Sunday Inspiration: Did I offer peace today?

“Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone’s face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. -Henri Nouwen Can you imagine asking these questions at the end of every day — and…

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Sunday Inspiration: Be Soft

“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place. -Iain Thomas Tomorrow is my birthday — not…

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Thank You For Your Reviews and Support

When I was finishing edits for The House Guests, I realized it was also time to write acknowledgements to include at the end. I usually do just a page of thank yous, concentrating on the book my contacts helped with. But this time I wanted to recognize, if not all, most of the people who’ve…

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Sunday Inspiration: Summer

“Summer was our best season: it was sleeping on the back screen porch on cots, or trying to sleep in the treehouse; summer was everything good to eat; it was a thousand colors in a parched landscape.” -Harper Lee   May your summer be filled with happiness, good food, and a thousand colors!  

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From Start to Finish (The House Guests)

From start to finish, a novel takes more time and work than I ever dreamed as a reader. Before I was published the first time, I assumed an author finished a book, turned it in, and readers had it in their hands in a matter of months. But, of course, I immediately learned that in…

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Brainstorming (The House Guests)

June brings the debut of The House Guests on the 29th, so for all my blogs this month I’m giving you glimpses into the book, even before you have the opportunity to read it. The first week I talked about the setting, Tarpon Springs, Florida, and my personal reasons for setting the book there. I…

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Sunday Inspiration: From Failure to Happy Novelist

“When I was 15, I spent a month working on an archeological dig. I was talking to one of the archeologists one day during our lunch break and he asked those kinds of ‘getting to know you’ questions you ask young people: Do you play sports? What’s your favorite subject? And I told him, no…

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