Welcome back, Lisa. God has really been
moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?
Someone recently asked me how I deal with writer’s block. I
had to think about that because honestly, as long as I’m praying, my writing
doesn’t often slow down. So right at the moment, the horizon has several ideas
percolating. It’s exciting and a little exhausting. J
Tell us a little
about your family.
Last month I celebrated 26 years of marriage with the love
of my life, Charles. We have two children. Harley is 24 and wants to go into
IT. Chloë is majoring in secondary education at the University of Mississippi
Has your writing
changed your reading habits? If so,
how?
That’s a really interesting
question. I write romantic comedy, and that’s still my preferred genre for
reading. I will say, though, being a part of a good group of authors has
changed the way I read. I see mistakes and questionable writing that I didn’t
see before—and that includes in my own earlier work. Yikes.
What are you working
on right now?
I’m working on two different books, and I’m trying really
hard to focus on one. It’s a romance, of course, but it has a heavy element of
suspense. In fact, it starts out with the heroine locked in the trunk of a car.
Although I’ve written a bit of light suspense in a couple of books, this much
suspense is really out of my wheelhouse, so it’s taking me a lot longer to
finish this book. But I’m pretty excited about it.
What outside interests
do you have?
I love crafting and creating, but I joke that my creative
visions don’t always translate from my brain to my hands. Fortunately, I work
for a faith-based non-profit organization, and I’m able to create a lot of
printed things like postcards, T-shirts, staff gifts, and that type of thing.
How do you choose
your settings for each book?
I’m a Texas Texas
If you could spend an
evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?
Wow, that’s one of the hardest questions I’ve ever been
asked. In fact, I think I answer it differently every time I’m asked. So many
people have so much to offer, from wisdom and faith, to knowledge, to plain old
fun. A few I can think of would include Teddy Roosevelt, C.S. Lewis, Sojourner
Truth, Harriet Tubman, Eleanor Roosevelt, Susan B. Anthony, the apostle Paul,
Minnie Pearl … I did say it was a tough question, didn’t I?
What is the one thing
you wish you had known before you started writing novels?
Another toughie! I’ve learned so, so much from you and other
authors since I first started publishing. I really can’t pick just one thing.
What new lessons is
the Lord teaching you right now?
I’ve been in a season lately where I can’t get enough of His
word. I realized—or maybe I should say I remembered—a few weeks ago, when I’m
in the Word, and the Word is in my heart, there’s no room for the enemy.
There’s just not. And that’s where I want to be all the time.
What are the three
best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?
First, just write. So many people have a story inside them,
but they don’t think they can do it. You never know if you don’t write it.
Second, develop the ability to accept feedback from other authors and yes,
critics (on Goodreads, Amazon, etc.). Even if the feedback is negative, it may
be something you need to hear about your work. Finally, and this one really is
my first piece of advice, pray. I really do pray about my writing, and so far,
God has answered my prayers abundantly.
In my life, your last
piece of advice is most important. Prayer. And I agree with you that God will
answer your prayers and give you more than you could ever come up with on your
own. Tell us about the featured book.
Since I started publishing, I’ve tried to write a short
story or novella as a Christmas “gift” for my readers. I offer it for free for
the length of time Kindle will allow, and $.99 after that. This particular
story came from a word puzzle in which two phrases—gingerbread man and man of
my dreams—were joined. I thought it was one of the funniest things I’d ever
heard, and my imagination took off. The funny thing is, the title is usually
the last thing I come up with when I’m writing. In this case, the whole thing
was based on my wanting to use that title, The Gingerbread Man of My Dreams.
I also want your readers to note something about the heroine
in this novella, Nixie Daniels. So many romances have these petite little
heroines, and the hero is always gazing down at her or picking her up or
protecting her. Nixie is six-foot-two. The hero, Rye Larson, is just over six
feet. Nixie doesn’t believe most men will think she’s beautiful because of her
height. This issue is kind of near and dear to my heart because my beautiful,
brilliant, godly daughter is six-foot-two. The number of young men who have
been unable to see past her height is heart-wrenching, and I specifically
wanted to write a hero for her, the kind of man I pray God is shaping for her
now.
Please give us the
first page of the book for my readers.
Nixie Daniels slowed as she turned into the cul-de-sac.
Unbelievable.
Her driveway was completely blocked by a moving truck. She
knew the house beside hers had sold, but she’d hoped the new people would be
nice. Friendly even. But no, they were the kind of people who left their moving
truck so it blocked someone else’s driveway.
She parked in the street, grabbed her things, and stomped up
the drive to her front door. Juggling her laptop bag, her purse, and her lunch
bag, she managed to find her keys. As she unlocked the door, she mentally
grumbled about the new neighbor.
Normally, she’d be parking in her garage, and she’d be out
of the frigid wind. In fact, she’d already be inside by now. Ah, well. Getting
all riled up wouldn’t do any good. They’d move the truck soon enough.
She set her things down on the island in the kitchen,
listening for the sound of claws clicking on the hardwood floors. Sure enough,
Totino came skidding into the kitchen, managing to stop before he slid into
Nixie’s legs. The slender Italian greyhound sat in response to her command,
then offered a delicate paw.
Nixie shook his paw, then scrubbed her fingertips around his
ears. “Who’s a handsome boy? Who’s the best dog in the world? That’s right.
Totino is. Tino’s the best doggie ever.”
She opened the back door, and Totino bounded out. He ran a
few laps around the perimeter of the yard, following the fence. He sniffed the
air in the direction of the neighboring house, then barked, his sharp voice
loud in the relative quiet of the evening.
“Shut up already!” Another voice—this one human—came from
the house next door.
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
I don’t have an author page on Facebook, but I’m pretty
active on my personal page as Lisa Miller Crane. I frequently ask my Facebook
friends and followers questions; you never know when you might get to help me
name a character. I’m also on Twitter and Instagram as @happyheart1993. My
email address is happyheart1993@yahoo.com,
and I love to hear from readers.
Thank you, Lisa, for
sharing this new book with my blog readers. I know they will love it as much as
I did.
Readers, here’s a link to the book.
The Gingerbread Man of My Dreams: A romantic Christmas novella
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the ebook.
You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us
where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America . (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, 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:
