A few years ago, when I wrote my holiday novella, Christmas in Abundance, I had two goals—to write a story that reminded people of the real meaning of Christmas and to put happiness on the page. For several years, when my kids were little, the holidays were a bit of struggle for me. […]
Fiction and Crochet
Writing fiction is a lot like doing crochet. For instance, I could say that fiction needs to read smoothly, much like crochet stitches need to be smooth and even. I could draw some analogy between the characters in a story and types of stitches or colors of yarn. Or perhaps compare types of yarn with […]
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 […]
New Release Alert! Love Once More
Hi Everyone! I’m so excited to share that the next novel in my Abundance series, Love Once More, releases next week! It’s currently available for pre-order, and on March 13 it will release in ebook, Kindle Unlimited, and (if all goes well) paperback. Here’s a little bit about this contemporary Christian romance and a sneak […]
God, Grammar, and a Cover Reveal
I’m the first to admit, I can be nitpicky about grammar and punctuation. I always loved spelling bees and—you’re really going to think I’m nerdy now—I can diagram a sentence with the best of them! My first job after college was as a newspaper copy editor. Imagine my surprise when my first book came back […]
Christmas Came Anyway
Happy Christmas Eve! When I think about Christmas and Christian romance, I think about my book Christmas in Abundance, a story of a young woman who spends her first Christmas without her family. That reminds me of a Christmas I spent without my family, a Christmas that was very different from what I had planned. […]
My Life as a Small-Town Girl…plus a Book Bonanza!
If you read my books, you may notice that they all take place in a small town. That’s because, no matter how sophisticated and urbane I might have wanted to be when I was younger, I’m a small-town girl. And these days I know that for me, that’s a good thing. There’s just something I […]
Planning a Wedding
One of the things I find most fun when writing Christian romance is planning a beautiful wedding at the end of a book. Of the five books out so far in my Abundance series, three of them end in weddings, including the most recent books I’ve written, Love and Roses and Love, Lies, and Homemade […]
The Comforts of Home in Fiction…plus #Giveaway
When I was a little girl, growing up as an only child out in the country, I found comfort in books. Decades have passed, but I haven’t changed much. Good day or bad, give me a sweet story, a cup of tea, and a Lorna Doone cookie or two. My soul will ease, I will […]