Where Do Character Ideas Come From? Fans of the Loving Husband Series are familiar with Elizabeth Jones, the greatest love of James Wentworth’s life. She is the woman he sees across the dining room table in Salem Village in 1691, and her beauty and warmth capture his heart forever. But where did the idea for … Continue reading Where I Find Character Inspiration: Sarah Alexander and Elizabeth Wentworth
writing inspiration
Character Inspiration For the Loving Husband Trilogy: Mr. Wentworth the Younger
Down Salem Way is Shortlisted For the Chaucer Prize For those of you who don't follow me on Facebook, you may not know that Down Salem Way has been shortlisted for the Chaucer Prize in Early Historical Fiction Pre-1750. I'm very excited. I know it's a cliche to say that it's an honor just to … Continue reading Character Inspiration For the Loving Husband Trilogy: Mr. Wentworth the Younger
Writing Historical Fiction About the Salem Witch Trials
Learning To Leave the Past Behind As I'm weaving my way through the sixth part of the Loving Husband Series, I realized that the Salem Witch Trials are never far behind for the Wentworths. The infamous witch hunts of 1692 once again play a role in James and Sarah's story. Both James and Sarah have … Continue reading Writing Historical Fiction About the Salem Witch Trials
Must Read Books About the Oregon Trail
Are You Reading The Duchess of Idaho? Here is a huge thank you to those of you who purchased The Duchess of Idaho, a time-travel love story set on the Oregon Trail. The Duchess of Idaho was #6 on the Time Travel Romance chart on Amazon and #4 on the Amazon Hot New Release chart … Continue reading Must Read Books About the Oregon Trail
Finding My Writing Flow
Mike Tinnion from Unsplash It's Easy to Be Distracted From Writing With all of the stresses in the world these days, there are times when I have to reach a bit to find my creativity. Some days, especially when writing is a struggle, I worry that I have used up every ounce of creativity I … Continue reading Finding My Writing Flow
One Tip For Writing Fiction: Scene Sequels
Photo by Glenn Carstens from Unsplash What is a Scene Sequel? I shared the concept of scene sequels in my book Painting the Past: A Guide for Writing Historical Fiction. Another novelist introduced me to scene sequels about 10 years ago and I’ve been using them ever since. Yes, there are scene sequels in The … Continue reading One Tip For Writing Fiction: Scene Sequels
Room For Freedom When Writing Fiction
Photo by Patrick Tomasso from Unsplash I Was a Guest Speaker for the Lit Mag Love Course! For my first bit of news, on Tuesday, 3/1, I had the chance to participate in a Q&A for Rachel Thompson's course Lit Mag Love, which helps writers who want to submit their work to literary journals. I … Continue reading Room For Freedom When Writing Fiction
Living the Writing Life: Dare To Do Nothing
Photo by Jonas Leupe from Unsplash Seeking a Simpler Life As I've been embracing a simpler writer's life, one of the things I keep hitting against like a brick wall is the pressure I put on myself to create a miles-long to-do list. There are so many things I want to write and edit and … Continue reading Living the Writing Life: Dare To Do Nothing