I know all about love and moments that make your heart skip a beat. I’m familiar with the sights, sounds, and smells of Western North Carolina in every season. I can describe a variety of weather, characteristics, and emotions. So, when I’m writing a romance set in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the summer, I […]
Writers in the Wild
Have you ever met a writer in the wild? Recently, Facebook reminded me of the one-year anniversary of a time I ventured into the wild, and outside of my comfort zone, to talk to people about my writing in person. It was both terrifying and taught me a lot about the extended opportunities and responsibilities […]
First Lines and Fresh Starts
Recently, I started drafting a new contemporary Christian romance book, thus ending a writing break that had lasted several months. The time off provided exactly what I’d needed—a chance to rest my creative muscles and not feel the need to produce. It was a lovely respite, but I knew the time would come that the […]
Anniversaries in CCR
Today marks the twenty-first anniversary of the first date I had with my husband. I think I’m in shock. We will have been married 20 years in June. It’s unbelievable how fast time seems to have gone by, and yet I can remember hundreds of events over the years that mark the passage of time. […]
What Do Authors Fear?
Obviously I cannot speak for every author everywhere. But if you are an author, or if you follow an author on social media, I’m certain you’ve seen the memes that revolve around this question. What do Authors Fear? Let’s look at this from a different perspective. Authors have fears as all humans do, and this […]
Romance Off the Page + Giveaway
Deemed the “month of love” by many, February often makes people think of romance, grand gestures, and happy endings. As readers and writers of romance, I think it’s safe to say most of us enjoy escaping into the picture-perfect pages of love found in CCR books. Sigh-inducing endings. Foot-popping kisses perfectly staged as snow begins […]
So You Think You Can Write
I see you over there. You’ve dabbled, you’ve journaled, you’ve gotten lost in daydreams of a Michael B. Jordan-type professing his love to a Rachel McAdams-type. When you read books by Janine Rosche, you think “I could write just as well as this gal and I actually know where to put commas.” You have the […]
When Writers Don’t Want to Write (+Giveaway)
As a writer, I’ve experienced my fair share of obstacles on the harrowing journey of drafting a new story. At the most inopportune times—usually when a deadline looms—writer’s block strikes or any of life’s other obligations can get in the way. While I flit around running to school events, attending church functions, or seeing to […]
How Not to Write a Novel
I was lucky to grow up as the daughter of a writer. In high school, I attended writing conferences with Mom, and she helped me sell my first article to a national magazine at the age of sixteen. I studied journalism in college and read all kinds of how-to books. Because of Mom’s influence, I […]
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 […]