One of the things I’ve struggled with during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis is the feeling of going stir crazy, of feeling all alone. I know you may be wondering how that could be, since I already worked at home even before all this craziness began. You know when you were a kid and your parents […]
PLOT: How Authors get from Once Upon a Time to Happily Ever After by Deb Kastner
I am currently in the middle of my current work-in-progress — or what authors commonly call the sagging middle. I can’t speak for all authors, but I spend a great deal of time on the first chapter and then usually shoot through the first few fairly quickly. When I get to the end, I’ve already […]
A Western Inspy Author’s Midlife Crisis
Anyone who has read my books for awhile knows human characters aren’t the only ones I adore. Animals of all kinds often make an appearance, everything from the service dogs in my new series to goats, roosters, chickens, donkeys, llamas and more. But some of my favorites are the horses. Every summer as a child […]
Excerpt! The Black Sheep’s Salvation by Deb Kastner
I’m super excited to have a new Harlequin Love Inspired book out this month. Not only that, but The Black Sheep’s Salvation is the first in a new six-book series set in the fictional town of Whispering Pines, Colorado. I’ve been writing books set in Texas over the past many years and I’m LOVING getting […]
Opening Her Heart and Giveaway by Deb Kastner
That’s actually the lovely title my Harlequin Love Inspired editors chose for my January 2021 book and I’m super excited to see what they do with the cover, which will be the heroine with her golden retriever Sissy. But today it’s my own heart I’d like to open, baring my soul, so to speak. Frankly, […]
Happily Ever After by Deb Kastner
I’ve always been a romantic at heart. In elementary school I was already reading every teenage romance series on the market. At age 12 when I was on vacation in rural Oregon with NO ONE my age with whom to play, I struck gold when we visited a Five and Dime Store (showing my age […]
Why I Write Inspirational Romance by Deb Kastner
A couple of weeks ago at our church the Gospel reading was from the Book of St. Matthew from the Sermon on the Mount. I’m sure most of you are familiar with it. “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no […]
What Should I Write Next? by Deb Kastner
I’ve been writing for over 30 years now, “full-time” for about fifteen, more or less. After my husband had his double-stroke three years ago, I’ve also taken on freelance editing to help make ends meet. And yes, at times I’ve been more than a little burned out. This year I want to focus the majority […]
Three…Two…One…Happy New Year! (and a giveaway!)
Deb Kastner here, wishing you the very best for 2020. Hey–that’s fun to type. 2020. 2020. 2020. Oh, wow! How did I end up with the opportunity to blog on New Year’s Eve? It’s definitely a God thing. What a privilege and honor it is to spend this time with you, taking a look back […]
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas… by Deb Kastner
WHAT happened to this year? Black Friday…Cyber Monday…wha??? We walked into Walmart the other night and they had signs pointing back to where Santa was…or, if you preferred, you could scan a QR code and chat with Santa on the phone. Again…wha??? I rushed back to see if my “new” book was out—it was […]