THEN THERE WAS GRACE - Tina Pinson - One Free Book

Welcome back, Tina. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

After the fourth in my Shadow Series, This Shadowed Land, comes out early 2014, I don't have any other books contracted. Yet.

Tell us a little about your family.

My husband Danny and I have been married for 33+ years, I have three sons, two daughters-in-law and seven grandchildren ranging from one to ten years old. Right now, hubby and I live in Arizona as does one of our boys, his wife, and three grandchildren. We miss being able to see the rest of the family as much as we used to when we all lived in Colorado.

Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

My writing has actually slowed some. I've spent more time in edits and marketing which cuts into my time. And probably more time wondering about readers and whether the next book will get their attention.

What are you working on right now?

I'm trying to finish a couple of books that have been languishing on the shelf. I also finished a novella, Black Rain, which looks at life in the coal camps during the Civil War. Joseph McCormick dreams of a life beyond the black world of coal, a darkness that lines the creases of his skin and probably filling his lungs with black death. He dreams of taking his family west to the sunshine, to open land, but it's hard enough to keep food on the table as it is.

With the conflict between the states on, he fears he’ll wake up and find his name on the conscription lists and he’ll end up going to war and leaving his family behind to fend for themselves. The only way he can get out of the draft is to save $300.00 and pay his way out, which would take a miracle. And miracles are hard to come by in his dark world. Joseph is holding on to faith, but when tragedy strikes he questions himself and God and wonders if he’ll ever be able to dream again. This is a prequel to a full-length novel Winds Across the Rockies that follows the family from the coal mines of the east to the silver mines of Leadville, Colorado.

What outside interests do you have?

I go to women’s bible study. I like to bike ride and walk. Although since we’ve been moving, we haven’t done much getting out. Hopefully now that we’re settling in, we can get out more. I like to grow vegetables but I so far I'm still getting the hang of how to do that in Arizona.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

My settings come from places I’ve visited or want to visit. Also from tidbits of lore about something that happened in that area. If I want to set my character in a specific time in history, then of course, I try to use the proper settings. Unless it’s a time travel where certain aspects of that point in history have been altered.

If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?

Maybe one of the presidents especially those who were in office during war time, like Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and even Bush 43. I think it might be interesting to talk to woman whose lost loved ones during the Civil War and get her view on the war and life during the that time. Forgive me. I can’t just pick one. I could get chatty with a lot of people through history. There is some much to know beyond what history books tell us.

That’s so true. What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

I don’t know if there’s one thing I wished to know before writing novels because I’ve been writing them since I was a girl. Now with what happens after getting published, all the heartaches and joys and waiting and marketing and editing and such, it might been nice to know more in each area. I read and asked others what they did, and while some things they did worked for me, others didn’t. I think at some point, you just have to walk through the process and learn the whys and wherefores and the things that work for you and don’t.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

What Grace really means. And how much He loves me. He’s also been teaching me to rely on Him.

What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

Well, I say don’t beat yourself up. Write your voice and heart. You weren’t called to write like someone else. Successful doesn't always mean you make gobs of money and get national recognition. Successful more often means using the talents you’ve been given and getting the story done.

Tell us about the featured book.

Then There Was Grace is the story of Adam Christianson. After seven years of marriage Adam is ready to leave his wife Grace, when he loses her in a terrorist attack, leaving him to raise their twin daughters Faith and Hope. Forcing him to take a look at himself and the woman he was ready to leave. As he begins to uncover the beauty of Grace and her love for him, he begins to see himself in a different light as well and learns that he is worthy of God’s grace for him.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Jostled and bumped, Grace managed to hold her balance as a crush of people moved her from the car and onto the platform. Clutching her belongings like a running back, she angled her way to the rail and held fast so she wouldn’t be carried away or trampled by the alighting hordes. Once the stream of people abated, she released her grip, took a deep breath, and pushed it out in a huff.

“You did it,” she told herself, a touch of pride in her words, her breath painting the crisp morning air.

She’d ridden the “L” alone and lived to tell about it.

“And ...” She took another breath. “You'll never do it again.” She chuckled and, holding her bags to her stomach with a trembling hand, headed down the stairs before the next train arrived and she found herself in another rush of people.

She wasn’t an adventurer by any means, but she had navigated the “L” on her own. She should have told Aimee to meet her at the hospital, but she decided to be brave. She’d put on her big girl panties and made her way in the wide world of Chicago.

She’d need a better pair of underwear next time she decided to go it alone, because this pair seemed to be fraying right along with her nerves.

Swinging her case to the cradle of her underarm, Grace checked the street signs against the GPS on her cell phone.

“Right stop,” she said, sucking a breath. “Thank heaven.” A few blocks north and she’d reach her destination. The Markham Towers.

Grace joined another group of people at the curb and waited for the signal to change. Once the light blinked to cross, she looked around and took a step, only to be forced back by the blare of a passing taxi turning right in front of her.

“Can’t you see the green light?” someone yelled and flipped off the driver, just as the crowd at the light moved into the street, darting through traffic even with the light on their side.

Grace remained on the curb, waiting for the lights to cycle again as she tamped down her mounting anxiety. This time when the light changed, she fell in amongst the new group of crossers, hoping they would protect her.

After maneuvering her way with the flow over a few blocks, she ducked into a storefront to get her bearings.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Tina's Blog

Twitter:@Tina_Pinson

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TinaEPinsonAuthor

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/tinapinson/

Book links for Then There Was Grace:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Thank you, Tina, for visiting with us today.

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