If you've been following me, you know I've been aiming to write my novella due to release next February. Well, I got it written! It definitely needs a polish, but it feels so good to have those 20k words down on "paper." Since you all helped me name my hamster in this story, I thought you might like a sneak peek at how it starts. See what you think.
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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.
Mary Pat Johns is here to chat with us today. She has a newly released romance out and I'm thrilled to be able to interview her and find out more. She's a fellow Scrivenings author and has been fun to get to know over the last few years. I think you'll enjoy getting to know her too. You say your first story ever started (not finished) was about sea turtles. Do you plan to ever include a sea turtle in one of your future stories?
Actually, in Countin’ On Jesse, the first book in my series, Brenna spies a sea turtle swimming alongside the breakwater. Jesse has convinced Brenna they need a getaway because of all that’s happening at work, but it’s not supposed to be a date because of an ironclad no-dating- between-employees rule. The sea turtle scene might be a tad autobiographical since Port Aransas is a place my husband and I go for a quick getaway. It’s not unusual to see sea turtles swimming around the jetties. Once, my husband even rescued one snared in the rocks. What draws you to write Christian romance? Love stories are my favorite. Although I do read secular novels at times, I’m mainly drawn to Christian romance because of the character’s spiritual arc as well as the love story. Without the presence of the Holy Spirit breathing through the pages, the words seem empty. There’s just so much more vibrancy when Christ is an integral part of the story.
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. I enjoy introducing new authors each and every month, but I'm very excited to share this one with you. I was blessed to be the content editor for her new book, and you're definitely going to want to check it out. In the meantime, settle in to learn a bit more about author Terri Wangard. Congratulations on your new release. As the content editor, I have to say, I really enjoyed it. What encouraged you to set a WWII novel in Brazil?
I like the unusual. Many WWII books are set in Europe and involve the Gestapo and German cruelty. That was a big part of the war, but there’s so much more. What makes you choose to write about historical times over other genres? I enjoy history. I have a BA in history (and a Master of Library Science degree). My first book was inspired by letters written by distant relatives in the immediate post-WWII years. My grandparents sent them care packages in Germany. After that, I started a contemporary story, but an editor told me I’d probably need a series to be offered a contract. I had plenty of unused research, so I kept going. Sometimes people ask me if there's any of my life woven into my stories, any reality. Of course there is. It would be rather impossible to write something and not have a little bit of personal experience come through. So much of my life has shaped me and the way I think, and that comes out in everything I do, including my writing.
Naturally, I include other little things on purpose too. For instance, in my latest story, For Better or For Granted, I included our wedding vows. No, we didn't write our own vows. I guess we could've, but neither of us had any desire to do that. Instead, I remembered some vows my Dad had used with another couple a few years before we married. And I remembered loving them. So, I asked him if he could dig them out for us to see if we wanted to use them. And I still loved them. If you guys have followed me for long at all, you know I write romance. No suspense. No mystery. Just straight-up romance. Which means no bad guys, usually.
That being said, for some reason, "bad guys" keep creeping into my writing lately. Last year, when I was writing my fairy tale retelling, of course I had to have a villain. ;) And it was really fun having someone to blame a lot of the heroine's problems on. But my latest book, For Better or For Granted, is not a fairy tale. It's about as opposite as you can think of because it's about a happily ever after that's falling apart. So, why would it need someone to make it worse?
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. |
This is a place for me to tell you about what I'm writing, talk about the process or where some of my ideas came from, or even have other authors come in and talk about their books.
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