Many moons ago, we saw a movie that inspired me. In the story, a young girl’s parents were authors. On deadline, they rarely spent time with her. Until they finished. When she came home from school that day, the whole family painted a room in their house. Though I’ve always made a point to work […]
Top 10 Book Dedications on my Shelf
Readers often overlook the book dedication (unless a book is dedicated to them), but they mean a lot to us authors. And some of them are just as entertaining or endearing as the novel itself. For example: To Collin Firth. You’re a great guy, but I’m married, so I think we should just be friends. […]
The Road Home
Things at our house are in a bit of an uproar. After twenty-five years in Ohio, twenty-four years in the same house, my husband and I have decided that after Christmas we will be heading down the road home. We are moving back to Missouri. Whew! Talk about a mix of emotions. Our kids were […]
How Does Your Mood Affect Your Book Choices? + #Giveaway
I discovered something about myself both times when I was pregnant—I couldn’t watch intense movies or read about sad news stories. I know hormones were definitely to blame for this. Pregnancy made me extra sensitive, not just physically, but emotionally, too. And how I felt—cautious, protective, and nurturing—influenced what I did. This brings me to […]
Do You Read Books More Than Once?
I have a burning question I want to ask you today (*drumroll, please!*): Do you read books more than once? This question came to mind because I recently read a review that a lovely reader wrote for one of my older books, Tropical Kiss and Tell. (This book happens to be my most favorite story […]
The Gift of Imagination
Life isn’t a Hallmark movie, but I do believe that Hallmark offers the magic of imagination that can get us through hard times. Honestly, as a writer, my friends and I have Hallmark movie watching parties where we pick apart the plot or recast the characters to our own liking. “I could write better than […]
Hey! What about Thanksgiving?!
Here in the US, it seems like the last wisps of smoke from the fireworks have barely begun to fade from the July sky when all the craft and hobby stores begin rolling out the fall and Christmas stuff. It never fails, immediately people begin lamenting it coming “earlier every year” and grousing about seeing […]
Christmas Movies Based on Books # Giveaway
I’m all about Christmas. Yes, I know Thanksgiving is first and I love that day as well. But Christmas forces the entire world to think of Jesus. Whether they want to or not. I have three trees in my house, and yes, they’re already up. One in the living room with lots of Christian ornaments […]
Retelling the (Fairy) Tale
Ah, fairy tales. Like so much classic literature, fairy tales form the basis for many contemporary stories. In recent years, retellings have even become so popular they’ve become their own subgenre in fiction. And it makes sense. The originals are clean and usually end happily. Good triumphs over evil. The impossible becomes possible. Romance. Magic. […]
Inspiration Everywhere # Giveaway
I used to write in a corner of the living room. Until two years ago, when our roof started leaking, the air conditioner quit, and the furnace died. Since we had to get a loan for repairs, we decided to go big or go home with a complete remodel and an office addition for me. […]