took the chance on the girl from the wrong social strata, oil tycoons who found just […]
Fiction With a Mission
Why do we like to read? I know, it’s a pretty basic question for a group of super-readers like us. But if you were to throw out an answer, I imagine it would be a combination of these reasons: it’s relaxing. It’s peaceful. It’s entertaining. It lets me travel to places I may not make […]
A Forever Family by Merrillee Whren
A forever family—the dream of every kid in foster care. I didn’t realize until recently how many of my stories mention foster care or adoption. In some books it is a featured part of the book, and in others it is on the periphery of the story. I drew inspiration from families who have been […]