While I haven't lived in Texas for almost eight years now, I did live there for eleven, and I am always excited to find another author from there. It's like a friend, even if we've never met. Though, after getting to know Allison Nance through her interview questions, I feel like we could be friends. Maybe we need to plan a family vacation to Galveston. See what you think and check out her gorgeous cover for her soon-to-be-released debut novel!

Congratulations on your first full-length novel. What first inspired you to write this story?

Thank you, Amy! Whew, we are diving in deep with this first question. The answer starts about nine years ago, when my husband and I were first given a heart for cross-cultural ministry, specifically for the people of Japan. Beginning in 2016, God impressed Japan on our hearts, and from that first prompting, we prayed and began learning about how we could best serve overseas. We joined a sending organization and were set to be in Japan in the summer of 2020... and we all know what happened that year. Japan's borders remained closed to non-citizens for almost two years, and finally in 2022, we made it to Sapporo, where we joined some friends who had an English cafe ministry. Approximately five months into our time in Japan, I started developing severe anxiety and insomnia, as well as several other physical effects related to these things. As a typically laid-back person, this was highly unusual for me, and I began seeking medical counsel. None of the doctors had any answers for me. Eventually, my anxiety became so intense, my husband and I decided it was best for our family to move back to the US so I could heal. 

Even though I write romance, I love a good fantasy novel every now and then. And Dawn Ford writes a good fantasy novel (or six). She has two different series for different age groups, and they're both wonderful. I can't wait for you to learn more about them as we chat with my friend Dawn in the monthly author interview today.

How do you find a balance between the light and dark in your fantasy stories?

The balance between light and dark was the central theme to my current series’ overarching story and character arcs. Our heroes are charged with the mission to balance good and evil—light and dark, in their story world that is being besieged by an evil pied-piper character. Each book in the Band of Unlikely Heroes four-book series focuses on one hero/heroine and their struggles to overcome both their own shortcomings and fears. In the end, it will take them all, working against the big bad, to set the balance of good back into place and dispatch the evil that has been plaguing their kingdom for generations. I kept the ending in mind as I wrote the darkest scenes, pulling the guts out of my characters and then helping them learn invaluable lessons along the way—becoming an indomitable force when they finally come together. Light always wins over the dark, good triumphs over evil.

I don't know if you believe God puts certain people in your life or not, but to me, Sarah Anne Crouch is living proof. She and I became fast friends when my family moved to TN, and we've stayed close despite her family moving to Arkansas a few years ago. Now, not only are we good friends, we're co-authors in several novella collections. And, just recently I blessed to become her content editor. Needless to say, she's pretty special, and I'm thrilled to share her with you today in this author interview.

Sarah, congratulations on a new release coming soon. I know your series was hung up in some red tape for a while. How does it feel to finally have more books coming out in this series?
It's such a relief! I have a few kind friends who ask me almost every time they see me “When is your next novel coming out?” For the longest time I didn’t have a good answer to that question. And then, for a few months, I had no novels out because the first one was out of print. Now I can tell everyone to hop on over to Amazon!

Shady Springs is a town you've made up to base these stories in. Did you base it on any real towns? What inspired you to make it how you did?
Growing up in Arkansas, I always felt the state was underrepresented in fiction. I don’t know if that’s true or just my personal bias. From the time I was 12 until I graduated college and got married, my hometown was Prairie Grove, Arkansas. It’s a growing community now, but had fewer than 3,000 residents when we first moved there. Shady Springs is very much the Prairie Grove of my childhood with a few tweaks. 
I loved my hometown so much—I still do. It was my first experience with living in a tiny place where everyone knew each other. That dynamic makes for really interesting fiction, I think. Plus, Northwest Arkansas is a beautiful setting.​

I love meeting new authors, especially when they're just starting out on their writing journey. When I joined our local writing group, I had no idea how many other Christian authors were in our group. And I definitely wasn't expecting a teenager like Lynnea Mileusnich. Not because I don't think teenagers can write, but because you don't expect them to write as well as grown ups. Don't believe it. Lynnea is amazing and such a blessing in my life and I'm thrilled to introduce her and her new book to you!

Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to an author I've grown close to over the last year. First, by editing her first novel, a gorgeous Biblical fiction woven around the Samaritan woman and the Good Samaritan. Second, when we got to meet in person last month at ScrivCon. You guys! She's so much fun and I know you're going to love her too. Without further ado, let's chat with Linda Dindzans.

Linda, what inspired you to give up your scalpel and take up a pen?

Since childhood I have been an avid reader of all genres, but particularly drawn to historical and biblical fiction. I’ve also been fascinated with the study of the Bible and facilitated and taught Bible studies. Prior to my retirement I had a story coming to me that would not let go. I found myself writing chapters in my head. That story grew, became a trilogy and got out of control. I set it aside but one day will pick it up again.
 
At first, I planned to take a sabbatical to write, but after a couple of months I realized that this was retirement–– a new calling, a new direction.
 If you had asked me at the beginning how long it would take me to write a book, I would have guessed about two years. I was either very naive or a little bit arrogant. Probably both.
Before I felt I had mastered the level of writing I was willing to submit, my writing journey was twelve years to publication and involved many writer’s conferences, online courses, critique groups and coaching. 

Today, we have a treat for you. I have lured Colleen Hall away from her horses and her writing long enough to answer a few questions about herself and her stories. I think they're going to intrigue you as much as they do me. Be sure to read all the way to the end for a special note from Colleen about how to get her books right now.

​You started writing at an early age even though life interrupted your author goals. When you were
laid up after surgery, you could've put your interest and attention anywhere--what led you to pick up your old writings again?

I found out that my niece had written a novel and was hoping to publish it. She planned to self-publish rather than go the traditional route, but her accomplishment started me thinking. If she could write a novel, why couldn’t I? That was the spark reignited my love of writing that had lain dormant for many years. So, while I was out of work recovering from surgery, I pulled out the manuscript that became Her Traitor’s Heart and started editing it. And the rest is, as they say, history.

What leads you to write historical fiction?

I grew up in New England around a lot of old things—200-year-old houses, antique furniture, history—so I guess I absorbed a lot of that into my psyche. I’m interested in history and historical stories, and my plots usually include some historical incident. w up in New England around a lot of old things—200-year-old houses, antique furniture, history—so I guess I absorbed a lot of that into my psyche. I’m interested in history and historical stories, and my plots usually include some historical incident.

Do you love strong, independent characters who speak in sarcasm? Then, you're in the right place! My guest author, Paula Peckham is here to talk about just that today. Read on to find out her feelings on such characters.

Do you think you're a better writer because of the time of life when you came to writing?

Funny, I was just talking to another author about this very thing. I think young authors can write great books, but I often add something to a story I’ve written, and I wonder, how would a young person know this? I think there is a benefit to having years of life experiences behind you. Those life events add flavor to what we write.
 
Any advice you can offer to other authors?

Try to find a critique group, or at least a writing partner. We’re often blind to the spots in our work that don’t quite make sense once it’s out of our head on onto the paper. Those writing partners help fine-tune. Also, read a new craft book every month if at all possible. You’ll never be to the point where you can afford to stop learning.

Do you love fairy tales? You know I do. Well, today, you're in for a treat, because my guest author, Joanna Holden, is here to talk about her fairytale retellings as well as her life as an author. Make sure you read all the way to the end to find out more about her books and how to find her online!

Joanna, I know you're a homeschooling mom to your four children. How do you find time to write?
It’s definitely a challenge, especially in seasons with extra complications. (We’re in one of those right now.) For me, it’s a matter of routine. I plan our school days so that we do all our work in the mornings. Then the kids have the afternoons free for exploring and playing, and Mommy gets regular writing time. We’ve chosen a method and curriculum to match this routine. I also try to switch up writing times based on how I’m feeling physically. If I’m doing pretty good, afternoons are my time. If I need daily naps, I wait till the kids are in bed and write then. (And if I need to reach a deadline, I double up and do both.) And as often as I can, I schedule weekly library writing days. This makes sure that a) I can get out of the house, and b) I get in several solid uninterrupted hours of writing.
It’s not perfect by any means. There are plenty of days when writing still doesn’t happen. But at least it’s on my mind. And it’s a lot easier to slip into the routine when it’s been the same for eleven years.

Your books look like so much fun. What inspired you to do fairytale retellings?
I was actually inspired by not finding what I was looking for. I had seen a lot of retellings being launched that were all based on the same four or five fairy tales. And while I loved those, I wanted to see a wider variety of options. Especially since there is such a rich pool to choose from, and it felt like no one was even touching those. So, I pulled a selection of lesser-known fairy tales that I loved.
That also affected how I chose to retell them. Rather than taking an original concept and spinning it into something wildly different, I opted to write them as close to the originals as possible. I look at them more as extended editions of the originals – adding in details and fleshing out plotlines, and letting the surprises come from those additions rather than changing endings or subverting the original tropes.

Today, I'm happy to introduce you to a fellow Tennessee author. I just discovered Diane Tatum, but her books sound like a lot of fun. So, read all the way to the end so you can find out more!

Diane, you have quite the collection of books! I know you write across several different genres. Which is your favorite to write and why?
 
Three books have been published so far this year, making twenty available on Amazon. I’ve come to really enjoy writing romantic suspense. The romance is still strong in these stories, but the characters are also working together (willingly or not!) to resolve the mystery. I feel like it heightens the connection between the characters. I have two mystery series: Main Street Mysteries set in fictional Daelin, GA, and Mysteries at Kate’s B&B set in Adams, TN.
 
With a history of teaching for so many years, do you find the things you learned teaching being incorporated into your stories?
 
After teaching middle school for eleven years, I’m not writing YA! What I learned most is how different people are and how different they perceive things. I guess I got a course in human behavior and not always in the best way. My villains take on some of the characteristics of people I interacted with in and outside of the classroom. I also did most of my teaching in a small town, and my stories often take place there as well.
 
In addition, I taught seventh grade for seven of those years. At my middle school, seventh grade involved teaching geography and Tennessee history. That’s where I learned about the Bell Witch in Adams. I also taught Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days during the last month of the school year, kind of like a wrap-up of geography. One of my former students wrote me on direct messenger recently that she’d thought of me when doing a Jules Verne Lego set. Setting my stories in places I’ve been fortunate to experience is a great lesson I’ve taken from the classroom and Jules Verne.

Today, I am very happy to introduce a fellow author I met through Anaiah Press, Laura Thomas. She writes fiction that sounds fascinating and I hope you enjoy getting to know more about her and her books through this interview!

​I know you write across several genres and age-groups, but your adult fiction is romantic suspense. What made you choose that genre to write?

Christian romantic suspense was a favorite genre for me as a reader—back in the day I devoured everything by authors such as Colleen Coble, Terri Blackstock, and Dee Henderson. I loved how they blended clean romance with spine-chilling suspense and a message of hope, but at the time I was writing Christian teen fiction and had intended to only write for children and teens. However, as I penned my third Christian teen fiction (Tears, Fears, and Fame), I realized the story was heading in a suspenseful direction with an air of mystery—and I loved it! Then whilst on vacation in Jamaica, I had sudden inspiration for my own Christian romantic suspense story and came home to start writing The Glass Bottom Boat. It seems I found my true love in this genre as that was the first of six published romantic suspense books with more to come!