Welcome back, Sally. Tell
us about your salvation experience.
I accepted Jesus as my personal savior and was baptized when
I was twelve. I had been raised in the church, but I think one of the strongest
influences leading to my decision was the example of a Christian friend my age,
who was facing health issues. Her calm faith really struck home and helped me
see that I personally needed Jesus.
You’re planning a
writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be
and why?
What a fun thing to consider! I would invite Susan Anne
Mason, Tammy Doherty, and Emily C. Reynolds, all of whom write Christian
romance and have been my critique partners. I know they would have great ideas
if I got stuck on a plot problem and that we would have a blast! I would also
invite my friend Mary, who I met in an online writing group focused on
goal-setting. During the past year, after finding her faith more and more
important, she has decided to switch from another genre to writing Christian
fiction. I would enjoy getting to know her better, and I think she would get a
lot out of time with fellow Christian fiction writers.
Do you have a
speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.
I’m sorry to say that I’m not a public speaker. Two years
ago, after years of working with children’s Sunday school, I felt called to
lead a women’s Sunday school class. That was a big leap for me as far as
talking in front of people. It’s been very rewarding, though, and I’ve found
that God has equipped me, so who knows where I’ll be one day!
What is the most
embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?
Oh, I’ve done many embarrassing things in my life. The most interesting,
I think, happened about 25 years ago when I was at my friend Tammy’s house one
evening. (I will pause here to assure you there was absolutely no alcohol
involved.) We were sitting outside on her back porch when we saw these three
lights spinning around in a circle in the sky. We thought and thought and
thought and could not come up with a single idea of what they might be. I got
the brilliant idea to call the small local airport. I mean, we didn’t really
think it was aliens, but all the same, we sort of felt like we ought to ask.
So I called.
The guy on the other end of the line tried hard not to laugh
at me. Eventually he pulled himself together and explained that those lights
were coming from a car dealer who pointed big spotlights up into the sky and
that the light was bouncing off the bottom of the clouds, not coming from an
alien spaceship up above.
O—kay then! Not. Aliens.
I sounded like the biggest fool ever. How did I handle it?
Tammy and I laughed about it for years.
I love it! 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?
If someone tells me that they’d like to write a book, I
always say “Go for it!” If you want to write fiction, I recommend Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell
as a great introductory book on the craft of writing. If you want to write
non-fiction, I recommend starting with blog posts by Joanna Penn. And no matter
what you want to write, I recommend that you try to write every day. At first,
aim for 100 words a day—no matter what—and see what happens!
Tell us about the
featured book.
Love, Lies, and Homemade Pie is a brand-new release! It’s a contemporary
Christian romance and is the prequel to my Abundance Series. It’s set in a
small Missouri
When a woman who’s keeping secrets falls for a journalist
who’s digging for the truth, does the attraction between them stand a chance?
Cara Smith has a whole new life planned—a new name, a new
look, and a new hometown in Abundance, Missouri
Will Hamlin, editor of the local paper, can’t help but
wonder about the mayor’s new secretary. She’s clearly hiding
something—something that could be the big story the newspaper desperately needs
to stay afloat. But after Will’s initial inquiries fail to turn up anything, he
grows less interested in Cara’s past and more interested in winning her heart
with slices of pie and stolen kisses.
When a crime is uncovered at city hall just as Will unearths
Cara’s dark secret, the repercussions shatter their romance. Has Cara really
left her past behind? Can Will finally find a way to save the paper? And can
they each place their trust in God and together find freedom in the truth and
overcome the obstacles to their love?
I’ve loved your other
books. I’m eager to read this one. Please give us the first page of the book.
Monday, Aug. 4, 1980
Fear can really do a person in.
Oh, a little caution—the kind that makes a driver keep both
eyes on the road—is a good thing.
But too much fear can ruin a person’s life.
And starting today, at age twenty-seven, Cara Smith was
building a new life, trying to put fear behind her and become the person she
wanted to be.
Driving along the rural Missouri
A woman in a red business suit stood by the raised hood of
the vehicle, waving her arms.
The smart thing to do, the cautious thing to do, since Cara
was traveling alone, was to stop at the next gas station and ask the attendant
to call the highway patrol.
But something about the woman radiated small-town propriety.
Slightly frazzled small-town propriety, but propriety nonetheless. And she had
two little kids in her backseat.
Cara eased her foot onto the brake. Being smart and cautious
was one thing. Being downright unhelpful was another. Besides, wasn’t her new
life all about being brave? She pulled her white Volare onto the shoulder and
turned off the engine.
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
I have a website and I’m on Facebook, Twitter, and (more and
more) Pinterest!
Thank you, Sally, for
sharing this new book with my blog readers and me. I know they’ll be as eager
to read it as I am.
Readers,
here’s a link to the book.
Love, Lies, and Homemade Pie: An Abundance Series Prequel (The Abundance Series)
- PaperbackLove, Lies, and Homemade Pie: An Abundance Series Prequel (The Abundance Series Book 0)
- Kindle
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