I grew up in a Christian home so was always taught the gospel. I had some rebellious years as a young adult, but then came back to the Lord when I married my husband, Mark, over 28 years ago.
How did you and your spouse meet?
Through business. We were working for the same company at the time. When we married, I had to let go of the job—but Mark was worth it.
You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why?
I can’t limit it to four. I do have a writers’ retreat every year in our Idaho home. There are eleven of us. We each get a plotting session. We tend to plot in the mornings and early afternoons and then play the rest of the day. The group is also connected throughout the year via an email loop. We pray for and encourage each other. Published authors in the group include me, Trisha Goyer, Sharon Dunn, Robin Lee Hatcher, Karen Ball, Francine Rivers, Sunni Jeffers, and Tamara Alexander.
Sounds like a real fun group. Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.
I teach at writers’ conferences and do the emceeing at the ACFW conference each year. I’m open to speaking also, but the timing would have to be right. Unfortunately, I have to turn down far more invitations than I can take, due to my writing schedule.
What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?.
You know, I have real trouble remembering a terribly embarrassing moment. Probably because I just don’t embarrass easily. I figure nobody’s perfect, so if someone sees me do something stupid—well, that’s just what happens sometimes.
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 nod and say, “Good for you.” And ask them about their book ideas. Inside I’m thinking, “Don’t quit your day job.”
Final Touch is the third and final in the Rayne Tour series--young adult suspense co-written with my daughter, Amberly. If you haven’t read books one and two, Always Watching, and Last Breath, do that first! Don’t even read the rest of this answer or the first page of Final Touch, because it will be a spoiler for the first two books.
(I agree with Brandilyn on this.)
In Final Touch Shaley, daughter of a rock star, faces the biggest danger she’s ever faced. On the very day she’s dreamed of all her life, tragedy hits. Moments away from the wedding ceremony of her mom and dad--who was absent for most of Shaley’s life--Shaley is kidnapped.
Please give us the first page of the book.
“I’ve been dreaming of this day my entire life!”
Happiness bubbled within me until I could hardly contain it. Today my mom and my long-lost father were marrying. For the first time we’d be a family—a real family, living under the same roof. I’d come home from high school to a mom and a dad. How I’d begged God for that. How I’d yearned for it, ever since I was little and wondered where my father was. Who he was. Now I wanted to shout and sing and dance. And I may have, except that I was dressed to the nines as a maid of honor in beautiful coral silk, and I didn’t dare get sweaty.
Instead I gently cupped my hands around Mom’s cheeks. We smiled at each other. Then my throat started to tighten. Uh-oh. My mouth wavered, and so did Mom’s. Tears filled our eyes.
“Oh, no!” I pulled back and waved my hands in the air. “No-no-no, I do not want to cry!”
We both were fully made up, as were the other bridesmaids in the room, Brittany and Kim. The wedding would start in forty-five minutes. This was not the time to mess up our mascara.
“Here, Shaley.” My best friend, Brittany, thrust a tissue into my hand, then gave one to my mom. That’s Brittany—always ready. “Blot. Carefully.”
Mom and I smiled lopsidedly at each other as we pressed the tissues to the corners of our eyes.
I’ve seen my mom glamoured up for countless concerts and interviews. But I’d never seen her so beautiful as on this day. Her wedding gown was designer gorgeous, fitted at Mom’s slim waist, beaded all over, and with a long satiny train. Rimming the train were coral-colored little pearls, matching the bridesmaid dresses. Mom’s blonde hair was up, with a flower-topped veil attached and hanging to the floor as a gossamer layer over the train. She looked stunning. And not just because her make-up and hair were perfect. Because she was so happy on the inside. Gary Donovon, the high school sweetheart who’d been wrenched from her life eighteen years ago, would become her husband today.
“Looks good.” Kim, keyboard player for Mom’s rock band—named Rayne after Mom—smiled as she took the tissue from my mother’s hand and threw it away. “No more tears now.”
Mom shook her head, her face lit with joy. “No more tears.”
I love it. How can readers find you on the Internet?
Read about all my books, including first chapters, on my Web site: http://www.brandilyncollins.com/ . I blog at Forensics and Faith: http://www.forensicsandfaith.blogspot.com/ . I’m also on Facebook: www.facebook.com/brandilyncollins. And Twitter: www.twitter.com/brandilyn .
Brandilyn, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule for this interview with us.
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