When Love Inspires: Kristen's story

When Love Inspires: Kristen's story

Does Prince Charming exist?

Hallmark will tell you he does. He’s handsome, well-mannered, and romantic. He dresses really well, usually has plenty of money, and likely a college degree alongside his picketed-fence upbringing.

I grew up aspiring for this type of Prince Charming to become my husband. The kind who would play soft music and cook me a surprise fancy dinner every so often. A man who would buy me flowers every anniversary and Valentine’s Day, but then also “just because” while upgrading my diamond to diamonds—plural. The type of husband who would find a way to kiss me under the mistletoe and hold my hand in public.

Now, I love me some Hallmark Prince Charmings. The channel is on constantly during Christmastime, and each movie provides exactly what it intended—warm fuzzies.

But my Prince Charming looks very different than those I see on TV.

My husband and I started dating five weeks after I turned eighteen. It was the summer after I graduated high school. We were babies! We’ve been married over fifteen years now, and this summer will mark twenty years together. But he’s never bought me flowers. He’s never cooked me a meal and lit candles for ambiance. He’s never surprised me with a super fancy date night out on the town.

Even still, he’s the love of my life and each day with him only gets better. He’s practical, so he spoils me rotten with things like a new Mac computer for work “just because,” or thermal underwear to wear around the house ‘cause I’d told him I was cold (yes, this has really happened a few times in our twenty years). He works a very strenuous and physical job outside in the elements so we can live a beautiful life that allows me to stay home writing (which doesn’t pay the bills). He takes pride in building us a fire, inside or out, to keep us warm and cozy. He has an alpha-wolf personality but will still do anything I ask of him. He’s a protector at heart and devoted to our kids which means coaching their sporting activities whenever possible. He’s a Jesus-follower, and most know this about him very quickly by the way he lives his life.

So, while he may not be romantic according to the world, he is to me. And when I think about what inspires me to write sweet love stories, I believe my husband is why. I want my readers to see everyday men in my heroes—men they could come in contact with. Like my husband, the characters in my stories are flawed and most don’t adhere to the typical romance-style we watch on Hallmark. They are real men. They are rough and tough sometimes. They are practical, but also generous. They are doting but hold tight to their masculinity while doing so. They are handsome, but not always put together in the perfect suit or trendy model-worthy outfit.

They are the Prince Charmings of reality. They may not be typical, according to most romantic movies on Hallmark, but they’re absolutely worthy. They’re the ones we, women, encounter in everyday life. These men, those like my husband, are the ones who inspire me to write about love. They’re real Prince Charmings waiting to snatch you up as their princess.

~*~
Author Bio:

Kristen holds a Master's degree in Theological Studies and served as a Children's Ministry Director for five years. 

She cherishes her Southern roots and currently lives forty-five minutes outside of Atlanta, GA. 

With the support of her husband and two children, she stays at home writing Christian fiction, allowing God to take the story where He needs it to go. 

Kristen blogs for Wholly Loved ministries at WhollyLoved.com and Crosswalk.com. She also loves serving her local church on their women's leadership and teaching team.

~*~
Blurb for Kristen's book, Morning Star:

Addie McHenry, restoration home builder extraordinaire, catches her big break when the House to Home network contracts her to film a reality TV show focusing on how she brings homes back to life. She sets her sights on one of the oldest on Moanna’s beach and has to risk everything just to get it. 

Shane Armstrong moved from Savannah to his grandmother’s Moanna oceanside house when his world shattered five months before. He went on leave from his job as a Coast Guard helicopter rescue swimmer, hopeful his grandmother’s peaceful street will help him heal. The reality TV show’s arrival threatens this serenity.

But the construction and camera crews are nothing compared to Addie herself. She’s tough as nails, challenging, and superbly bossy as she works to get her way. But she’s also kind, hardworking, and has a relationship with God Shane can’t begin to understand.

With each encounter, Shane’s walls start to crumble as Addie brings more than just the historical home back to life, but him as well. Addie tries desperately not to enjoy spending time with the irritable and scowling boy from next door. He hides his heartache well, but she sees it there behind his prickly exterior. Soon she begins to uncover the sacrificial hero underneath the façade.

With both of them only temporary residents on Moanna Island, their thin ice relationship crashes to a halt. Can Shane return to his risky job with the Coast Guard? Does he even want to? And can Addie let him go and follow her dreams even when tragedy strikes?

~*~
Connect with Kristen:
Website: https://www.kristenterrette.com
Amazon Author page: https://amzn.to/2RLmJ2t
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkristenterrette
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kterrette
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kterrette/

~*~
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Fall into Love: Sherri Stewart's story

A Different Kind of Handsome
A Fall into Love story by Sherri Stewart

As I reflected on one of the lessons my main character, Nicole, deals with in my book Très Chic, I realized that some of my other books feature the same lesson. Simply put, Nicole, a flight attendant, judges a man based on outward appearance. How superficial, I thought. Don’t most people overcome that in their teenage years?

In Très Chic, Nicole is set up on a date with a scruffy-looking guy with bloodshot eyes. They enjoy a wonderful evening, but Nicole has planned her future around a debonair passenger who flies first class every Monday on her New York-to-Paris flight. Patrick—she knows his name because she checked the manifest—hasn’t given her a second glance, but she doesn’t give up and even enlists Scruffy-Guy’s help.

In two other books, the female characters make assumptions about the male leads based on their outward appearances. Of course, looks are deceiving, and the men’s inner strength, compassion, and convictions win the women over. Nothing original here. Turn on any Hallmark movie, lower the volume, and just by looking at the male characters, you can predict that the guy with stubble growing on his face will be the hero of the story, while the man in the Brook Brothers suit will make an involuntary exit.

So why did I choose that lesson? I didn’t; it chose me because I’ve had to deal with judging others on outward appearances. I’m a starer. You won’t find that word in the dictionary, but it describes a person who, like me, watches people. For some reason, starers believe that others won’t notice that they’re staring at them. But sometimes, they do. Then we starers glance away and look for the nearest exit. I’ve read that writers are great observers of life around them. I like that—it puts a better spin on the act of staring.

I married a scruffy-looking guy. We met in a diner. I taught French in a high school full time during the day but couldn’t make ends meet without working a night job. The first time I saw him I wasn’t impressed. He sat on a stool at the counter and showed me how to make a proper cup of tea. Not the kind where you float a teabag in a cup of hot water, but the kind where you steep the tea in a pot. He worked for a hockey team. I wasn’t impressed. I’d never liked hockey. But then he asked me out, but not only that, he told me I could pick any restaurant. I was in Hog Heaven. Imagine choosing a restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, when your diet consists of different flavors of Ramen Noodles. Bill Gates and Apple hadn’t been born yet, so I conferred with friends, students, faculty members, and finally chose Anthony’s—an Antebellum restaurant—très chic! Two years later, we had our wedding reception there.

It takes time to fall for a scruffy-looking guy. His clothes needed pressing and his car smelled like a locker room. It came by the smell honestly—the backseat was full of hockey skates. But I noticed things about him—the way he searched for a watering can for a Russian defenseman who was having trouble growing a houseplant. Or the way he always brought me back a candy bar or a keychain from whatever city they were playing in.

I learned to love hockey—I’ve been to over a thousand games—and we’ve been married for forty years. He still doesn’t care about a crease in his pants, and he leaves crumbs on the table, but my husband is a kind, thoughtful, sensitive, trustworthy, gentle, loving man.

Appearance can get in the way of sound judgment. In I Samuel 16:7, God warned Samuel about Saul. “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” I’m so glad I wasn’t deceived by the polished, debonair Patricks of my youth, but gave the scruffy guy a second glance.

~*~
Author Bio: 

Sherri Stewart loves a good suspense novel. She started writing almost seven years ago and hasn’t stopped. Her careers as teacher, principal, lawyer, and flight attendant have allowed her to draw on personal experiences. 

Her membership in Word Weavers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and The Christian Pen have helped her hone her skills.

She lives in Orlando with husband Bobby, son Joshua, and dog Lily. When not writing or editing, she likes to walk and swim. 

But her favorite thing is traveling to places to research her books. Her first novel won a Word Weavers award for suspense novel, and three others have won Tapestry awards. You can reach her at www.stewartwriting.com. She’d love to have you join her shortlist.

~*~
Book Blurb for Très Chic: Nicole has her eye on Patrick Duryea, the passenger in 3B on her weekly New York-to-Paris flights. He doesn’t know it yet, but she’s going to marry him someday. That is, if he can satisfy the requirements on her list of ten attributes of a perfect husband.  

The other man in her life, her friend Sal, whom she met on a blind date, sets out to prove that lists don’t work when it comes to love, and he’s willing to help her win over the elusive passenger to prove his point. 

When push comes to shove onto a New York street, will Nicole’s list fail or prevail?

~*~

Buy Sherri's book on Amazon

~*~
Connect with Sherri:
Amazon Author Page - https://www.amazon.com/author/sherristewart/
Email - sherristewart2@yahoo.com
Website - www.stewartwriting.com/blog
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sherristewartauthor/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/machere
Goodreads -
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/758893.Sherri_Stewart/blog
~*~
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Cozy Christmas Reads: Interview with the author of Christmas Trinkets

Interview with LoRee Peery, author of Christmas Trinkets:

Alexis: What was the inspiration behind your story’s title?

LoRee: Last year while I watched Hallmark movies, I made a note to incorporate a piece of antique jewelry in my next Christmas novella. As executor for several relatives, my husband inherited a plethora of interesting jewelry and old items. I’m a tactile person and I love to touch those pieces, wondering about the stories behind them.

Alexis: Hayley Wolfe is your story’s heroine. What are her goals, motivation and conflict in this story?

LoRee: At first, Hayley’s only goal is a successful business. Then she meets Kameron. Motivated by growing up without a father present, she wants Kameron to realize how blessed he has been by his adoptive family. Conflict enters over the fact he doesn’t share her faith and she becomes pushy to share hers.

Alexis: Kameron Kohl is your story’s hero. What are his goals, motivation and conflict in this story?

LoRee: Kameron believes he should have never been born. He lives through the lost boys he writes about, which is his day-to-day goal. Hayley is a source of bright energy and forces him to switch his selfish focus to include others in his life. He also questions the Bible knowledge he’s never opened his heart to.

Alexis: Describe the special connection between your hero and heroine.

LoRee: Hayley and Kameron are lonely and don’t realize it until they meet. Each can identify with the way the other grew up. Once they conclude their jewelry was made to match, finding out the connection becomes a curiosity.

Alexis: Why does Hayley feel that she cannot always count on people?

LoRee: She’s lived a sheltered life, and became self-sufficient at an early age. Her mother moved them to a tiny town and immersed herself in an antiquities shop, which Hayley inherited. Questions about her absent father remained unanswered. She’s grown up relying on herself to trust the Lord.

Alexis: How did Hayley become a woman with strong faith in God? Highlight her journey.

LoRee: Hayley grew to trust the Lord as the only constant in her life. She attends the local church in Edgewood, which expanded into her family.

Alexis: How does she meet Kameron and what is her first impression of him?

LoRee: Kameron holds the door open for the father of Hayley’s best friend as they enter her shop. She’s a people person and tries to engage him in conversation. Kameron is in town to dog-house-sit for the pastor, who mentioned Auntie’s Antiquities as a good place for coffee and a place to write. She giggles at sight of his laptop on an antique marble-topped table. Then she sees him as good looking with brown eyes and a crooked nose, but preoccupied. She’s captivated and curious as she watches him work.

Alexis: When Kameron meets Hayley, what did he first notice about her? Why?

LoRee: He always has his head in his stories, but at first meet, Hayley distracts Kameron. Why had he looked into her amber eyes? He was aware of her as she moved around the place. How to shut her out so he could write? He studied every graceful move Hayley made. A woman had never before interrupted his concentration. Nice shape exposed in clingy athletic wear. Pretty. Then he sees her necklace.

Alexis: Why does Kameron have abandonment issues and how did that lead him to living a life without wanting God in the picture?

LoRee: As an infant, Kameron was left on the church steps. The pastor was single but lived with his sister, who adopted Kameron. If his mother didn’t value him, why does he even exist? He attended church because it was expected. He knows the Bible, but never let God’s Word penetrate his heart.

Alexis: How does God use Hayley to change Kameron as he’s falling for her?

LoRee: The main thing is that he changes his self-pity/station in life, to considering her. She influences him to look at people and life in a different way. His attitude toward his adoptive family, and the Bible he’s been exposed to, also switches to the positive.

Alexis: What role do actual Christmas trinkets play in this story? Explain.

LoRee: Hayley is passionate about family heirlooms, particularly jewelry. She found a double locket after her mother passed away. Kameron’s keychain matches her locket, obviously made by the dame designer. They discover a key and a connection that could only have been ordained by God. Another item that the pastor held onto is connected to Hayley’s grandmother.

Alexis: Why did you write this story, “Christmas Trinkets,” and what do you want your readers to remember most about it?

LoRee: I wrote the story because like Hayley, I’m curious about old items and the people who owned them. With such a romantic heart as mine, one thing led to another as I brainstormed. As in all my stories, I want there to be a spiritual take-away. Despite our place in the world, including the families we’re placed in, not one of us was born by mistake. God knew us before the beginning of time, and He covers everything that touches our lives. Nothing happens by chance. 

Alexis: If you could spend Christmas Eve with Hayley and Kameron, what would you do? Why?

LoRee: Oh, go to church with them in Edgewood. There’s a little white church with stained glass and copper-roofed steeple in the little town near where I live. As a child, I grew up attending a little white church like that. Christmas Eve was my absolute favorite time in the world. The Sunday school children lined up in the basement, youngest to oldest, and proceeded up the stairs and down the aisle to the front singing “Oh Come, All Ye Faithful.”

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, LoRee! Would you like to share closing thoughts?

LoRee: First, thank you, Alexis, for including my story in your Cozy Christmas Reads.

Second, no matter what negative memories you may carry from your own childhood, accept and forgive. For some reason, we humans have a tendency to expect too much from others, be they parents, children, or other Christians. Everyone makes mistakes. We don’t know what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes.

Third, take the time to relax this December, and ponder why we really celebrate. Hint: we can’t separate the cradle from the cross. Merry Christmas!

~*~
Author Bio: Christian romance author LoRee Peery writes to feel alive, as a way of contributing, and to pass forward the hope of rescue from sin. She writes of redeeming grace with a sense of place. 

LoRee clings to 1 John 5:4 and prays her family sees that faith. She has authored the Frivolities Series and other e-books. Her desire for readers, the same as for her characters, is to discover where they fit in this life journey to best work out the Lord’s life plan. 

She is who she is by the grace of God: Christian, country girl, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, friend, and author. She’s been a reader since before kindergarten.

~*~
Book blurb for Christmas Trinkets: She was looking for coffee and conversation. He was looking for a quiet place to write. What they found was a connection that would make this Christmas unforgettable.

Hayley Wolfe shares a kinship with the lost and lonely. Growing up without a father taught her that you can’t always count on people. Her strong faith in God taught her that her Heavenly Father is unshakable. When she meets Kameron Kohl at her antiques and coffee shop, she’s immediately drawn to his warmth and charm.

After being abandoned on the steps of a church as a baby, Kameron Kohl has spent his life rejecting God and meaningful relationships. After all, his own mother didn’t care for him, so why should anyone else. But Kameron never expected to meet Hayley Wolfe. Her faith in Christ, her inner beauty and selfless openness towards strangers, has Kameron falling for her hard.

When Hayley notices a connection between Kameron's keychain and the locket passed down to her from her mother, she wants to investigate further. Kameron refuses. As friendship turns to love, Hayley will have to rely on God to soften Kameron’s heart.

Will the connection between their Christmas Trinkets lead them to love or unanswerable questions?

~*~

Buy Christmas Trinkets on Amazon or Pelican

~*~

Connect with LoRee:
Website - www.loreepeery.com
Pelican - http://tinyurl.com/kwz9enk
Twitter - https://twitter.com/LoreePeery
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LoReePeery

~*~

Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below: 

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Join Denise Hunter for ‘The Convenient Groom’ Pre-Premiere Facebook Party

 

Exciting news for fans of Denise Hunter's stories: Her book The Convenient Groom is making its silver screen premiere as a Hallmark Channel Original Movie! Join Denise and other readers on Facebook on June 16th for a fun author chat party at 8:00 PM EDT (that's 7:00 Central, 6:00 Mountain, & 5:00 Pacific)! Denise will be chatting about the book, answering your questions about the book-to-movie process, and of course, there will be plenty of fun giveaways too: a $100 Amazon gift card and 25 signed copies of Denise's newest book, The Goodbye Bride!

The movie releases two days after the author chat party on Saturday, June 18th, 9 EDT/8 CDT. Click here for details and to find out more about the movie.

Get your copy of The Convenient Groom so you're ready for a fun book discussion. You can order your copy and find out more about the book here.

Hope to see you on June 16 for Denise's The Convenient Groom Pre-Premiere Facebook Party!

Love is in the Air: Author interview with Melissa Tagg

Happy Easter, my wonderful blog readers! I hope you attended a church program yesterday or today to celebrate the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God is SO good! He loves you truly, passionately and deeper than you can ever imagine! *John 3:16* If you do not already know Him, I encourage you to seek Him, trust, He's already waiting for you! :)

Today I am delighted to introduce one of my favorite reporters-turned-authors and friends, Melissa Tagg! She's been here before but I'm especially excited today because she's sharing the story about her latest book release, From the Start!

From the Start is a fictional story close to my real-life heart because the heroine, Kate Walker writes made-for-TV romance movie screenplays which is a dream career goal of mine and she's captured the love interest of a dashingly handsome, smart and funny hero like professional American football player Colton Greene! 

I loved this story from start to finish and highly recommend that you buy and read Melissa's book if you have not already!

Let's proceed to Melissa's author interview now so you can find out how wonderful From the Start is and what a gem the author is too! :)

*Interview questions by Alexis are in bold, answers from Melissa not in bold.

~*~

Alexis: Today is Easter Sunday (April 5)! What do you love the most about this holiday, Melissa? 

Melissa: I love what Easter is all about! Truly, it’s the most joyful and amazing event in history…the culmination of God’s love for us, the ultimate sacrifice. It’s just the best! But I also really like the candy.

How do you usually spend Easter? Share your favorite Easter memory.

I usually spend Easter with my family. I almost always end up at the church I grew up in for a special Easter morning breakfast and service and then go over to my grandparents’ house for dinner with my relatives. I love family time!

One of my favorite Easter memories is going to the passion play at my aunt and uncle's church. It always included thunder sound effects when Jesus was in the grave and Jesus rode in on a white horse at the end. Oh man, I loved that play. I grew up hearing about Jesus, attending Sunday School, seeing first-hand what vibrant faith looks like thanks to my parents and so many others. 

But there was something about seeing Jesus' death and resurrection reenacted in story-form year after year that drove home the amazingness and realness of what I believe. I'm praying this year to re-experience that same childlike awe and the heart-deep emotions that go with it as I celebrate Christ's resurrection. 

Earlier this month, you wrote a post on your blog titled “How I got my writing joy back.” Tell me about it.

Melissa: Sure, well, people can read the long story here: http://www.melissatagg.com/on-writing/how-i-got-my-writing-joy-back

But the short version goes like this: In 2014, I really struggled with my writing—specifically with writing my third book. I think quite a few factors contributed to that, but truly, by the end of the year I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep writing. I prayed a lot about it, told God I was willing to give the whole thing up…I just didn’t like the stressed-out, wrung-out person I’d become. And amazingly, it’s like deciding I was willing to give it all up freed something in me. God did something so awesome in my heart…I can’t even really explain it. Again, the long version on my blog goes into more detail. But it really does boil down to God renewing my spirit and giving me my joy back. And I’m so grateful!

What would you say is the most difficult part about being a novelist? What is the easiest and what is the most rewarding?

Definitely the hardest thing for me is balancing writing with the rest of my life. That’s a struggle and something I’m still working on.

The easiest for me is writing dialogue. I think it’s the thing that comes most naturally to me, and it’s definitely where I have the most fun in a story! The most rewarding, hands-down, is hearing from readers—specifically, hearing a line or a character or story in general in some way impacted, encouraged or challenged them.

Okay now let’s talk about what I know you’re excited about, the release of your latest book, From the Start! I’ve read it, loved it and you can count on a five-star rating from me! But tell me, what do your readers not know about what it took for you to write and publish this book?

Oh man! Well, hmm, here’s one thing I haven’t really shared too much about the writing of this book. About two weeks before the original deadline for this story, I tore the entire story apart. I mean, seriously, tore. it. apart. This made for an incredibly stressful couple weeks…thankfully my editor was incredibly gracious, let me turn in a story that needed a LOT of work and gave me extra time to finesse the draft.

As an aspiring screenwriter, I loved that your main character Kate Walker in From the Start churns out “made-for-TV” romance movie screenplays! What a dream career! How did you think of Kate? Did anything from your personal experience inspire you as you created this character?

Okay, don’t hate me, but I actually don’t really like Hallmark movies! I know, I know, that’s such a horrible thing to admit. And I know there are some good ones out there. But somehow I seem to have only seen the bad ones and it soured me toward them. So I started to think, what would it be like to be writing movies…and to not like the movies you’re writing?

Also, I have a friend who writes fiction…but she really doesn’t like writing romance. Like, not even a little bit. And over the years I’ve encouraged (i.e. nagged) her to let her characters dabble in romance a little more. Maybe even, gasp, fall in love.

I think those two things combined helped form Kate in my mind. Probably even more than that, Kate really struggle with feeling like she’s making a difference through the stories she writes. She feels like she should be writing something deeper, heavier, grittier. And I can relate to that.

Your hero in From the Start, NFL quarterback Colton Greene sounds like a hottie with a brain and a great sense of humor. I loved reading the interactions between him and Kate! What was the most challenging part of writing this character named Colton? How did you overcome those challenges?

Definitely the biggest struggle in writing Colton was simply the fact that he’s a football player…and prior to writing this story, I had just about zero interest in football. I have no idea why I decided to make him a football player! Thankfully, several football-loving friends really helped me out. One in particular was hugely helpful. He answered all my questions, even sent me some YouTube videos, and ended up giving me a football story that changed the direction of Colton’s spiritual journey.

Did any part of From the Start take play from your real-life love story?

Ooh, you know, not so much. I just finished writing my fourth book and in that book, there are definitely moments taken from my own, ahem, romantic history. But Kate and Colton’s romance is pretty much straight out of my imagination.

You mentioned in a blog post somewhere a few weeks ago that you poured a lot of yourself into From the Start and were more vulnerable than usual. What do you mean? Explain in detail.

Well, I almost don’t want to admit this, but I think the reason From the Start was so hard to write is that I prodded much deeper into my own emotions in this story than I have in the past. There are big pieces of me in all the stories I write, but From the Start probed some of my more vulnerable places. My heroine, especially, embodies some of my own insecurities. She struggles to feel like she’s doing something important with her life. She wishes she were as brave as the characters she writes. She has trouble admitting what she wants and how she feels, even to the people closest to her. All of which is very...me. And so writing her story was emotional for me because, well, I felt like I was baring my own heart and vulnerabilities.

Working as a grant writer is your day job. When do you find time to write all of these wonderful, full-length, creative and so good novels?

It’s definitely an exercise in balance…and not one I’m always that good at! (Also, thanks for the kind words about my novels!) My writing schedule differs from season to season, depending on where I’m at deadline-wise. But when I’m in the throes of drafting a book, I tend to rise early and write for an hour or so before work, and then fit another couple hours in in the evening. I’m usually writing a couple Saturdays each month as well.

What are you working on now? Tell us about your next novel.

I actually just turned in my fourth novel! It’s called Like Never Before and those who’ve read From the Start will recognize both main characters—Logan Walker and Amelia Bentley. Logan Walker is a former reporter turned political speech writer and Amelia is the editor of the Maple Valley newspaper.

Describe your writing space. What makes it special to you?

I actually write all over the place. I have a writing room with a desk and a big white board, so I do a lot of work in there. But I also love sitting in bed, under the covers, laptop in my lap. Or on my comfy couch. Or in this rocking chair that used to be my grandparents'.

What is your favorite season? Why?

Autumn. I love everything about it. The crisp air. Pretty leaves. Everything pumpkin. Apple cider. Bonfires. And now, surprisingly, I even kinda like football!

What is your go-to food or drink when you’re on deadline?

Baby carrots. Grapes. Pretzels. And yes, M&M's! Ms. I also always have coffee, pop and water in front of me when I write.

What was your favorite scene to write in From the Start?

I have several favorites but one of my very favorites is when Kate and Colton first meet…in Kate’s bedroom…rather surprisingly. I giggled so much during that scene!

What do you want your readers to remember the most about your book, From the Start?

In From the Start, both Kate and Colton have a very clear picture in their heads of what their lives should look like. And every decision they make in the first half of the book is an effort to make those pictures in their heads a reality. But they both learn, slooowly and at times not-so-smoothly, that God might be weaving together a completely different picture. 

He (God) uses change and circumstance, reshapes broken dreams and heals wounds...He’s been there, at work, from the start. And there’s great peace and confidence in that truth…I hope readers take that away.

Complete this sentence: At the end of the day, I am ____________ because ____________.

At the end of the day, I am hopeful because I have big dreams and serve an even bigger God.

Thanks for the interview, Melissa!

~*~
Author bio: 

Melissa Tagg is a former reporter and total Iowa girl. In addition to her homeless ministry day job, she is also the marketing events coordinator for My Book Therapy, a craft and coaching community for writers. 

When she's not writing, she can be found hanging out with the coolest family ever, watching old movies, and daydreaming about her next book. 

Melissa loves connecting with readers at www.melissatagg.com and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.


Buy Melissa's book, From the Start:

Amazon, http://amzn.to/19TnO12

Barnes and Noble, http://bit.ly/1IfdQpZ

Books-A-Million, http://bit.ly/1xPltQh

Christianbook.com, http://bit.ly/1GUROau


Connect with Melissa:

Website: www.melissatagg.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorMelissaTagg

Instagram: melissatagg

Twitter: @Melissa_Tagg