My sixth Inspirational Romance novel, Grafted into Deceit, came
out just a few months ago. I’m super excited about how God moved in that
process from the beginning of the story idea all the way through to the
publication of it. I’m working on the sequel now, and I’ve also been asked to
be a part of an upcoming novella collection. I feel so blessed!
That is exciting. Tell
us a little about your family.
My husband, Dan, and I live northwest of Atlanta . We will celebrate our 30th
anniversary next summer and hope to take a two-week road trip. We have two
grown children, one of them is married. We are Mama and Daddy to a spoiled
rotten Chihuahua
named Posey. Life isn’t always easy, but we always feel blessed.
Has your writing
changed your reading habits? If so, how?
Yes, I usually read in the genre that I’m currently writing.
It helps me to “get into” my story better.
What are you working
on right now?
The sequel to Grafted into Deceit. I haven’t
titled it yet, but it starts off with gunfire at a wedding.
What outside
interests do you have?
I love to swim. I also enjoy hanging out with friends and
taking vacations to the beach.
How do you choose
your settings for each book?
I don’t choose them. They choose me.
If you could spend an
evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?
I’d love to spend time with some of my ancestors. I’m
fascinated with genealogy and would just love to hear the stories of how my
family came to America .
I’m a second
generation American on my father’s side. A cousin did an extensive generational
search. I used some of the stories in the novels in my Brides of Minnesota collection. What is the one thing you wish you
had known before you started writing novels?
How long the process to publication is. And I wish I’d been
warned about rejection—that it is inevitable.
What new lessons is
the Lord teaching you right now?
Endurance. Running the race and staying in it until the end
(no matter how it ends) is vital.
Some people think it’s
about the goal, but it’s really about the process. What are the three best
things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?
Commit your writing to the Lord.
Practice, practice, practice.
Hold your projects with open hands.
I really like that
last one. Tell us about the featured book.
Grafted Into Deceit:
Disappearing
business funds and a missing dead body have Marina Acres doubting everyone—including
the detective who can't solve his case without her help.
When Marina Acres
launches an investigation to find her company's missing money, she becomes a
killer's target and uncovers a tangled vine of deception in the process.
Detective Steven Pennington, who suspects drugs are at the root of the problem,
must keep Marina safe from the killer while keeping himself from falling for
yet another victim. Marina
refuses to believe that her business partner could be part of a drug
trafficking ring, but when evidence points its finger at her, she must join the
fight with Steven to weed out the killer.
Here’s a link to Grafted Into Deceit: http://amzn.to/2AllFwt
Please give us the
first page of the book.
Marina Acres opened her eyes to utter darkness, except for
the sliver of mid-November moonlight that crept its way between the almost-bare
branches of overhanging trees. Her ‘85 BMW lay on the driver’s side in an
overgrown ditch smashed against a telephone pole. If her seatbelt hadn’t
restrained her, she’d probably have gone through the shattered windshield when
her car wrecked on her way back to the office.
Lifting a trembling hand to her aching forehead, she tried
to recall what had happened. Then a warm droplet of something landed on Marina ’s temple, trailed
its way down her right cheek, and trickled into her mouth. The question of what
had happened no longer seemed important. Blood poured from her head, and she
needed help. She spat and wiped the metallic substance off her tongue with a
shiver.
“Help! Can anybody hear me?”
The engine hissed echoing her cry for help.
How had she crashed?
She closed her eyes and tried to remember how she’d gotten
here in the ditch. She wasn’t far from her landscaping business’s property. Was
she? She last remembered passing the entrance to the O’Reilly’s Southern Hope
ranch, adjacent to her business.
Another droplet, thick and sticky, assaulted her face,
barged its way into her personal space, and forced her eyes open again. She
crinkled her brow but winced when more pain sliced across her forehead. Steam
from the engine wafted in the wind, and her gaze landed on something jutting
through the passenger’s side of her cracked windshield.
A man!
“Oh no!” She locked her hands over her mouth and fought not
to lose consciousness and the contents of her stomach.
Who is he?
Her suspicions that someone was using her landscaping company’s
money for personal gain had haunted her every waking moment for months. The
feeling that something was on the verge of happening had brought her back
tonight. Could this guy be part of whatever might be going on at the nursery?
Why else would someone be on foot all the way out here away from the town at
night?
“Hey, man, are you okay? Please, answer me.” She stretched
out her quivering arms, but because of the seatbelt, which no longer
represented security but confinement instead, she couldn’t reach him to see if
he was alive. She jerked the strap and pressed the release button six, seven,
eight times until finally her trembling fingers succeeded, and the seatbelt
dropped her with a thud against the driver’s side door.
She reached out to the man—was he dead?—but her arms quaked,
and she couldn’t get enough leverage to push her way to him. She needed to rest
and get her strength, then she could help him.
Nothing. Not even a groan.
Wow. This is a
departure from the other books of yours that I’ve read. I love it. How can readers
find you on the Internet?
Thank you, Sherri,
for sharing this suspense novel with me and my blog readers. We’re all eager to
read it.
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