Author Bio: Jo
Huddleston is a multi-published author of books, articles, and short stories.
Her debut novels in the Caney Creek Series and her latest book, Wait
for Me are sweet Southern romances. She is a member of ACFW, the
Literary Hall of Fame at Lincoln Memorial University (TN), and holds a M.Ed.
degree from Mississippi
State University
Welcome back, Jo. God
has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?
Now that Wait for Me has released I’ll have
more time to spend on Book 2 in the West Virginia Mountains Series.
Tell us a little
about your family.
I live in the U.S. Southeast with my husband and near our
two grown children and four grandchildren. I’m an only child and my husband’s
sisters live in another state so the ten of us are it.
Has your writing
changed your reading habits? If so, how?
Yes, writing has changed my reading habits. I have less time
now to read for pleasure. I read a lot of writing craft books.
What are you working
on right now?
I’m working on Book 2 in the West Virginia Mountains Series.
I don’t have a title yet. I usually get my titles from a scene or chapter in
the book.
What outside
interests do you have?
My church, having lunch with friends, attending in-home
Bible studies, and, of course, my grandchildren.
How do you choose
your settings for each book?
I write sweet Southern historical romances. We’ve lived in
four states in the U.S. South and spent time in the rest of them. I’m a
born-and-raised American Southerner. I probably will set all my novels in the South.
If you could spend an
evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?
Amelia Earhart. I’ve always been fascinated by aviation. I’d
really like to know what happened to her and her navigator, Fred Noonan, and
hear her story of their last hours.
What is the one thing
you wish you had known before you started writing novels?
How time consuming writing novels really is. I’m blessed to
be able to devote all the time I want to my writing. I don’t know how writers
who have a day job can find time to write for publication.
For several of my
books, I did both, but I prefer only writing as my work, like it is now. What
new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?
To depend completely on Him. One of our grown children is
battling cancer. In such a circumstance, the Lord is the only constant in our
lives.
What are the three
best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?
1. Ask God to help you write before your fingers touch the
keyboard each day.
2. Be teachable.
3. If writing for publication, be patient.
Tell us about the
featured book.
Wait for Me is Book 1 in the West Virginia Mountains Series, is
a sweet Southern historical romance, and is set in West Virginia .
Can Julie, an only child raised with privilege and groomed
for high society, and Robby, a coal miner’s son, escape the binds of their socioeconomic
backgrounds? Set in a coal mining community in West Virginia in the 1950s, can their love
survive their cultural boundaries?
This is a tragically beautiful love story of a simple yet
deep love between two soul mates, Robby and Julie. The American South’s rigid
caste system and her mother demand that Julie chooses to marry an ambitious
young man from a prominent and suitable family. Julie counters her mother’s
stringent social rules with deception and secrets in order to keep Robby in her
life. Can the couple break the shackles of polite society and spend their lives
together? Will Julie’s mother ever accept Robby?
Please give us the
first page of the book.
Winter, 1955
When Julie left her driveway, she hurried her steps. As the
dirt road dipped, she peered into the night to find Robby. She so hoped he
waited for her. Clouds flirted with the moon, offering Julie enough light to
search for him at the edge of the road.
She reached the place where he always waited but didn’t find
him. She called to him, “Robby, where are you?”
Robby stepped out from the shadows farther down the road and
walked with a slight swagger back toward her. “I didn’t want to leave before I
saw you but I was about to go.”
“Sorry.” She kissed his cheek. “Daddy questioned me as I was
about to leave the house.”
Robby took her hands then bent to place his forehead against
Julie’s. “So, are you supposed to be at Betty Jean’s tonight?”
Julie started to answer Robby but he muffled her words when
he kissed her mouth. A tingle traveled over her insides with his every kiss.
“Let’s get off the side of the road before your daddy
follows you. Let’s go behind the company store.”
She wrapped her long coat tighter around her and
hand-in-hand they moved to the back of the store where the lamppost out front
cast a shadow over them. After more kisses and hugs, Julie and Robby stood with
their backs against the building.
“Julie, are you still leaving tomorrow for that dance thing
in Savannah ?”
“Yes, I have to go.”
“But it’s nearly Christmas. I wanted us to spend time
together during the holidays.”
She brushed his dark hair from his eyes. “I’ll be back soon.
We’ll only be gone about a week.”
“Don’t start liking that guy who’s your date down there.”
Robby scuffed the ground with his shoe. “Does he have a lot of money?”
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
You can find Jo at:
Website www.johuddleston.com
You can purchase eBook for Kindle and print copies of Wait
for Me at: http://tiny.cc/xndfwx
Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (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, Google+, 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:
