Bio: Shelley Shepard Gray writes Amish romances for
Harper Collins inspirational line, Avon Inspire and historical romances as
Shelley Gray for Harper Collins Christian Publishers. Her novels have been Holt
Medallion winners and Inspirational Readers Choice and Carol finalists.
Shelley’s novels have appeared on both the New
York Times and USA Today
bestseller lists.
To date,
Shelley has published over fifty novels for a variety of publishers. Her novels
have been highlighted in the Philadelphia
Enquirer, Washington
Post, Time Magazine, and USA Today.
She has also been interviewed on National Public Radio as well as numerous regional radio
stations.
Welcome back, Shelley. As an author, I know it
takes a lot of people to birth each book. Who were the people involved in the
birthing of this book, and what were their contributions?
Yes! There
certainly were a lot of people involved in making this book a reality! Two
people who were instrumental in the planning and plotting of this series were
Laurie Smith and Lynne Stroup. These ladies are not only friends, they are also
my assistants. We often travel together. When we had to take a detour one
evening on our way from Berlin
to Sugarcreek, we drove through Charm. All three of us knew it would be a
perfect setting for a series.
The next
person who was instrumental in the birth of A Son’s Vow was my
editor, Chelsey Emmelhainz. After I wrote her about my ideas, she gave me a
call and we fine-tuned both the novel and the series’ direction. She also
encouraged me during the editing process to dig deeper into some of the story
lines.
Finally,
I’m indebted to Julia Meltzer, who copy edits the manuscript. Julia has a sharp
eye and caught all sorts of tiny discrepancies. Her work on the novel made it
that much better.
If you teach or speak. What’s coming up on your
calendar?
First off,
just attended my literary agencies writing cruise in January. I spoke one
morning about my writing journey. I also love to visit libraries and speak with
patrons, so I’ll be visiting several this Spring in Ohio
and Indiana .
If you had to completely start over in another
place, where would you move, and why?
Since it’s
currently 5 degrees here in my town in southern Ohio , I think it would be wonderful to move
somewhere warmer! One thing I particularly loved about my visits to Sarasota , Florida ,
when I was doing research for my Pinecraft books was how nice it was to go
walking outside in February.
If you could only tell aspiring novelists one
thing, what would it be?
There are
so many things I’d love to share that might be helpful, but I think perhaps the
most important advice is to not give up. Writing is a challenging profession
and it’s sometimes hard for an author to remain positive and continue writing,
especially if she has received some tough critiques from judges or publishing
professionals. Criticism is part of the territory, but if an aspiring novelist
truly loves to write, then she needs to focus on staying positive and keep
writing every day!
You’ve been asked to be in charge of a celebrity
cruise. Who would you ask to take part, and why? (AS in what program, singers,
etc. [it doesn’t have to be writing related])
LOL! I
don’t watch a lot of television, but I have to admit to being a big fan of The Voice and American Idol. If I could book celebrities for that, I’d book some
of the folks who’ve either participated or judged these shows. I can’t sing at
all but I truly admire people who can!
Tell us about the featured book.
A Son’s
Vow
is the first book in this year’s Charmed Amish Life series. This romance
centers around Lukas, the eldest son in the Kinsinger family. The lumber mill
that their family owns has recently been struck by tragedy and he’s doing his
best to both run the mill and hold his family together. The heroine in the book
is Darla. Darla’s father perished in the fire, but there’s also a bit of
mystery around him and his role in the mill’s tragedy. Lukas and Darla fall in
love while negotiating a rocky road to redemption and forgiveness.
Please give us the first page of the book.
March 20
It was
another picture-perfect day in Charm.
The sky
was pale blue, quietly complementing the acres of vibrant green farmland as far
as the eye could see. Spring lambs had arrived. They were frolicking in the
fields, their eager bleats echoing through the valley. The morning air was not
too chilly or too damp. Instead, a hint of warmth teased, bringing with it as
much hope as the crocus buds that peeked through the dark dirt of the numerous
clay pots decorating cleanly swept front porches.
It was the
type of morning that encouraged a person to go out walking, to smile. The type
of day that reminded one and all that God was present and did, indeed, bestow
gifts.
In short,
it was the type of day that used to give Darletta Kurtz hope. A day like this
should have made her happy, revitalized her. It should have made her want to
pull out a pencil and one of her many notebooks and record the images she saw
and list activities she wanted to do.
It was the
kind of day she used to love and maybe, just maybe, take for granted.
Where can we find you on the Internet?
I have a website, www.shelleyshepardgray.com.
I’m also on Twitter @ShelleySGray, and on Facebook at Shelley Shepard Gray. I
hope folks will reach out to me and tell me what they thought of my latest
novel!
Thank you, Shelley, for sharing the first book in this new series with us. I really loved your Pinecraft series, and I'm sure this one will be as good or better.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
A Son's Vow - Christianbook.comA Son's Vow: The Charmed Amish Life, Book One - Amazon
A Son's Vow: The Charmed Amish Life, Book One - Kindle
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
19 comments:
Shelley Shephard Gray is an exceptional write and I would love to be the winner of A Son's Vow. Thank you for the opportunity.
Melanie Backus, TX
I was privileged to meet Shelley she made an author visit to the public library where I worked for 22 1/2 years. She was very personable and she gave a wonderful reading. I look forward to this new series.
Blessings!
Connie from KY
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com
I love Shelley's books. Would love to win this one. Angela in KY
I, too love Shelly's writing and this one sounds wonderful from the excerpt! I enjoyed the author interview, thanks for sharing with us :-)
Trixi in OR
This sounds like an interesting story that I would enjoy reading.
Linda in CA
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
I do love Amish stories. I hope to catch up with this series soon.
Mary P
QLD AUSTRALIA
I have been looking forward to this book of Shelley Gray's, in particular. The Blurb is so appealing.
Terrill - WA
I love Shelley's books and look forward to reading this next book. Elaine in Wiscsonsin
I just bought Shelley's last series -- would love to win this one. She's awesome!Thanks for the opportunity!!
Diana in SC
Shelley's books will draw you in on the first page and you won't want to put it down. I'm positive this book will be the same.
Amish fiction is my favorite genre to read. I would love to read Shelley's new book. Sounds like a wonderful start to a new series. Thanks for the chance to win Lena.
marypopmom (at) yahoo (dot) com
Maryann in NY
She's one of the great authors. kamundsen44ATyahooDOTcom. North Platte Nebraska.
Enter me in your amazing contest!!
Conway, SC.
Shelley is one of my favorite authors. I really love Amish fiction. I'd love to win.
Brenda in VA
I enjoy Amish fiction and Thai you for all research you do to write your books. Sm. wileygreen1(at)yahoo(dot)com
Love is reading my favorite genre - Christian Amish Fiction. Can't wait to read this!
susanlulu@yahoo.com
Susan in NC
I've never read a book by this author, but I like the opening.
-Melissa M. in TN
One of my very favorite authors! I look forward to this new series. Amish books are a favorite of mine.
Beth from IA
Shelley Shepard Gray books are at the top of my MUST read list whenever there is a new one. Would love to win to share with my Dad who loves Amish fiction!
Pam in OH
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