Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Writing”
I’m always in the garden when the pages arrive hence the floral décor! This is the first time I’ve seen the manuscript soon to become a real book, the last step before the novel goes to print. I carefully read through all 377 pages to make sure there are no flaws, nothing that is out of place, to the best …
I’ve been mostly offline lately working on novel 12 before galleys of An Uncommon Woman {#11} land on my desk any minute now. Here are a few elements from the recent cover shoot including Lindsey, the model. Love the strength and character in her features. Revell is known for their cover art & so the cover countdown begins:) Hope you’re …
Spring has nearly sprung! After a very snowy season out west during which I felt I was living in a snowglobe, March is nearly here and I’m packing for some fun events and also family time. Kentucky in spring is such a beautiful place {all those dogwoods} and I’m so happy to call it home. I’ll be spending time …
Authors have vivid imaginations which is why I envision the rest of the story with my 6th great-grandfather, George Hume, the inspiration behind my new release A BOUND HEART. As I was researching and writing this story of my heart & heritage, I kept wondering what might have happened to me as a direct descendant if ‘Immigrant George’ as he …
Everybody loves a hero, be it in books, films, or real life. America was built on the bones of great heroes like Boone and Washington, Lee and Lincoln, to name just a few. Historical authors have a wealth of inspiration to draw from and I’m so grateful! Readers often ask about the inspiration behind my heroes. How I find names. …
Every once in a while a book comes along that is so God-timed it seemed the pages fell straight from heaven into your lap. This is one of them. My first thought when I looked up the author was, “How can she be so young and have so much wisdom?” Here’s a small part of what spoke loudest to me. …
If you were to ask which country is my favorite other than the U.S.A. I’d say Scotland without pause. Home of my Hume ancestors (and those Ballantynes), Scotland has epic history, scenery, and cuisine, to name just a few of its many treasures. Here are some things I learned about Scotland as an ex-patriate: Scotland is smaller than the state …
Spinning by Firelight, Henry Tanner (American artist, 1859–1937) Oh, the ongoing joys of research! Recently I spent several hours by the fire reading about the early settlers in what is now West Virginia – The History of Randolph County, West Virginia by Dr. A.S. Bosworth. I actually prefer these older accounts because I find not only are they closer to …
I confess to being a bonafide foodie & cooking along with my heroines, or in this case, baking. Growing up in my granny’s Kentucky kitchen, in which not once in all her 97 years did she do dishes by anything but hand (no dishwasher), everything else was from scratch, too! Sometimes she would make old-fashioned gingerbread which makes me wonder …
I’m blessed by readers who enjoy my books and then leave reviews about what the story meant to them. I also admire those who might not enjoy a book but point out what they do and don’t like in a gracious, helpful way. Good reviews are like the finest chocolate. Here’s one and I call literary. You can tell the …