When my dad began going through papers and documents in his files, He found three letters he gave to me because he knew I was writing a historical novel series. One of the letters was dated 1857 and was addressed to my great-grandmother Sallie from her father. Another one was dated November, 1864 and was written by my great-grandfather to Sallie before he went into the battle at Nashville and was captured. The third was to Sallie from a friend talking about the war. I treasured those letters and tucked the away to a safe place because I knew I…
Category: Inspiration for Writers
This is our archive pageWhy I Write Happily Ever After Endings
I’ve experienced God’s happily-ever-afters in my life many times since I became a Christian at age twenty-one. I suffered a difficult childhood. When the Lord made me a new creation in Christ Jesus, He began my emotional healing that transformed me into the happy, content person I am today. Again, when my first husband died early in our marriage leaving me with almost no money and two young children, I learned first-hand the Lord does take care of His children. When the first love of my life died, I felt physically torn in half. I often looked down at my…
Finding Inspiration in Unlikely Places
People often ask me where I get the inspiration for my stories. The truth is, I never know! Sometimes, it comes from anarticle in a magazine. Other times, it may be an interesting photo, a visit to a museum, or a treasure scooped up at a garage sale. I once got the idea for a historical romance while touring an abandoned silver mine in Calico, California! But one thing I can say for certain—the best ideas have always come from personal experience. That includes the inspiration for my latest mystery, Dairy Disaster, part of the Mysteries of Lancaster County series…
The Story Behind the Story of. . . A Pink Lady Thanksgiving
It’s 1879, and the Oregon Trail is still ferrying emigrants west to California, Oregon, and Washington. Hundreds of covered wagon trains with thousands of people every year, all searching for something better than they left behind. The first book, Kate, is a tale of adventure and love filled with secrets, threats, and narrow escapes as Kate and Tom head for Oregon City. Now, they’ve safely put their past behind them. Or have they? Kate realizes her dream of working for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, and her first assignment is to find a local missing woman. When she begins investigating, however,…
Inspiration in Everyday Things
Most writers find inspiration in things they notice or read about—I’ve certainly read a news article and thought, “Hmm, that would make a good plot for a romantic suspense book.” For two of my romantic suspense stories, the general plotline has its roots in real life. I based Dangerous Christmas Memories on a short news item about two celebrities who tied the knot in Las Vegas but didn’t realize it was a “real” marriage until years later. In my story, the heroine literally forgot she had said “I do,” in Vegas, then disappeared while the hero spent years looking for…
2020 CAN Crown Gala
Watch the CAN Crown Awards Gala Here Join us by watching this video of the CAN Crown Awards. Our winners share their success tips for book and brand marketing in the Christian publishing arena. Great for readers to get to know these wonderful people and the books they write, authors to learn from successful marketing campaigns, and we all get to celebrate with them! Congratulations to these winners: Outstanding Broadcasting Gold: Susan Neal for her book series— The Healthy Living Series Silver: Bethany Jett and Michelle Medlock Adams for their book/brand—Platinum Faith Bronze: Dr. Craig von Buseck for his book…
A Frightening Proposition
What is your greatest fear? What would it take to face that fear, and make the shift from from fear to love? Halloween, El Dia de Los Meurtos, All Hallows Eve—these traditions offer a great opportunity to reflect on our faith walk and the extent to which we are allowing the Holy Spirit to move us away from fear into His perfect love. The journey itself could spark a great story. Anytime I notice myself living a little smaller, a little less joyfully, a little less confidently—I know it is time for me to stop, pray, and reflect. I ask…
CAN Crown Awards Gala 7 Nov 2020!
We hope you’ll enjoy coming to the online Facebook Live event as we “crown” our winners. It’s always fun to know the results and share in the joy. Be sure to dress up (at least from the waist up!) And bring your notebooks! You’ll be getting a bird’s-eye view of the winning campaigns! On the notification calls on Monday night, one of our finalists suggested the idea of holding a watch party. We strongly support that idea. Invite friends and family to share the event with you. Be sure to have fun snacks on hand to celebrate and enjoy the…
The Writer Who Almost Wasn’t
Proof of God’s power and sense of humor are both evident in my story of getting published. Readers would probably be surprised to learn that despite majoring in English Literature and graduating magna cum laude, I was too afraid to take a Creative Writing class. It wasn’t that I didn’t have story ideas—I just lacked the confidence and, I believed, the time, to write them. (I worked full time and was convinced it would take an enormous amount of time to do it well, if I could indeed even do it.) But story ideas wouldn’t go away. And after waiting…
The Story Behind the Story of Risk Management
Peru. Its people call me back. Which is why I set Carly’s finale book in Peru. As a tribute to her, because she kept calling me back, to write yet another story about her. The first time I visited Peru, I learned about hidden temples and jungle monsters. I thought, “Carly could have a mystery here.” Peru was the perfect backdrop to Carly’s finale book as she made decisions about her future. Forced by health issues to slow down, pushed into a corner until she made a choice about the direction and the content of her faith life, Carly…
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