Welcome back, Jackie.
Tell us about your salvation experience.
I was raised in a church, so I thought I was “good” with the
salvation check-box. But then one Sunday, when I was in my early teens, the
Lord impressed upon me the need to go up when they made the altar call. I
thought it was silly. I was good. I had this. I was a long-standing member and
all that. Ha!
Then He said I couldn’t ride into Heaven on my family’s coattails.
It was time for me to make the choice for myself. Would I serve Him? Would I
give my life and heart to Him? Once I realized He was being serious, I was up
there in a heartbeat, giving my live over to Him.
That is such a good
explanation about what needs to happen for those of us who grew up in the
church. You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other
authors. Who would they be and why?
Oh boy, that’s not a fair question at all. I have way too
many very dear writing friends to only pick four.
I will say this. My author buddies are the pillars of my
career. I so appreciate having friends with a common interest who understand
the struggles and challenges of this crazy profession we’ve somehow ended up
in. They pray for me, answer my questions, encourage me to not give up. What a
blessing from God each and everyone is. Which is why I can’t pick just a few.
Sorry.
I totally understand.
Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.
Ugh, I hate public speaking. However, I have found myself in
a couple of situations where I’ve taught a class or given a lecture at a writer’s
event or at church.
What is the most
embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?
How much space do I have?
I guess it was on one of our anniversaries. My husband had a
friend who worked in the hotel business and they set us up at a hotel in Dallas
Now when I say “bag” we had a duffel for our clothing and a
couple of Walmart bags to hold the last minute stuff like snacks and drinks,
shoes, etc.
We followed the address and pulled into the Adolphus.
For those who don’t know about this hotel, it’s old, prestigious,
and we were like the Beverly Hillbillies pulling into the drive in my husband’s
old beat up Ford truck and our Walmart bags. The valets were trying hard not to
laugh as we piled our stuff on the luggage cart.
I was completely embarrassed and knew we were totally out of
our element. But they were gracious and treated us in the same way they would
have treated any other visitor.
Eventually, I got over my embarrassment. My husband doesn’t get
embarrassed, though we decided to pretty much stay in our room. He didn’t even
own a tie, which was required to enter the lounge. I didn’t think my jeans would
be proper attire. We still had fun and have a great story to tell people, like
now.
I was at the Adolphus as a guest on the set of a movie. It is really posh. 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?
Get ’er done! Do it! What’s stopping you? Are you done with
it yet? =)
Tell us about the
featured book.
His withdrawal from
society and her need to prove her worth come to a head in this modern-day
Beauty and the Beast retelling.When Elisa Lucken's interior design company is hired to decorate the huge but neglected Grimwood Manor for an impromptu holiday gala, Elisa is put in charge of managing the indoor crew. The only catch is--do not disturb the reclusive Duncan Grimwood.
Thrilled and excited about her chance to finally prove herself, Elisa is so absorbed in her work she doesn't hear the blizzard warning that sends the rest of her crew home.
Jewelry Artisan Duncan Grimwood had a reputation of being a playboy until the motorcycle accident that left him damaged inside and out. After a year of recuperating,
Snowed in for the weekend with his unexpected guest,
My Beastly Billionaire is the first in the Grimwood Legacy Series. Check for the next book, My Charming Billionaire now on preorder.
Each book in this series can be read as a stand-alone in any order, however, it is recommended, for the best reading experience, that you read them in order.
Please give us the
first page of the book.
Elisa Lucken’s nervous gaze moved upward to take in the
expansive two-story stone mansion. The French Provincial might have been
beautiful if not for the pale gray sky and the bared trees whipping in the wind
like dancing skeletons. But from her perspective, Grimwood Manor reminded her
of the setting for one of those old horror movies.
The grounds were well-kept, but something about the shadowed
arched windows and tightly closed curtains that unsettled her. The request to
decorate Grimwood Manor’s front entrance and main first floor rooms had come
late in the season, leaving Elisa’s boss, Kelly Stewart scrambling to come up
with a sufficient plan for the unexpected project.
Thanksgiving was only two days away. Mr. Grimwood’s personal
assistant had said that her employer was hosting an impromptu party the
following weekend. If they finished the job before the end of November, they
would be given a substantial bonus. That was all Kelly Stewart, owner of Stewart
Designs, needed to hear. They would work right up to Thanksgiving Day, and hopefully,
have everything accomplished.
Elisa parked her Jeep behind the supply truck.
Kelly Stewart had scrounged through all her storage rooms to
gather what left-over decorations they could use to transform the massive home
into a spectacular holiday sanctuary. It was too late to order specially made
ornaments, and there was no time to spend on shopping. They had three other
jobs lined up over the next two weeks.
Most of Stewart Designs’ wealthy clients hired them in the
spring to decorate for Christmas. Elisa and Kelly spent March through June
planning, sketching and ordering so that as soon as Halloween was over, the
team could get to work turning the mansions into spectacular wonderland worlds
that would put Santa’s North Pole to shame.
Checking her reflection in the Jeep’s side mirror, Elisa
pulled her long brown hair over her shoulder and secured it with a band. Then
she applied a bit of lipstick to freshen her appearance. Billionaires seemed to
like their staff to look professional and well dressed. The cold front that had
blown through made Elisa choose a wool plaid skirt, black cashmere sweater and knee-high
leather boots over thick leggings hoping they’d keep her warm enough. The
larger houses often tended to be more drafty.
Elisa hurried to find Kelly, who’d parked her black Lincoln
With clipboard in hand, Kelly was already barking orders to
the staff on what to bring in. “Elisa, oh there you are,” she patted her chest
as if fearing she might suffer a coronary at any moment. “I feared you were
lost after I lost sight of you on the expressway. These out-of-the-way country
roads can be confusing. I’ll never understand the people who wish to live out
in the wilds.” Kelly lifted her Ray-Bans and glanced around at the surrounding
woods, then back to the towering building. “Stunning, isn’t it? I hear there’s
a private tennis court in the back acreage, along with a helicopter landing
pad, and a driving range. Though I doubt Mr. Grimwood gets to enjoy many
outdoor activities after his accident.”
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
Thank you, Jackie,
for sharing this new book with us. I know we’ll want to feature each of this
new series. One of the reviewers of my book The
12 Gifts of Christmas called it a Billionaire romance. They’re quite
popular right now.
Readers, here’s a link to the book.
Leave a comment
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