Can fictional murders lead to real-life ones? I'd like to hope not, but just listen to this funny story from my good friend Deborah Sprinkles. She writes mystery and suspense and this new series of hers is sure to pique your interest.

When I decided to write my Mac and Sam mystery series, starring Mackenzie Love and Samantha Majors, the first thing I had to do was choose a location. Would their private investigation firm be in an imaginary town like my first series or a real one? There were advantages to both.
 
I liked the idea of a small town close to a big city. It offered the best of both worlds. And, being from St. Louis, I knew the perfect location. Washington, Missouri, a small town on the Missouri River about forty-five minutes southwest of St. Louis. I’d been there a number of times and loved it. 

This time of year, it's easy to get caught up in cheesy holiday movies on TV, but do you pay attention to the ratings? My friend and fellow author, Regina Rudd Merrick is here today to tell us how those ratings inspired a scene in her newest book.

Christmas books are fun to write. Christmas Rewired is book 4 of my RenoVations, Inc. series, but, like last year’s Christmas story, 12 Days of Mandy Reno, it’s not a mystery—it’s just a little romance, a little fun, and a lot of Renos.
 
A few years ago, after years of avoiding them, my oldest daughter introduced me to the mindless joy of watching Hallmark movies. They come in all genres, and some are better than others. My favorites are the Rom-Coms.
 
I realized, then, that these movies are exactly the kinds of stories I like to read as well as watch!

Can you fall in love during a boat race? It's a different concept for a romance, isn't it? And yet, guest author Mary Pat Johns wrote about just that. See what you think.

​My latest book release, Glitter and the Grouch centered around the Texas Water Safari, a legendary river race. Many of my readers have mentioned they knew nothing about the race and particularly enjoyed the setting.
I love following the annual race. So when two minor characters from Books 1 and 2 of my series, Romance in Valiant, insisted on having their own story, I thought the race would be a marvelous place for them to fall in love.
Many readers had the impression Glitter and the Grouch was going to be a romantic twist on “Row, row, row your boat.” They were delighted it was so much more. Read the race logistics and see if you agree.    

Do you pay attention when book characters drink your beverage of choice? Our guest author today, Christina Rost, is talking about her characters and their drink of choice. See if you can relate.

​Tea or coffee? Which do you prefer?
I waffle between both, depending on my mood. During the afternoon, my go-to drink is a creamy latte with my favorite seasonal flavor combo: peanut butter and honey. But during autumn nights, you’ll frequently find me cozied up in my comfy chair, cradling a cup of Lady Grey.
As I draft my novels, these kinds of preferences are fun to add to characters because it can add an element of realism to them. The human quirks also enable me to engage with my readers through my characters.
Think about your family and friends. What are their preferences? What are their dislikes? We often keep these facts in mind when we make plans with them.
Just like friends, characters become more layered and relatable when you uncover their unique quirks, favorites and dislikes and allow them to come alive on the page.

My guest author today has become a dear friend over the last few years even though we haven't met in person (YET!). I'm blessed to be her content editor, but also in a novella collection with her in a few months too. If you haven't tried one of Lori DeJong's stories, I highly recommend them. So, sit back and check out her thoughts on how her fiction is a mission.

In my newest release, Love’s True Home, Ally, my female protagonist, was raised as the daughter of foreign missionaries in several Central American countries. Now residing in Arlington, Texas, she longs to grow her roots deep into American soil, although her widowed father still works among the indigenous people at a medical mission in Guatemala.
While Ally loves the people of Guatemala and the work the missionaries like her father do there, she believes strongly that it’s not her calling and prefers to work in student ministry back in the US. That’s where she meets Zane, an adventurous young man who loves working with young people as much as she does.
​So, it comes as a shock to her when a visit to the Guatemalan village where her father serves becomes the very thing that threatens to tear them apart, when Zane’s long-held dream of serving on foreign soil is suddenly on the verge of coming true, but Ally knows she can’t share it.

Do you have a home away from home? What makes a place feel like home for you? Guest Author Kimberly Banet is talking about a place that felt so much like home to her she set her new book there. And hey! It's not too far from where I live. ;) Read on.

​My book, Just Another Home, was released two months ago. It’s about a teen in the foster care system, Sam, who goes to live with a couple in their fifties, John and Abbie, whose biological kids have grown up and moved out of the house.
Something most people don’t know about the book is that the setting of the story, Franklin, Tennessee, was not just some random town I chose for the backdrop of Sam’s story. Franklin is a place that I’ve visited many times and is near and dear to my heart.

Do you ever pay attention to reviews others have left for books you read? Authors tend to watch them more carefully than we sometimes should, but they can be such a help to letting other readers know what to expect from our story. Author Shannon Dunlap is here today to talk about one review that caught her off-guard. See what you think.

​“Hilarious Story!”
“LOL a minute”
“a complete HOOT!”
“HYSTERICALLY FANTASTIC”


Love Overboard began with a television feature I saw about a woman in her eighties who skipped the retirement home to live on a cruise ship. The idea captivated me. What if there wasn’t just one? What if a group of them spent their later years sailing the Caribbean? And what if they spent their days matchmaking the young people? The story experienced the growing pains of cuts, edits, pitches, and acceptance before it finally released in May.

Is your hometown known for anything special? Any spies?
Ever read a book set in someone else's hometown that makes you want to go visit?
Today, fellow author Ellen Withers is sharing about her hometown setting in her mystery series. And it sounds fascinating. No wonder she set her books there! See what you think.

Learning and reading about spies active during the Civil War is fascinating to me. Historians have discovered several of these spies were women. Some conducted their spying activities as a normal woman from the times, while others enlisted in military service and passed as a male soldier. In writing a book that includes the history of the Union Army’s occupation of my hometown during the War Between the States, I wanted to create a fictional spy within their midst and have an ordinary woman help gather evidence of the spy. 

Tonya Ashley became my friend several years ago when we both attended KenTen Writers' Retreat. Sadly, the retreat is no more, but Tonya and I have kept up with each other on Facebook. And last year, she became one of my authors I do content edits for. This newest book of hers, which is absolutely lovely, y'all, I got a sneak peek at long before I discovered I'd get to do the content edits. And she had me hooked back then. I think she'll do the same for you. Be sure to read all the way through as she tells you more.

​Discovering Unexpected Treasure While Balancing Fact and Fiction
The wind rolls in from the river, mussing my hair as I stand on the short dock at the Lee Creek Park boat launch. A tugboat pushes several barges slowly down the Arkansas River. Closing my eyes, I try to imagine a steamboat in place of the tugboat and green grass over the paved parking lot. The task is easier than erasing streetlights and motor vehicles from Main Street.
There’s something about historic Main Street towns that spark my imagination and Van Buren, Arkansas has long been one of my favorites. Its restored Victorian buildings, Old Frisco Depot, King Opera House, and trolley transport me back in time. The past and present are seamlessly woven together in Van Buren’s historical attractions, antique shops, art galleries, restaurants, and more. My favorite hangout, Chapters on Main, offers new and used books alongside deliciously creative espresso drinks. All this, along with the warmth and friendliness of its residents, make it so easy to fall in love with this delightful Main Street town.

Would you read a book about birding? Well, if the answer is yes, I have a guest author today who has just the thing. If the answer is no, read on anyway. You might be more interested than you think. ;)
Welcome, guest author, Jen Dodrill, as she chats about her new book, Birds Alive.

Erma Bombeck once said, “It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else.” And that’s what writing is all about—being courageous."
I still remember the first contest I entered – over fifteen years ago! I was crushed when I received my scores. No one knew I entered, and I didn’t want to tell them how badly I did. I am proud of myself for being courageous back then.
Writing a book and then sending it to an agent or publisher is sort of like having a baby and leaving it with someone you don’t know. It's intimidating and nerve-wracking, and you question every decision you’ve ever made.