Author Interview: Teresa Wells

One of the many perks of being a content editor is getting to know the other authors--and reading their stories before anyone else gets to. With Teresa Wells, I also got to meet her in real life last November, at ScrivCon. She's such a sweet woman, and I was thrilled to be able to help her polish up her first novel. It's a great story and I can't wait for you to learn more about it and Teresa.

Congratulations on your first book, Teresa! What made you decide to write about crazy quilts?
 
Thank you, Amy! I’m thrilled to be here on your wonderful blog.
 
I’ve always been fascinated by crazy quilts. I inherited a small one from my great-grandmother on my dad’s side, a woman I never met named Sarah Lora Martin Green (1870—1930). However, because of her crazy quilt, I have a glimpse into her life and what she held dear, proven by the names she stitched onto velvet, silk, and satin. This 3 x 3 crazy quilt contains the names of her husband, seven children, and one adopted nephew.
 
Seven children! I’ve always wondered where she found the time to make one of these, since crazy quilts take time, precision, and a knowledge of fancy stitches. Not exactly the stuff of a harried housewife. I mean, I could barely keep up with three girls—but five boys and two girls? Wow. Sarah Green probably had lots of help (the hired variety), freeing her up for endless hours of embroidery. According to my research, crazy quilting was a rich woman’s hobby. So, just like my fictional Truitt family, my great-grandparents lived a very comfortable life. But hard times were just around the corner. 

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I know you live in Texas and your book is set in Texas. If you were going to write about another place, where do you think you might set a book and why?
 
I think western North Carolina is stunning, and someday I might set a novel there. My husband’s ancestors lived in the Smoky Mountains (they were hillbillies!), so I can see one day writing something based there. No twisting my arm to make a research trip!
 
What was one of the most interesting things you discovered in your research?
 
I was shocked to learn how people mocked women who made crazy quilts!
It was so interesting to read about women begging store owners for scraps of silk, velvet, and satin. At first, it wasn’t a big deal to give away bits of material. But after the crazy quilt hobby gained steam and more and more young women expected free clippings, store owners banned the practice, stating they would go broke if they kept up the practice of giving away swatches of luxury fabrics. No problem. The crazy quilters turned to their husbands’ closets and took clippings from the lining of hats and suit pockets, as well as silk hatbands, and of course, neckties.
 
 
You have lots of fun quotes at the beginning of each chapter. Did you have a favorite and why?
 
I have a couple that make me chuckle. This, from a newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, in 1884:
Such a woman was it who fell a victim to that “crazy quilt” mania which is now insidiously undermining the moral and intellectual character of the females in all ranks of life throughout this whole country.
 
And from Charleroi, Pennsylvania, in 1930:
A Chicago woman was turned out of her happy home for making a crazy quilt out of her husband’s four-in-hand ties. She didn’t realize she was cutting home ties.
 
Can you give us a sneak peek into what you're working on next?
 
I’m writing the second book in The Truitts of Texas series, called Seeds of Hope. Rabb is my male protagonist, and Sallie is my female protagonist. I’m having lots of fun! The feel of Seeds of Hope is more western/cowboyish, because the town of Blooming Grove has a big problem with cattle rustlers. I won’t say more, lest I give away too much! I can’t wait for Seeds of Hope to release in July of 2026.
 
Did being a teacher and librarian in the past help you as you started to write your own stories? How?
 
I’ve always read aloud to my students, both in the classroom and in the library. I think the constant exposure to quality children’s literature allowed me to fine-tune my ear for a well-worded sentence and well-told story. When I became a school librarian, I loved attending the Texas Library Association Conference because famous children’s authors talked about writing. I think that’s when I realized the power of story, whether a person is 1 or 100.
 
Last, but not least, what is one fact about yourself that very few people know already?
 
This is one of my best-kept secrets and one only my daughters know: I am a miserable failure when it comes to parking my vehicle between painted lines. It all started in 1976 when I failed parallel parking on my driver’s test (but still managed to walk away with a score of 90!). Things got worse whenever we bought a Honda Odyssey van in 2000. Not only could I not park the behemoth, I took out every curb that stood between me and a right-hand turn. You’d think I’d limit myself to smaller cars, but sadly, my parking skills, or lack thereof, are consistent, no matter the size of vehicle. 

As someone who also drives a Honda Odyssey, I can understand your problem a bit. Sometimes those lines are too close together! LOL!

Thanks so much to Teresa for being on my blog today. Keep reading to find out more about her book as well as how to keep up with her.

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What Brings Us Joy

Love, hope, and courage collide in a faith-filled battle to build a future

1895: After losing their Georgia home, eighteen-year-old Delia Truitt and her family move to Blooming Grove, Texas, to work for a relative on a ramshackle farm. Set on helping her family dig out of their impoverished circumstances, she plans to open a dressmaker’s shop, combining her sewing skills and her keen fashion sense. But owning a business takes money she doesn’t have.
Unless she can finish her quilt in time to enter the county fair. The prize money would be just enough to open her shop. Determined and resourceful, Delia sets her sights on success—until her heart takes an unexpected detour when she meets handsome Clarence Parker.
Bent on respectability, Clarence refuses to let his past get in the way of his future happiness, especially after falling for spirited Delia Truitt. But his hopes shatter when headlines declare members of his former gang have broken out of jail and are heading his way, set on revenge. Though Clarence doesn’t regret testifying against the outlaws, he fears his future with Delia is in jeopardy. Clarence will protect her from the killers, even if it means risking their future together.
Can Clarence keep her safe? And will Delia love him after she finds out about his past?

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A former teacher and librarian, Teresa Wells treasures a story threaded with redemption and hope. She loves people, history, and studying the Bible. Teresa is a member of Novel Academy and American Christian Fiction Writers Association, where she volunteers behind the scenes. She lives with her family outside of Dallas, Texas. What Brings Us Joy is her first novel.

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