Meet author Kathy Rouser
Kathleen Rouser is a multi-published author of historical and contemporary Christian romance. Kathleen has loved making up stories since she was a little girl and wanted to be a writer before she could even read. She loves Jesus and is a fan of the three Cs—cats, coffee, and chocolate. She lives in southeast Michigan with her hero and husband of many years and two sweet cats who found a home in their empty nest.
Tell us about your newest book.
She only wants a fresh start, but her past might be the only hope to save his life—and the lives of countless innocents.
Determined widow Maggie Galloway dreams of a peaceful life and a successful business. And winning the Silver Leaf Flour Company baking contest could be the key to that success. She even has a chance at a prestigious position through a dashing former beau. But when her son gets into a fight with the local pharmacist’s son, Maggie’s peaceful life is derailed.
Reserved pharmacist and recent widower Thomas Harper is also looking for a fresh start for himself and his four children. But when Thomas falls gravely ill, his only choice is to enlist the help of the local baker with a knowledge of concocting remedies. He’s even more reluctant to admit that Maggie may also be the remedy for his grieving heart. And when a traveling medicine man’s medicines beget tragedy, Thomas and Maggie must overcome their differences to save the children of Stone Creek—and face the growing attraction between them—before it’s too late.
What inspired you to write Secrets and Wishes?
The idea for writing Secrets and Wishes sprung from getting to know one of my secondary characters in Rumors and Promises. Reverend Ian McCormick’s outspoken older sister and housekeeper, Maggie, needed to have her story told too. My interest in the history of medicine and pharmaceuticals made it easy to bring in a turn-of-the-century pharmacist as a hero. The true stories of children who were accidentally overdosed with opioids from over-the-counter mixtures sold as medicine of the day provided me with part of the conflict in the story.
There was something fun about writing about such an opposite hero and heroine and the antics of their children. I intended for it to be rather humorous and family-centric. My original title for the story was A Good Medicine taken from the verse Proverbs 17:22: A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.(NKJV) I suppose that was part of my inspiration to write Secrets and Wishes as well.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
Tidy, outspoken widow, Maggie Galloway encounters reticent and unorganized widower Thomas Galloway and his unruly brood. When she’s enlisted to help him recover from a grave illness and they’re later thrown together in the battle against a traveling medicine man’s fake remedies, attraction grows between them. It could take dire circumstance for Thomas and Maggie to see they are the healing balm for each other’s grieving heart before it’s too late.
What genre do you focus on?
Though I have written a couple of contemporary romance stories, I tend to focus on writing historical romance. I love traveling back in time in my imagination and writing stories that deal with the challenges people had in times past. I’m also a sucker for the happily-ever-after ending and love writing about people falling in love. I feel it’s reflection of God’s love for us—the greatest romance of all in sending His Son, Jesus, to redeem us.
Why do you write?
The power of story spoke to me at an early age and I enjoy making up stories that reflect God’s truth. I pray that glorify Him with the stories I write.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Maggie Galloway, nee Maggie McCormick. It seemed like a good name for a lady of Irish heritage with auburn hair. I just felt it fit her character.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
I love the flexibility of an author’s life. I can write for traditional publishers or write indie books if I choose. It gives me options. Also, the fun of making up characters and their backstories, seeing how I can fit their lives together with the lives of other characters, kind of like a puzzle. It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it to wait and see how my story is revealed as I create.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
I’ve realized that you never stop growing. There’s always something more to be learned. And I’ve grown in my desire to write what’s pleasing to the Lord. I want to tell stories with an authentic voice that speaks to people’s hearts with His message.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
Yes, the first book in the Stone Creek Bride Series, Rumors and Promises. The third book in the series will be released in April and is titled Scandals and Mercies. Other books of mine are: The Pocket Watch in the Brave New Century anthology, The Last Memory, and my contemporary with a split-time subplot, When Hearts Take Flight.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a contemporary romance set in small-town Michigan, working title: A Family of Her Own.
Links to my website and social media:
Meet author Melanie Dobson
Writing fiction is Melanie Dobson’s excuse to immerse herself in the past by reading old books, interviewing new friends, and exploring fascinating places around the world. She is the award-winning author of almost thirty historical, time-slip, and romantic suspense novels including The Winter Rose, Catching the Wind, and Memories of Glass. When she’s not writing, Melanie enjoys teaching at conferences and as an adjunct professor. More information about her journey is available at melaniedobson.com.
Tell us about your newest book. Here’s the official blurb for The Wings of Poppy Pendleton:
In this compelling new time-slip mystery, a little girl goes missing from her family’s castle in the Thousand Islands of New York. Eighty-five years later, a journalist teams up with a woman living on Koster Isle to find out what happened to Poppy, once and for all.
- 1907. On the eve of her fifth birthday, Poppy Pendleton is tucked safely in her bed, listening to her parents entertain New York’s gilded society in their Thousand Islands castle; the next morning, she is gone, and her father is found dead in his smoking room.
- 1992. Though Chloe Ridell lives in the shadows of Poppy’s castle, now in ruins, she has little interest in the mystery that still captivates tourists and locals alike. She is focused on preserving the island she inherited from her grandparents and reviving their vintage candy shop. Until the day a girl named Emma shows up on Chloe’s doorstep, with few possessions, save a tattered scrapbook that connects her to the Pendleton family. When a reporter arrives at Chloe’s store, asking questions about her grandfather, Chloe decides to help him dig into a past she’d thought best left buried. The haunting truth about Poppy, they soon discover, could save Emma’s life, so Chloe and Logan must work together to investigate exactly what happened long ago on Koster Isle.
What inspired you to write The Wings of Poppy Pendleton?
The setting was inspired, in part, by your wonderful Thousand Island series! Even though I’ve spent a lot of time in New York, I had never before heard of the castles built along the St. Lawrence River. As I read your books and others set in that area, I fell in love with the mystery, beauty, and Gilded Age history.
The main plotline in Poppy’s story was inspired by a recently discovered photograph of my grandpa and great-uncle as children. In this picture, my great-grandmother is holding a baby girl, and while my family is close, no one had ever told me about a great-aunt. I discovered that my great-grandparents adopted a girl in 1923, but sadly, they both died when she was young and none of my relatives knew what happened to her. As I began to unravel Marjory’s complicated journey, I decided to write a novel about another girl who went missing in the same era. A mystery that I could ultimately resolve through fiction.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
It’s the time-slip story of a girl who goes missing from a Thousand Islands castle in New York during the Gilded Age and then the reporter, almost ninety years later, who is determined to find out what happened to her.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
The plot centers around a little girl named Penelope with the nickname of Poppy. I don’t want to reveal much of her backstory (which ends up being the main story!), but the name originates from her mother’s British background. Her dad, who sells a soothing tonic for children made from opium/poppies, calls her Poppy. The poppy flower itself also plays a role in the story.
What genre do you focus on and why?
I have an innate desire to bring order to chaos and confusion, especially when it comes to finding out the truth about a past secret that impacts the well-being of future generations. Because of this, I enjoy writing time-slip fiction with a significant past conflict and contemporary characters who are searching for answers about what happened long ago. My stories usually start with several different threads, and my desire is to weave them together in a way that brings hope and resolution for readers.
Why do you write?
I love stories! The power and wonder and surprise of them. I’ve been writing since I was a child (I typed out my very short autobiography when I was nine!), and each time that I try to take a break, another story idea emerges. Some days, words leak slowly out of me while other days they pour. But I write because I have to.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
My schedule fluctuates, but I usually spend about a month researching my story through books, old journals, interviews, and by visiting the location. Then I develop my character profiles and the beginnings of a plot. Once I release my characters on the page, I write about 2,000 words a day, stopping at established breaks to rewrite and edit. After I clean up my draft, I continue launching the story forward.
What is your favorite pastime?
I love to travel and explore preferably old and sometimes abandoned places. All of the wondering and wandering ignites my mind.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
I have grown a lot in my awareness in the last decade. While I’m often inspired to write a new story as I wander, concepts for a new book or a portion of a book are sometimes sparked through a casual conversation or an unexpected detour while I’m researching something else. I’m much more intentional now about stopping to jot down those possibilities so I can explore them later.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
I’ve written almost thirty books including World War II-era novels like Catching the Wind and Memories of Glass. Don’t tell my other books, but I have a special place in my heart for Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor, the story about a young artist who is on the autism spectrum in the 1950s (before people understood autism). Libby’s mom fights for her, and all the characters eventually thrive in the midst of really difficult circumstances.
What are you working on now?
I’m constantly curating new ideas, but right now, I am actively writing two novels. The first book is another time-slip novel with Tyndale House. While my mind is deep in that story, I’m still working out the details. The second novel is about an underground network of men and women in the Exodus story who are rescuing Hebrew babies after Pharaoh’s order to kill them. I’m super excited to share both of these stories soon with readers!
Website: melaniedobson.com
Link to book: https://melaniedobson.com/books/the-wings-of-poppy-pendleton/
Social media links:
https://www.facebook.com/MelanieDobsonFiction/
https://www.instagram.com/melbdobson/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/409350.Melanie_Dobson
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/melanie-dobson
Meet author Anne Greene
Anne Greene delights in writing about alpha heroes who aren’t afraid to fall on their knees in prayer, and about gutsy heroines. Anne hopes her books transport the reader to awesome new worlds and touch hearts to seek a deeper spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus. Read More about Anne at www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com.
Tell us about your newest book, Trail of Tears, The Story of John Ross
One man fights overwhelming odds to survive and protect. Caught between the love of two beautiful women, which one will he choose? What if you are a twenty-year-old, about to attend college, and your whole world collapses? Your mother and sister are missing, and soldiers murder your father, burn your mansion, and take you prisoner.
Trail of Tears relives one of the most heartrending chapters in American history as the US Government transports the self-governing, wealthy Cherokee nation from their ancestral homeland to relocate in hostile Indian Territory. The Georgia militia force John Ross, with only a trickle of Indian blood flowing in his veins, to walk the thousand-mile Trail of Tears. After John protects a full-blood Indian girl from the lustful wagon master, the cruel soldier targets John for retribution—until John’s shoved too far.
What inspired you to write Trail of Tears, The Story of John Ross.
Many people living in the South have been interested in the historic Trail of Tears, but I was born and raised in the North. I had never heard what happened to the very civilized Cherokee people, including those with even 1/16 Cherokee blood. When I heard the story, I decided the history needed to be told.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
This adventure tells the adventure of one man who grows in faith and insight as he faces the worst disaster of his life.
What genre do you focus on?
I write mostly Historical Fiction with Large Elements of Romance because schools no longer teach history. If our young people don’t know history, they miss learning about their heritage, whether good or bad.
Why do you write?
First, I write to entertain and uplift. I want to introduce people to new worlds where they can forget their everyday lives for a day or two. Also, I like to give my readers experiences they may have never thought about or heard of. It’s my way of sharing.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
The historic John Ross was such a great man. But the John Ross in my book is the grand-nephew of the real John Ross. Using that name is a means to honor the real man who also appears in the sequel – For Such A Time, The Story of Jarrett Ross which will be released in 2024.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I exercise in the mornings and work usually from 1:00 to maybe 7:00 or 8:00 p.m. with breaks when something must be done such as spending time with family and friends, errands, etc. It’s wonderful to be able to set my own time schedule.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
Every author must participate in publicizing her book. This takes time and often is a learning experience. I find it difficult to publicize myself. I don’t enjoy putting myself in the spotlight.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
I love writing the book. I’m a seat of the pants writer which means I don’t plot out the story ahead of time. When I sit at my computer, once I know my characters and what my final objective is, I turn my characters loose. The experience in watching what they do is like watching a movie. So much fun.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
Oh, absolutely I’ve grown as a writer. Grown in the respect that for each book I’ve completed, my writing has grown better and better. I also think the research I’ve done, and I do research even for my romantic comedies and novellas, has given me greater insight into people.
What is your favorite pastime?
I love to read, of course, but even more I love to travel. Many of my thirty-five books have resulted from an inspiration I received while traveling.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
Yes, I have 35 other books and am working on another Christmas novella, The Codebreaker’s Christmas Surprise, to be released in 2024. Please go to
https://www.amazon.com/Anne-Greene/e/B004ECUWMG to see my books.
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/anne-greene
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1873472.Anne_Greene
Happy Valentine’s Day!
All of my novels have a sweet and clean romance in them. I thought you’d like to get to know my main character in A Summer at Thousand Island House, so here’s an interview with her. Hope you enjoy it
Happy Valentine’s Day, Addison Bell—I mean, Addi. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself.
I taught at the Watertown Center one-room schoolhouse for five years, and I’m ready for a change. I love the little ones, but the older children are too much of a challenge. Each Valentine’s Day, I took time for my students to make Valentines for their parents and siblings. They loved it!
But after my papa passed and forced me to board with grouchy old Mrs. Baumgardner, I need an escape. Hearing about the position at Thousand Island House is just the ticket out.
Tell me something about you that readers may find surprising?
I love the Thousand Islands, just seventeen miles from my hometown. The 1,864 islands are shared almost equally between New York state and Ontario, Canada. It’s where Lake Ontario narrows and becomes the St. Lawrence River. Here the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River intersect to become the world’s largest inland navigation system. Huge freighters pass by tiny islands along the main channel and share the waterway with all kinds of boats including kayaks and canoes.
Tell us more about the Thousand Island House where you work.
Thousand Island House is one of the grand Thousand Islands hotels accommodating up to 600 patrons who flock to the Thousand Islands from East Coast cities and beyond during the summer. The hotel has one of the finest views of the St. Lawrence River, the most refreshing breezes around, and the most modern amenities too. The hotel’s recreation pavilion on tiny Staples Island is a great place to work.
Who is this Liam Donovan I keep hearing about?
He’s the Staple’s Island recreation pavilion manager, and he’s a great boss. He’s a little overconcerned with the natural noise children make, and he has some kind of hurt in his life that I’d like to get to the bottom of, but he’s helpful, kind, and a charming Irish gentleman.
And the Lighthouse Inspector, USN Lt. Maxwell Worthington? What about him?
Yes, he’s a lighthouse inspector from Buffalo, and I think he’s tired of leaving his little boy, Jimmy, with a nanny while he travels the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario inspecting lighthouses. So, I get to take care of Jimmy this summer. He’s a delightful little boy.
If you could leave readers with one message, what would it be?
Trust in God and His plans for you. Hope for a better future. Hope for love. Hope for healing. I want to give readers hope that God can heal a broken heart and help you forgive those who hurt you. He did that for me.
Here are a few fun, quick questions:
What is your favorite hobby? Reading, of course.
Are you a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty kind of person?
That’s easy. I always look on the bright side of things, except when I get in trouble.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
People misunderstand me. Though I try, folks often challenge and judge me wrongly.
What is your greatest achievement?
Teaching children. I love their zest for life.
Please describe yourself with three words. Joyful, friendly, and creative.
What’s your most precious possession? My deceased mother’s silver locket.
What is your biggest secret?
I dream about Liam. Shhh….don’t tell him, please.
What is your heart’s deepest desire?
That’s easy. To love and be loved. After losing both of my parents and being an only child, aloneness is a terrible place to be.
What have you learned about yourself in the course of your story?
I’ve learned to trust in God and His plans for me. God can heal a broken heart and has helped me forgive those who hurt me.
About A Summer at Thousand Island House
By Susan G Mathis
She came to work with the children, not fall in love.
Part-nanny, part entertainer, Addison Bell has always had an enduring love for children. So what better way to spend her creative energy than to spend the summer nannying at the renowned Thousand Island House on Staple’s Island? As Addi thrives in her work, she attracts the attention of the recreation pavilion’s manager, Liam Donovan, as well as the handsome Navy Officer Lt. Worthington, a lighthouse inspector, hotel patron, and single father of mischievous little Jimmy.
But when Jimmy goes missing, Addi finds both her job and her reputation in danger. How can she calm the churning waters of Liam, Lt. Worthington, and the President, clear her name, and avoid becoming the scorn of the Thousand Islands community?
ABOUT SUSAN:
Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than twenty-five times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has ten in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Peyton’s Promise, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Rachel’s Reunion, Mary’s Moment and A Summer at Thousand Island House. Her book awards include two Illumination Book Awards, three American Fiction Awards, two Indie Excellence Book Awards, and four Literary Titan Book Awards. Reagan’s Reward is a Selah Awards finalist. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.
Buy links: Amazon | Barnes&Nobles | Wild Heart Books
Book trailer: A Summer at Thousand Island House book trailer
Social media links: Website |Author Central | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Blog | Goodreads l Instagram| Book Bub|
Meet author Lori Closter
Lori Closter is a wife, mom, and grammy fulfilling her dream of giving people hope and faith through stories. A lifelong Northeasterner with degrees from Cornell and Temple, she was writer/assistant producer on educational films for National Geographic. She has published several stories, and her coming-to-faith novel Topping the Willow and feature screenplay version have been multiply recognized in contests. Lori and her retired pastor husband now live in coastal NC.
Tell us about your newest book.
Topping the Willow is a contemporary, mature Young Adult novel for ages 15-99. A rebellious New York teen accidentally puts her ambitious attorney mother into a coma, and winds up spending the summer on a Vermont horse farm owned by Christians—where she learns about God, forgiveness, and faith.
What inspired you to write Topping the Willow?
As a lifelong reader, I’ve always known I would write a book—but not about what. When a family member told how she’d been the last to see a vacationing family before a tragic accident, I knew it was the set-up for a novel even as she spoke. When I later learned two of my cousins knew this family, 1500 miles away, it became personal. Then I had to figure out the story …
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
Brittany Warner, 15, “hates” her mother—but never meant to put her into a coma. The guilt-ridden teen winds up stuck for an entire summer on a Vermont horse farm run by Christians. When family secrets threaten her very identity, her risky decisions create a dangerous spiral that endangers herself and Will, a hot young believer. But a greater love is at work, giving her hope…
What genre do you focus on?
I’m straddling three—but all deal with family and personal relationships and are meant to bring hope. 1) My stories are secular women’s fiction, from a Christian worldview. 2) My faith-based YA novel Topping the Willow and 3) my feature screenplay version are gritty and realistic, but with clean language—and hopefully non-preachy. As Frederick Buechner said, “I always hope to reach people who don’t want to touch religion with a ten-foot pole.” And writing a screenplay is a different skill, which is why this project has taken me years to develop.
Why do you write?
I came from an outwardly normal family with deep dysfunction. It’s taken my whole life to see it clearly. So I began writing to process pain and achieve forgiveness and freedom. As I matured, I came to understand God’s hand and grace at work in our lives, and wanted to depict that realistically.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
The usual modern hurdles—a website, social media, publicity, reviews … but also, persevering despite what has seemed very strong, long-term spiritual opposition. Months ago, I again felt so stuck that it was as if I were slogging through concrete. Then one morning God allowed a real concrete truck to block my driveway completely, proving I wasn’t imagining it! I had to laugh.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
Being creative, as God designed us to be, brings great satisfaction. But the very best feeling is of impacting His Kingdom. The full harvest isn’t in, but not long ago I clearly discerned the words in prayer, “It is beginning, the fruitfulness.” So inspiring. When I hear my novel positively affected someone, it’s a huge blessing.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
As a young child, I was terrified of death for the same reasons as Brittany in the opening scene of the novel: my parents said that someday I would die, and the world would go on forever without me. Talk about trauma. Little kids need better than that. Also, the horse subplot is based on real life. I owned that horse for two awful years; careful what you wish for. But it became a huge God story, and an abridged version—spoiler alert—is on my website in the About section.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
I’ve been honing my craft for a long time. But more importantly, I’ve gained deeper and deeper insights into God’s lovingkindness and purposes for suffering. I hope it shows in my writing. He wants us to know him personally!
What is your favorite pastime?
Spending time with my husband, family, and friends. My six little grands are spread over the East coast; we’re an I-95 family, but at least we don’t have to fly. And reading, of course.
What are you working on now?
I’ve drafted True North, a sequel to Topping the Willow, which may become a Narrowgate Farm Trilogy. I don’t know of many—or any?—contemporary series that seriously trace the spiritual growth of a contemporary teenage girl in a realistic way, and hope I do it justice. And if anyone would like quarterly email updates, please shoot me an email with YES in the subject line; I’m currently between servers.
Other info:
Website: www.loricloster.com
Amazon link to book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJNG6RPQ
Library of Congress Control Number, to request a library buy the book: 2022360943
Social media links:
Facebook: Lori Closter
Instagram @lori_closter
linkedin.com/in/lori-c-007b6255/
Meet author J’nell Ciesielski
With a passion for heart-stopping adventure and sweeping love stories, J’nell Ciesielski weaves fresh takes into romances of times gone by. Bestselling author of The Socialite, she is a Florida native who now lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and lazy beagle. Learn more at www.jnellciesielski.com.
Tell us about your newest book.
To Free the Stars. Ten years have passed since Jack and Ivy, elite operatives for the secret agency Talon, rescued their friend Philip and completed their fateful mission. The 1920s are in full swing as American speakeasies thrive amid Prohibition, and despite the team’s best efforts, the deadly cult, the Order of the Rising Moon, lives on in the shadows. Which is no surprise to Ivy; nothing has gone as she expected since that day after Poenari Castle.
When a wave of assassinations strikes world leaders, intel confirms the Order’s involvement. Ivy holds them responsible for the tragedy that changed her life, and she is determined to find and destroy the villains once and for all—but she must do so before their relentless assassin eliminates his next target. Her. Except, there’s something oddly familiar about the way he moves, the way he anticipates each of her moves. It’s as if he knows her. But that’s not possible. Is it? Ivy will have to rely on every skill she’s learned if she hopes to survive—and save those she loves. No matter the cost.
What inspired you to write To Free the Stars?
TO FREE THE STARS is the second book in the Jack and Ivy novels and was the part of their story that I was most excited to tell. It’s a Jason Bourne meets Captain America’s the Winter Soldier mashup with tons of action and adventure set from bustling DC to the quiet farmland of Virginia, to a Paris cemetery, to the folklore mountains of Romania. There are assassins, and the fight between good and evil, but the heart of this story is about a marriage. More specifically, a marriage on the rocks and trying to gain its footing again through love, hope, shame, tears, and even a few thrown dishes.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
A thrilling adventure filled with glamorous espionage and a boundless romance inspired by The Winter Soldier.
What genre do you focus on?
I usually stick to historical with heavy romance threads, but for this story I decided to throw action/suspense into the mix because it’s all about spies and their globe trotting adventures.
Why do you write?
I write because I can’t NOT write. All these stories well up inside me and won’t leave me alone until they’re told. It’s freeing to tell these bits of myself. At the end of the day, I just want to tell good stories, and if readers enjoy them and maybe learn a bit of history along the way, even better.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Because this story is inspired by The Winter Soldier character from the Captain America movies I wanted to give a nod to that winter connection. Ivy, the heroine, is often associated with Christmas time, particularly in the song The Holly and the Ivy. Jack, the hero, is named after Jack Frost.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I’m up early to get my daughter off to school by 9 am, then I do errands and chores, and then finally sit down to write for a few hours until it’s time for my daughter and husband to come home. I never work on the weekends because that is family time. The only exception is if edits are due.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
I am very much an introvert so I love being tucked away in my office, just me and my imagination. Unfortunately, authors can’t squirrel themselves away forever because so much of the marketing and publicity has been placed on our shoulders. It can be very difficult to put myself out there, but hopefully readers won’t think I’m too weird.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
I get to spend my days doing the thing I love most, write. Not many are able to commit to full-time writing and I am so grateful each day that I can tell these stories and enter these worlds that fill my head.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
I’m an Air Force veteran. Not many people know that, but I come from a long line of military service. It wasn’t something I ever planned on, but after graduating college I still didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life so I signed it over in service of our great country for four years.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
Every book I change. My process evolves as I grow more confident in my skills, and as my life changes those are the subjects I want to start including for my characters to experience.
What is your favorite pastime?
Eating and traveling! I have a habit of dragging my family around to historical sites.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
Among the Poppies
The Songbird and the Spy
The Socialite
Beauty Among Ruins
The Ice Swan
The Castle Keepers (part of a collaborative novel)
The Brilliance of Stars
What are you working on now?
I haven’t quite announced it yet, but it’s glamorous, frothy, and set during the jazzy 1920s! Stay tuned for details in the new year.
Website: J’nell Ciesielski | Historical Romance Author (jnellciesielski.com)
Link to book: Books | J’nell Ciesielski (jnellciesielski.com)
Social media links: https://www.facebook.com/jnellciesielski
https://www.instagram.com/jnellciesielski/
https://www.goodreads.com/jnellciesielski