Have you ever read a book and scratched your head at a familiar reference you couldn’t quite place? You’ve read it somewhere before, maybe in another work from that author. Perhaps what you’ve stumbled over is an author’s hidden gem, otherwise known as a nod, a wink, or an easter egg (I’m not capitalizing here […]
Real Life Inspiration (& a giveaway!)
Last week marked the first birthday since my book Checked Impressions released to the world, so I thought it’d be fun to talk a little bit about some of the real life inspiration behind this book. Back in 2010 I was a bit of a hockey fan. Okay, I’m still a hockey fan, but not […]
Books That Make Us Think + Giveaway
Today in America is the National Day of Forgiveness. In a country where we’ve set aside days to celebrate trivial things like corned beef, scarves, and crushing cans (all also today!), I can actually get behind taking time to focus on forgiving others. Books, too, can serve as reminders for important themes that need attention […]
Is Any Story Really New?
Several months ago, as I scribbled down a rough concept for an upcoming book, an unpleasant thought hit me. My main characters and plot reminded me of a famous work of 19th century fiction. Horrified, I considered scrapping the idea and starting afresh. What if people judged my book as an inferior copy of a […]
I Believe in Second Chances
Second Chances I love second chances. Whether they are a second chance at love, or a second chance with family after a mistake. I can’t get enough of the joy that comes from thinking you’ve reached the end and God says, “Hold on. Let’s try this.” And of course, it’s perfect because it was God’s […]
What Inspires You?
Inspiration is one of those often elusive things that I search and search for. Then, one day, out of nowhere, it strikes! Over time, I’ve found a dozen things that always inspire me in some way. Oceans inspire me to see the vastness of the world. My kids inspire me to keep going when I […]
When Christians mess up… and a giveaway
I went to an old-fashioned all-girls’ boarding school, founded in 1905 by British missionaries in Africa. They believed the best way to establish Christianity was to give girls a solid grounding in the principles of the faith, so that they would raise their own children under the same beliefs. When I was there as a […]
The Game of Love
Title of my next romantic comedy: Football is My Boyfriend I got the idea to write this when our 2019 Boise State football season tickets seated us behind a group of ladies who go to every single football game on their own. I’ll tell you the plot then you can help me brainstorm more. When […]
And the Lights Went Out on Broadway …
What was the one thing that made the severity of the Coronavirus Pandemic truly hit home to you? Things are changing so quickly. Just three weeks ago I had a full weekend of plans outside the house. Then, boom! Social distancing, self-quarantine, stay at home. I remember when I heard the NCAA basketball tournament would […]
Food in Romantic Fiction
Ah, food. One of my favorite subjects. If you follow me on Pinterest, you’ll get a taste for just how much I love food in all its forms. Cooking, baking, eating, sharing, and even reading about it. It’s our fuel for life. We fuel our bodies, our spirits, and our relationships over food. Today, I’d […]