I love it when people ask me how I write as a stay-at-home mom to four kids. Especially since we homeschool. Usually, I laugh and say “I don’t know”, because some days that’s the absolute truth. I don’t know how I do it, I just do. I guess when you really want to do […]
Research and Writing (plus a sneak peek)
Some writers love to research. I have a few author friends whose favorite part of writing is heading to the library and returning with a stack of informational texts or opening a dozen internet browser tabs and clicking through page after page. I am not one of these people. I’m sure it goes along with […]
Makings of Beloved Supporting Characters
I love my main characters. Most of the heroines and heroes I’ve written feel like dear friends. I’ve cheered them on, celebrated their happily ever afters, and even prayed for them (yes, really!). But something dawned on me recently. While I love my leading men and women, it’s some of the supporting characters I’ve penned […]
What’s Your Name? What’s Your Story?
Characters are the most important element in the story for me as a writer and a reader. So getting to know my characters tops the list. Often the actually writing helps me know my characters. I know some writers interview the characters to learn about them, but that doesn’t work for me because I am […]
Reality in Fiction
I’ve heard it said that being a friend or family of a writer can be a little unnerving. Something about being afraid they’ll end us as a character. That’s probably because one of the most well-known pieces of advice for writers is “write what you know.” So is that really what writers do? Make stories […]
Handshakes and High-Fives by Deb Kastner
I don’t have to tell you the pandemic has changed life for all of us. Many people lost loved ones. Others had to struggle with not being able to visit and support family in hospitals and nursing homes. When my dear hubby Joe was in the hospital with an infection last November, I couldn’t even […]
Hubby Hunting 101
My next romance was inspired by a list of ways to find a husband that came out in McCall Magazine in the 1950s. You might have seen it since it went viral on the internet a couple of years ago. Once I read it, I started imagining a modern day woman trying out such antiquated […]
The Responsibility of Writing Christian Romance
I often think of what a privilege it is to be able to create stories for a living. The word fiction, according to Merriam Webster, means “something invented by the imagination”. So, as an author, I literally make money by making stuff up. Sounds cool, right? LOL. It is cool! Writing is a huge blessing […]
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 […]