Welcome back, Delia. Tell
us about your salvation experience.
What a precious memory! I was seven years old. My father’s
brother pastored a church in our neighborhood, and my parents had been
attending that church for about a year when I asked to be baptized. My parents
agreed, and my pastor-uncle baptized me in the precious name of Jesus. I still
remember how my heart beat a timpani rhythm while he placed my hands over my
nose and mouth, and spoke the familiar words I’d heard him say before other
baptismal ceremonies. He dipped me all the way under the water, and I came up
speaking in another tongue. It was the most amazing, unforgettable experience
of my life!
My salvation
experience was when I was 7 years old, too. You’re planning a writing retreat
where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why?
- Mac Lucado. No one says anything more beautifully and more “to the heart” than this man. How does he do it? I’d love to hear, from the man himself, about his writing journey, and how he comes up with such amazing, heart-stirring, life-changing turns of phrase.
- Beth Moore. She’s amazing, both as a writer and a speaker. I’d love to learn a little about both from her, in a relaxed setting like a private retreat.
- Stephen King. Surprising, I know, but he’s a successful, riveting author who’s scrabbled his way from the bottom to the top. A lot of hard-earned writing wisdom is stowed away in that admittedly dark brain. I’d love to shine a light on it and take away a bunch of gold nuggets.
- Debora Coty. Someone needs to be there to make us laugh, and besides…Deb’s a really good writer.
- Tanya Stowe. I can’t imagine planning a writing retreat without including my critique partner, co-author and friend, from whom I’ve learned so much on the craft of writing.
Do you have a
speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.
I don’t speak often, and I wouldn’t consider it a ministry,
per se. Most of my speaking gigs are writing-related. Occasionally I do share a
spiritual topic with a church group, and again, I do find a great deal of satisfaction
in doing so, but my real ministry is in writing.
What is the most
embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?
Hmmm….I can’t really think of anything, so I must not have
yet experienced a truly embarrassing writing-related moment. Well, there was
the time I sent a very private message to the entire Pelican Book Group author
loop…but that was more horrifying than embarrassing. I learned a valuable
lesson that day, though. I’m much better now about double-checking my recipient
list before hitting send on an email!
People are always
telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you,
too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?
I always say, “There’s no time like the present. Start
writing.”
Tell us about the
featured book.
Spring Raine is the first novel in a 4-book series called
Paradise Pines. The series takes place in Cambria—a charming, seaside village
on California ’s Central Coast Cambria
home with us on numerous occasions, and we’ve come to love this little town,
and the surrounding area. For a romance writer, Cambria
holds so many possibilities for creativity. And I have to admit, writing while
sitting in our friend’s living room, with the window open to the sound of the
ocean…well, there’s nothing else like it! I simply had to build a series around
this much-loved getaway location.
Here’s a blurb from Spring Raine:
An uncharacteristic, last-minute decision to do something “wild
and crazy” before entering the stressful world of forensic science sends Raine
Presley to Cambria , California
Declan Keller’s just minding his own business—literally—when
Raine drops into his world and turns it upside down. He’s far too busy carving
beautiful shapes out of chunks of wood to be babysitting a gal from Pasadena . Even so, his
father’s promise to an old friend obligates him, despite a looming deadline
that could make or break his career in the art world. He’s praying for anything
but Raine when she comes along.
Neither Declan nor Raine is prepared for the seemingly
divine influence of Paradise Pines—and Miss Angelina Love. A mysterious lady
who may or may not own the lodge, Miss Angie possesses an amazing talent for
mending ruffled feathers, spouting proverbs, and somehow bending even the most
determined of hearts to the power of love.
Please give us the
first page of the book.
For a moment she couldn’t breathe, and then the barest
whisper passed her lips—half spontaneous praise, half simple awe. “Oh my…I’ve
found Paradise !” From within her sporty little
red convertible, Raine Presley peered through a misty early March drizzle at
the most beautiful piece of land she’d ever seen. Paradise
Pines Lodge. Her home for the next few months.
Aside from the forest of tall Cambria
pines, which she had expected to see, the grounds boasted a huge number of
beautiful old sycamore trees—tall, stately, and dripping with silvery Spanish
moss. Moonlight glowed through the lacy fingers of hanging flora, creating a
somewhat haunting air, and a tiny shiver made its way up her spine. But not
enough to make her turn and leave. The beauty far outshone the slight
spookiness of moss in moonlight.
Square in the center of the surrounding forest of variegated
tree species, many of which Raine found unfamiliar, the lodge itself demanded
far more than a passing glance. The website had described Paradise Pines Lodge
as “spacious.” Raine chuckled as she pulled her car under the east carport, as
she’d been directed. Spacious was a blatant understatement. The place was huge,
and yet warmth and welcome radiated from within. Lights shone from every facing
window—and they were many. Two chimneys, one on each end of the lodge, sent
thin plumes of smoke spiraling into the sky.
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
I’m easy to find, especially if you take these shortcuts:
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