Meet Marilyn Turk
Marilyn Turk writes historical fiction set around lighthouses or the coast of the United States. She is the author of Rebel Light, a Civil War love story on the coast of Florida, A Gilded Curse, a historical suspense novel set in 1942 Jekyll Island, Georgia, and Lighthouse Devotions – 52 Inspiring Lighthouse Stories, based on her popular lighthouse blog (@ http://pathwayheart.com). She is also a regular contributor to Guideposts magazine and the Daily Guideposts devotional.
Tell us about your newest book.
The most recent book published book is Rebel Light, a Civil War romance set in 1861 on the coast of Florida. Rebel Light focuses on Kate McFarlane, who tries to run away from the war but ends up in the middle of it. After Florida’s secession from the Union, neighbors choose sides and sometimes it’s difficult to tell who is a friend and who is an enemy.
What genre do you focus on and why?
Historical fiction because I’ve always wondered what it was like to live in another time.
What drives you?
Commitment is important to me, and I’ve always believed that you should do what you say you’re going to do. I see my writing as a commitment to God to put forth those ideas He’s given me. I believe writing is my mission field, and God wants to use it to share His truth through the stories of everyday people.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
My main character in Rebel Light is Katherine (Kate) McFarlane. I researched names that were popular in 1861, especially names from Scottish descent.
What does a day in your writing world look like?
I wish I could say I’m consistent, but it depends on what I need to do, whether it’s to write a new book, edit one already written, or write a blog post. If I’m focused on my story, I write for hours. When I have trouble focusing I set a timer and make myself write for 15 minute increments without going on a rabbit trail, then I reset the timer for 15 more minutes, etc.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
Focus and Confidence. Why? There are so many distracations – from social media to family life – that can take our focus off our writing. And I’ve heard that every writer struggles with confidence, whether what we’re writing is worth reading. For someone like me who thrives on affirmation, I need positive reviews to encourage me. Also, it’s difficult to see how well other authors do without comparing ourselves. I have to remind myself that God has made us all different and gifted us in different ways, so my writing journey is not the same as anyone else’s, it’s only mine.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
Knowing someone else read your story and liked it. Why? As I said before, affirmation is important to me, and I like to know my writing conveyed the story it was meant to, that readers understood it and hopefully, were inspired by it.
What is the craziest thing you’ve experienced as an author?
I have two stories, but maybe they’re not so crazy as amazing to me. One is that I received an email from a man from Colorado who bought my Lighthouse Devotions book at the Currituck Lighthouse book store on the Outer Banks, and wanted to let me know how much he liked it. Also, because I wrote a blog post about a woman lighthouse keeper in New Orleans, I was invited by the Coast Guard to attend the commissioning of a Coast Guard cutter named for her. That was really cool!
What are you most proud of?
Being one of God’s children and part of His plan to inspire, encourage and enlighten others through my writing. Also, I’m very pleased with the way our first year of the Blue Lake Christian Writers Retreat that I directed turned out. All the attendees loved the retreat and want us to do it again, so we will, next year in May 2018!
What is your favorite pastime?
I have several, but tennis is tops. I also enjoy boating, kayaking, and of course, visiting lighthouses!
Do you have other books?
We’d love to know. Yes! My book of Lighthouse Devotions which is about to enjoy a revision. And my novel The Gilded Curse, which was published in 2016. The Gilded Curse won a Silver Merit award at the Golden Scrolls Awards Banquet this year, so I’m very pleased about that.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on the edits for Shadow of the Curse, the sequel to The Gilded Curse, which will come out in 2018.
Website: www.pathwayheart.com
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/Gilded-Curse-Marilyn-Turk/dp/1938499115/
Social media links: email: marilynturkwriter@yahoo.com
Twitter: twitter.com/@MarilynTurk
Facebook: marilyn.turk.9
Meet Anne Mateer
A lifelong reader, writer, and lover of history, Anne Mateer is the author of four historical novels and one historical novella, as well as several short pieces in compilation publications. Her book At Every Turn was a 2013 Carol Award finalist. Anne and her husband, Jeff, have been married 30 years. When not traveling to visit their adult children or to tour historic sites, they are happily living their empty nest adventure in Austin, Texas.
Tell us about your newest book.
My newest release—my first in three years!—is a historical novella set amid the Great Gale of 1815 in Providence, RI. Here’s a little about the story: Thirty-year-old Remembrance “Mem” Wilkins loves her solitary life running the farm and orchard she inherited from her father and has no plans to give up her independence. Especially not for the likes of Mr. Graham Lott. But when Mem is unable to harvest the apples on her own, she accepts the help of the man she despises.
Fresh off a boat from Ireland with his four-year-old son in tow, Simon Brennan secures a building in which to ply his trade as a cobbler. Still healing from the grief of his wife’s death a year earlier, he determines to focus only on providing a good life for his son. But when he intervenes in an argument on behalf of the intriguing Miss Wilkins, he suddenly finds himself crossways with his landlord, Mr. Lott, and relieved of his lease and most of his money.
With no means of support, Simon takes a job helping Mem with her harvest, but their growing attraction to each other makes them both uneasy. Mem gladly escapes to town when her sister begins labor, and Simon, believing it best to distance himself from Mem, takes his son and leaves. But neither anticipates the worst gale New England has ever seen—or that the storm will threaten all they hold dear.
What genre do you focus on and why?
I focus on historical fiction for two reasons—first, because I believe we have a lack of understanding of history and how people grappled through their own times, and second, because I believe reading a story that involves internal issues but is set in a different time and place can allow us to see things in ourselves we cannot see when confronted in our present moment.
Why do you write? What drives you?
I think the greatest thing that drives me to write fiction is that I can name far more novels that have impacted my life deeply than any other kind of book (other than the Bible). I learn through story. I see myself in story. And I think others do, too. Story allows us to see in others—in the characters and their reactions and decisions to people and situations—either what we desire to see in ourselves or what we don’t want to see in ourselves.
What does a day in your writing world look like?
I have a hard time writing all day long, so I usually try to get in a focused couple of hours mid-morning and mid-afternoon. In between those times I schedule my workouts or errands or time with friends or other appointments.
What is the hardest part of being an author? Why?
For me, it’s balancing work life with relationships. I have a tendency to prefer retreating into my imagination instead of engaging with the people around me. And yet I know I need people. And I know they need me. While writing is part of the reason God put me here, it is not the only or even the most important reason. But I struggle to get the priority right sometimes.
What’s the best part of your author’s life? Why?
Being flexible to travel with my husband. For the past few years he’s traveled a lot with his jobs, and I feel very blessed to be able to do my work anywhere!
What is the craziest thing you’ve experienced as an author?
It wasn’t something that happened to me as an author so much as it happened because I am an author. A couple of years ago I participated in a reader’s convention and ended up having a spontaneous lunch one day with three other authors—one of whom was Francine Rivers. I was calm, cool, and collected on the outside, but oh, so fan-girl on the inside. She is such a gracious and kind lady, everything I hoped she’d be. Definitely a crazy, never-in-a-million-years-thought-it would-happen moment.
What are you most proud of?
Perseverance. Writing and publishing are not quick or easy. You have to keep pushing forward and be determined not to give up when it gets long or hard. I didn’t really know if I had that kind of strength. And truly, I didn’t. Perseverance is one of the things the Lord has grown into me during my writing journey.
What is your favorite pastime?
Reading! I honestly consider myself a reader first and a writer second.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
Yes! I have four traditionally published novels, all set in the WWI or pre-WWI era: Wings of a Dream, At Every Turn, A Home for My Heart, and Playing by Heart. You can find them in print and ebook on all platforms.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on my second historical novella as well as a full-length novel that will feature one of readers’ favorite characters from my debut novel, Wings of a Dream.
Website: www.annemateer.com
Link to book: http://bit.ly/nosmallstorm
Social media links: www.facebook.com/AuthorAnneMateer
Meet Diana Lesire Brandmeyer
Diana Lesire Brandmeyer, CBA and ESPA Best Selling, Christian author, writes historical and contemporary romances about women choosing to challenge their fears to become the strong woman God intends. Author of Mind of Her Own, A Time to Dance, We’re Not Blended We’re Pureed, A Survivor’s Guide to Blended Families.
Tell us about your newest book.
A Time to Bake follows A Time to Dance, but readers won’t be lost if they haven’t read a Time to Dance.
Alison Dahl works as a pharmaceutical rep for a struggling company. Not wanting to see if she’s next to be laid off, her entrepreneurial spirit kicks in. With a leap of faith, she quits her job and heads to the lake town she loves to open a cupcake shop.
Chad Hastings, a widowed dad known for his loyalty and dependability, has his hands full with a son and a few overzealous matchmaking friends. When Chad is hired as the general contractor for the cupcake shop remodel, his friends see him and Alison as the perfect recipe for a sweet ending. Chad’s secret could melt away any hope of a sweet ending.
Can she look beyond his past mistakes? Can he look past her impulsive risk-taking? Memorable characters, lighthearted humor, and wholesome spiritual messages bring Diana Lesire Brandmeyer’s powerful tale of forgiveness to life. Buy this sweet treat today.
What genre do you focus on and why?
I write historical and contemporary. I’m the kind of person who has never been able to pick just one. Though, I would say all of my books center around a small town. Hey, is that a genre? Yes, let’s make it one. I write in the Small Town genre.
Why do you write? What drives you?
I write because if I don’t, and yes, I’ve tried to stop, my husband sends me back to the computer because I get cranky. I think it’s because there are so many stories happening in my mind that if I don’t get my thoughts written out, I get overwhelmed.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
In a Time to Bake, the character’s name is Alison Dahl. I picked her last name because it’s a known name for the part of the Midwest where the stories are set in my made-up town. And Alison just sounds nice when you say it.
What does a day in your writing world look like?
It always starts with fighting the cat for my keyboard. Wendell wants me to pet him, and I want to work. It takes twenty minutes for the routine to run its course. After that, I write until lunch. Then I might stick with writing, or I’ll switch to making social media graphics, listen to a writing podcast or work on a blog post for pencildancer.com. My blog needs more love, but I’m finding it hard to find time to post.
What is the hardest part of being an author? Why?
Talking to readers face to face is difficult for me. I struggle with anxiety, and it takes a lot of energy to do book signings.
What’s the best part of your author’s life? Why?
I love seeing the world through a writer’s lens. Settings are everywhere, seeing an empty barn along the highway gets me wondering about who lived there and what the story might be. I’m most comfortable being alone and writing provides that kind of working environment.
What is the craziest thing you’ve experienced as an author?
Remember I don’t leave my house much so…going to a radio station to be interviewed seemed like something I would never do. But I did! It was a lot of fun but required fast thinking. Questions came fast and because radio silence is not a good thing I felt like being on a game show.
What are you most proud of?
My sons, they’ve grown up to be great men. It’s tough being a mom, always second guessing if you’re doing the right things. And I know I messed up a lot, but God pulled us all through, and I have a good relationship with them.
What is your favorite pastime?
I love to ride bikes with my husband. Oh, and there are those three grandbabies—that’s fun thing to do for sure!
Do you have other books?
I do! Thank you for asking!
You can see them all here on my Amazon Page If you click the follow button, you’ll always know when a new book comes out.
They are also listed under books on my webpage.
I also give away a free short story to anyone who signs up for my newsletter, All in Good Time and you can get it here. http://www.subscribepage.com/e3f2r6
Contemporary
Historical
Children
The Mystery of the Smithton Necklace
Nonfiction
A Survivor’s Guide to Blended Families
What are you working on now?
I have the rights back to Hearts on the Road, so I’m going through it and applying the writing skills I’ve learned since then. When it’s done, it will be republished. After that? Not sure, maybe another historical or do I want to travel back to Silverton where A Time to Bake is set. I love choices!
Link to book: A Time to Bake
Social media links:
Website/blog: http://bit.ly/1yW4iXp
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2eWCa4z
Twitter: http://bit.ly/2eWDHaK
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/2eWwlUP
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2eWAsjO
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1GP4Oyp
Meet Dr. Sandra Glahn
Dr. Sandra Glahn earned her ThM at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) and her PhD at the University of Texas at Dallas in Humanities—Aesthetic Studies. A professor in the Media Arts and Worship department at DTS, she teaches courses in writing, medieval art and spirituality, gender, and sexual ethics. She is the author of more than twenty books, including the Coffee Cup Bible Study series.
Tell us about your newest book:
Vindicating the Vixens: Revisiting the Sexualized, Vilified, Marginalized Women of the Bible (Kregel Academic) has been on my heart and mind for more than a decade. As I studied history and cultural backgrounds at the doctoral level, I saw how little social power women had in past eras and places, and I wondered at some of our Western-influenced interpretations of the biblical text. The authors are comprised of biblical scholars who hold a high view of scripture who are men and women, American, Australian, and Palestinian; black, white and having surnames like “Zazueta.” Their differing backgrounds give them insight in the text that the typical middle-class western reader has often missed. And as a result, their combined efforts provide a fresh look at the kindness of God and his heart for the vulnerable.
What genre do you focus on and why?
At one time, I wrote more fiction. But in the past ten years, I’ve focused more on non-fiction, especially biblical teaching. Women in seminaries in the past fifty years have brought new questions to the text as they have partnered with their brothers in translation work and equipping the church. And the internet has allowed us to gain a more global perspective on many texts. I love sharing some of the results.
Why do you write? What drives you?
Whenever I have an opinion about something, I pay attention. Do I need better data? Do I need to listen someone with a differing perspective? Do I need to research texts with which I’m not super familiar? Do my students ask questions I need to investigate? In short, questions drive me. And curiosity. Writing allows me to lay out an entire argument without anyone stopping me before I’ve laid out the entire perspective on something.
What does a day in your writing world look like?
Every day looks different because I teach. And at the graduate level, every semester brings a different schedule. On a given day, I’m usually buried in email, but sometimes in my replies I have written out kernels of content that needs further development. And I confess, I write much more consistently when I have a deadline. Without deadlines, I’d never hit “send,” because a manuscript can always use another look. When I have a looming deadline, I write a lot more than when I don’t have one.
What is the hardest part of being an author? Why?
Carving out blocks of time is my most difficult take. I need about a four-hour uninterrupted block of time to accomplish something satisfying. But who has four-hour blocks of time lying around? It takes carefully planning.
What’s the best part of your author’s life? Why?
The knowledge that words change lives. Recently I met a woman who told me that a group of infertility patients had not only used one of my books on infertility (When Empty Arms Become a Heavy Burden), but they were developing a question-and-answer guide to take with them on a mission trip to India. Apparently some folks there had requested such resources. I finished the first draft of that book in 1994, and God is still using the pain my husband and I endured to touch people.
What is the craziest thing you’ve experienced as an author?
I once wrote that the Bible does not address every subject in the world. I meant that it does not tell how butterflies get their colors or why some animals eat meat vs. vegetables or how chromosomes work exactly. But it does give us all we need to live. That seemed clear enough to me. But some readers thought I was saying the Bible is insufficient for every subject. And no matter how I tried to explain, they had made up their minds that I was a liberal. I thought that was kind of crazy.
What are you most proud of?
Other than surviving a trip in which I backpacked the Grand Canyon, by God’s grace I’ve perseverance as a parent. Parenting is not for the faint of heart—especially in the digital age. But our labor has not been in vain.
What is your favorite pastime? I love to read. Right now I have twelve books on my night stand. A graphic novel. A museum catalog. Fiction, Non-fiction. A book on the Psalms. And a bunch of books on gender—keeping up with reading for my job.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know. Yes! I mentioned the infertility book. And Kregel just rereleased a novel I coauthored about twenty years ago—after an update to bring the characters out of phone booths and into the smartphone age. But the topic is still relevant. It’s a medical suspense work called Lethal Harvest. It was nominated for a Christy the year it came out. A more recent work of medical suspense I wrote as a solo novel was Informed Consent.
What are you working on now?
In my ten-book Coffee Cup Bible Study series, I’m working on volumes eleven and twelve, with one book from the Old Testament and one from the New—Ephesians and Hosea.
Website: www.aspire2.com
Social media links:
Twitter: @sandraglahn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aspire2/
Meet Jeanette Windle
Jeanette Windle, an award-winning novelist and investigative journalist, has lived in six countries and traveled in thirty-five-plus. Those experiences birthed 16 fiction titles, including bestselling Veiled Freedom (ECPA Christian Book Award/Christy Award finalist) and Freedom’s Stand, (ECPA Christian Book Award/Carol Award finalist), and such non-fiction titles as ECPA Christian Book Award/Christian Retailing Best Awards finalist Forgiven: The Amish Schoolhouse Shooting, a Mother’s Love, and a Story of Remarkable Grace and All Saints.
Tell us about your newest book.
All Saints (Bethany House Publishers) is the inspiring true story of Karen Christian war refugees from Myanmar, a dying Tennessee church, and the miracle God wrought in bringing them together. The book accompanies the Sony Affirm movie by the same name, which released nationwide August 25th. The story centers on newly-ordained Rev. Michael Spurlock (played by John Corbett in movie), whose first assignment was to pastor a Smyrna, TN, congregation of less than twenty-five remaining attendance while negotiating the sale of land and closing of church in order to pay off a crushing mortgage debt of almost a million dollars. Enter 75 Karen war refugees, mostly farmers in their own country, seeking a new start in America. What could one insolvent church about to close its own doors possibly do to help? Then God gently reminded Michael he’d not only provided All Saints with land, but just sent them experienced farmers. The ensuing quest to save All Saints and help the Karen holds all the drama, outright miracles, and roller-coaster ups and downs any action plot could ask for. In the end, it was not All Saints that helped the Karen nor the Karen who saved a dying church, but the coming together of the body of Christ from opposite sides of the planet into one community under God that became the salvation of both and the true ultimate miracle of All Saints.
Why this particular story?
As a missionary kid growing up on the mission field in Colombia, I read the biography of Adoniram Judson, the first overseas missionary from North America, whose first Christian converts were in turn the Karen people of Myanmar (then Burma). I had followed the story of the Karen, from their courageous role in fighting for the Allies during WW2 to the genocide unleased on them when Japan’s puppet regime took control after the Allies pulled out, as well as their stubborn war of resistance and refusal to renounce their Christian faith. By the 1990s, an estimated half-million were displaced or living in refugee camps, mostly in Thailand. When I received a call from Bethany House Publishers, asking me to write the story of Rev. Michael Spurlock, All Saints, and a group of Karen Christian refugees now living in the United States, I was delighted and excited to investigate and write this story.
What I ended up discovering was far more than a simple story of refugees receiving a welcome by a Tennessee church. The stories of Ye Win, Father Bu Christ, and other Karen, the miraculous workings of God, even through tragedy and loss, in ways too implausible for any fiction plot, and the coming together of a community of faith that continues to impact lives to this day deeply touched my own heart and life. What I found also inspiring and exciting is going back to North America’s first overseas missionary Adoniram Judson, whose ministry brought the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Karen. A ministry that has come full-circle with the Karen coming to North America and blessing our nation in turn with their faith and testimony of courage and steadfastness under brutal persecution.
What genre do you focus on and why?
In truth, I have written in a wide gamut of genres, fiction from YA and teen to adult international suspense, non-fiction biography, as well as curriculum and how-to along with almost thirty years as a missions journalist. If there is one common element, it is telling the story of God’s people and God’s working around the planet, whether in non-fiction or fiction format. My latest title, All Saints, is a good example of such a story.
Why do you write? What drives you?
I write because I am a story teller. We serve a wildly creative God who painted the skies and flowers, put music in the bird’s song and rivers, created universes of places and peoples. And just as God gave artists and musicians the ability to create with color and sound, so a story-teller’s ability to create worlds and characters and drama of their own imagining is a small reflection of God’s own creative powers, one of the ways we were made in His image. God created me to be a story teller, and I simply can’t not do so, whether it is in the form of fiction or non-fiction. Even when I am writing fiction, I am still telling the stories of true-life peoples and places and issues, and I love the feedback I get from readers who say they now understand the news and international issues after having read one of my books.
What is the hardest part of being an author? Why?
Writing and marketing are for most authors the most difficult, though for very different reasons. Getting the story itself down on paper (or computer screen) is a hair-tearing, heart-yanking, exhausting outpouring of spiritual, emotional, and creative energy. It is eminently worthwhile, but the hardest work I will ever do. Once the story is birthed, I personally enjoy the editing process, going back and working through each scene, polishing it up, cutting, adding, tweaking until I am sure every sentence says exactly what I want to convey, is both enjoyable and eminently satisfying.
But then comes that awful word “marketing”. I am a typical writer in that I’d rather stay holed up in my cave (figuratively) writing my next book than mess with marketing and publicity.
What’s the best part of your author’s life? Why?
The best aspect of writing is definitely receiving that positive feedback from readers who are loving the story and characters you’ve spent so many countless hours creating. Even more so, who’ve been touched spiritually by the message of the book.
What is the craziest thing you’ve experienced as an author?
The crazy moments of my life haven’t been particularly connected to being an author. But one experience that stands out as a little crazy was a book-signing at the International Christian Retail Show (then CBA) for my second adult international suspense novel, The DMZ, a Tom Clancy-length tome set in the Colombian guerrilla zones where I grew up. As I sat signing, a tall, larger-than-life man with a huge Stetson cowboy hat breezed up the line, loudly announcing with a pronounced southern drawl, “You all got to get this book! It is just so exciting!” Etc. Meanwhile, my editor is alerting me quietly that the hurricane approaching is a major book buyer. The man stops in front of me. Have I mentioned I’m only 5’ 1”? He looks down at me, and without dropping his voice one decibel announces, “Okay, little lady, before you sign me a copy, I’ve got just one question I’ve been wanting to ask.” His gaze sweeps me up and down. “How is it that such a teeny-weeny little lady can write such a great big, fat, scary book?” Unsure whether to feel insulted or complimented, I swallowed, reminded myself of my editor’s heads-up as to the Stetson-wearer’s VIP status, then let my sense of humor get the best of me as I murmured demurely, “Well, you see, I’ve never really considered that the size of my body was in any way related to the size of my brain.” He blinked, took the autographed copy, and as I was informed later, did order a good quantity of the book.
What is your favorite pastime?
Exploring new places on the planet God has permitted me to visit, generally in conjunction with a ministry trip. Most recently, that has included Kenya’s Rift Valley, the Ashkenazi pueblo villages of southwestern Colorado, an elephant reserve in Sri Lanka, and the beauty of rural Ireland. That includes trying new foods and life experiences (still holding out on sky-diving, but have tucked hurricane and earthquake under my belt). And of course, reading good books.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
I have both adult fiction, including the award-winning Afghanistan titles Veiled Freedom/Freedom’s Stand (Tyndale House) and non-fiction such as Forgiven: The Amish School Shooting, a Mother’s Love, and a Story of Remarkable Grace (Bethany House Publishers) as well as the YA mystery series Parker Twins Adventures. Easiest overview is just to check out my Author Page on Amazon.
What are you working on now?
I am writing another exciting true story, the sequel to Inside Afghanistan, which was the story of John Weaver, the last Christian aid worker remaining in Afghanistan during the November, 2001, invasion (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007FZOWLG/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) Najiba: A Love Story from Afghanistan, release date early 2018, tells the inspiring story of what God has done through John and his family since liberation.
Website: www.jeanettewindle.com
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/All-Saints-Surprising-Refugees-Brought/dp/0764230271/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Social media links:
https://www.facebook.com/jeanette.windle
https://twitter.com/jeanettewindle
Meet Andrea Kuhn Boeshaar
Andrea Kuhn Boeshaar is a Wisconsin author of over 40 books with ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD! The three components in all of her stories are faith, family, and forever relationships. In addition to novels, she blogs and writes devotionals and magazine articles with the hope of encouraging women wherever they are in their spiritual journeys.
Her latest historical series is the Shenandoah Valley Saga (Kregel Publications). In September, her novel “My Heart Belongs in the Shenandoah Valley” (Barbour Publishing) is slated for release A Christmas novella is in the works and next year book 3 in her Shenandoah Valley Saga will be released.
Tell us about your newest book.
It’s one of Barbour Publishing’s new line of books in the “My Heart Belongs” series. My novel is set in the picturesque Shenandoah Valley in 1816 when many Americans were struggling with the aftermath of the War of 1812.
Journey into Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley of 1816 where a woman’s dreams and future happiness are on the line. Captain McAlister “Mac” Albright has purchased land in the Shenandoah Valley. However, the land belongs to Lilyanna Laughlin—or so she erroneously thinks. Mac sets her straight and despite a poor start, the two become friends. . .if only he were financially stable to offer her more.
When Lily’s life is threatened and his whole future goes up in flames, Mac truly becomes a man without means, and Lily is forced to make the impossible choice between a loveless marriage with a man twice her age or the man who has shown her what true love could be. How can she choose between love and economic security? Her family is depending on her.
What genre do you focus on and why?
I write Christian romance. Why? I find relationships fascinating. Life, itself, is about relationships. Even the essence of faith is about how God first loved us so we could love Him, and in the spiritual battle for our souls, Jesus Christ is the ultimately hero, drawing us to Himself, desiring a relationship with Him now and into eternity. A great love story doesn’t get any better than that.
Why do you write? What drives you?
I think I have a romantic heart and always have. Now that I’m adult, my faith drives me because I try to make my novels a slice of faith in action. If a nonbeliever picked up one of my many books, he or she would begin to understand the meaning of being a Christian and that bad and good things happen to those who believe as well as those who don’t.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Mac Albright is my main character. I’m not sure how I arrived at the name. That’s just who he was from the moment I began writing the synopsis to the end of the novel. There are times, however, when a character’s name changes numerous times while I’m writing a story. But Mac was always Mac.
What does a day in your writing world look like?
I wake up daily at 4 AM. I either write or do homework for a couple of hours (I’m finishing my Bachelor’s degree). Sometimes I do promotion during that time. Then I go to my “real job” where I work as a Customer Service Rep for a national hotel supplier. I’m done working at 5 and then I do things I need to get done that day—laundry, etc. I’m usually sleeping by 8PM. Exciting life, right?
What is the hardest part of being an author? Why?
Cultivating the time to be creative and write because of working a full-time job too.
What’s the best part of your author’s life? Why?
There’s a true sense of accomplishment when I, at last, see one of my stories in print. And to think that God might use it in someone else’s life leaves me awestricken. It’s a humble but exciting feeling.
What are you most proud of?
I’m most of my books Broken Things and Hidden Things. So many people have written to me and said God used those books to change their hearts and minds. It’s sometimes surreal to think of myself as a tool in the Master’s hands, but it’s an indescribable joy as well.
What is your favorite pastime?
Well, when I get free time I love to spend it with my grandchildren. In fact, as I finish this interview, my 7-year-old grandson is waiting for me to take him to McDonald’s for lunch.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
I’ve written more than 30 books and they are all listed on my website. www.andreaboeshaar.com
What are you working on now?
I’m writing a Christmas novella that I plan to publish on my own. My husband and I are developing our own publishing company which we plan to call Steeple View Press. We live on Steeple View Road which is how we came by the name. I also run Steeple View Coaching for Writers, a service NOT affiliated with my new publishing company. Coaching isn’t editing, so interested writers should peruse my web page called “Helps for Writers.”
Website: www.andreaboeshaar.com
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/My-Heart-Belongs-Shenandoah-Valley/dp/1683222229/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Social media links: Facebook/Andrea.Boeshaar
Twitter: @AndreaBoeshaar
For more information, and to sign up for her quarterly newsletter, log onto her website: www.andreaboeshaar.com