#Interview with Julie Arduini #smalltown #romance #Christian

 

1.     Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m Julie Arduini, Are-due-we-knee, and I write small-town romances with Christian surrender themes and chocolate mentions. I am from Upstate NY, so I base my romances in those places to highlight the gems that are often overlooked. I’ve been married for 28 years to Tom, and we now live in Ohio. We have four adult children and five grandchildren.

 

2.     This November you celebrate a decade as a published author. What was that first book and the process?

That’s a great question! Entrusted was a story I wrote soon after visiting the Adirondack Mountains for the first time. As I walked around the real Speculator village, I pictured the characters and built the story. I shelved it as I married and had kids. About 2007 I felt the nudge to write again. I participated in the Jerry Jenkins Christian Writers Guild and wrote flash fiction. My work then started appearing in anthologies. Then I knew it was time to return to that first story. I believe it took 12 drafts from that first one years before, but I kept working on it. It first published in November 2014 with a small press, and then in 2016 I went indie and re-released it.

 

3.     What were your goals with that first release? Have they changed with subsequent books?

I was probably the most shocked Entrusted was a published book. My heart was to share my writing with friends and encourage and entertain them. I never cared about bestseller lists or big media interviews. When I finished Entrusted, I realized the set-up for book two, Entangled, was already there. That first book launched my first series. I never thought I’d keep writing. I’m definitely not an author with a quick turnaround, but in those ten years I’ve published ten books. I now treat my work as a ministry. I love when I can entertain and encourage, but I want readers to know they can find freedom in Christ when they surrender.

 

4.     What has changed in the industry in the last ten years?

I think a lot has changed. Self-publishing carried a bit of a negative reputation, and I understand. To this day there are books out there where there is little editing or quality writing. However, a lot of great authors who chose indie publishing are producing amazing content and readers see that. Social media has changed. Facebook was the big one back then. Now there’s Instagram and TikTok to consider for marketing. YouTube is big.

 

5.     What has been the most challenging thing about writing in the decade you have been active?

Marketing. When I mentor new authors they believe you write a draft or two and once published, readers find you. That’s rarely how it works. Marketing probably takes me as much time as writing does. As an indie author, I’m on a low-to-no budget. Finding opportunities to meet new readers and convince them my work is worth buying is time consuming, but necessary.

 

6.     You mentioned you have ten releases. What are they?

It all started with the Surrendering Time series. That included Entrusted, Entangled, and Engaged. There are two stand-alone novellas, Restoring Christmas and Match Made in Heaven. I then co-authored a women’s fiction/YA series with my daughter, Hannah. Surrendering Stinkin’ Thinkin’ features You’re Beautiful, You’re Amazin 

Here is the blurb for Repairing Hearts:  What if a reality show creates a blight on sextuplet Ryan Hart’s life harsher than his dump of a home?

Ryan, the independent, brooding second oldest of the Hart sextuplets, can’t enjoy the solitude he craves when he agrees to star on a reality show. The plan is to discover a project manager to renovate his hole of a property. The show reveals that it's more about Ryan’s dating life. Can he keep his guard up when everything around him is falling apart faster than the shingles on his roof?

BJ Wallace loves her quiet life in Wisconsin that she’s created far from her traumatic childhood. Everything changes when she learns she's competing on Repairing Ryan's Heart. As the show focuses more on Ryan than the house, BJ falls for him. Will she win the show and destroy Ryan with her secret, or sacrifice her heart to protect Ryan?

A small-town, reality show romance with family drama and a Christian thread of surrendering pride and anger.

Repairing Hearts for Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Repairing-Hearts-Christian-Surrender-

Surrendering-ebook/dp/B0CLCTD289/

Repairing Hearts Softcover: https://www.amazon.com/Repairing-Hearts-Surrendering-Julie-

7.     You use surrender issues in your writing. What kind?

With Surrendering Time I wrote about surrendering regret, dreams, and wanting to belong. Restoring Christmas focused on surrendering grief. Match Made in Heaven was surrendering the past. Anchored Hearts was surrendering control, while Repairing Hearts was surrendering anger and pride. I love using issues we all face and showing that God can transform the hardest person and situation.

 

8.     What do the next ten years look like?

I plan on finishing Surrendering Hearts, and I have two novellas slated for November 2025 and September 2026 as part of the multi author project called Dogwood Creek Matchmakers. My husband also has retirement in sight, so I have no idea what life will look like once that takes place.

 

9.     How do you plan to celebrate your tenth anniversary?

On Tuesday, November 12 from 7-10PM Eastern I’m hosting a Book-A-Versary. Joining me will be Edwina Kiernan, Linda Shenton Matchett, Nancy Naigle, Linda Hoover, Lori Keesey, Laura Poole, Penny Zeller, Lori Soard, Sarah Hanks, Patti Shene and Tracie Corll. We will have fun discussion, games and giveaways, all at https://www.facebook.com/groups/juliearduinireadergroup. You are all invited!

 

10.  How can readers find you?

The easiest way is Link Tree. It has all my social media, web, newsletter, and book links. I love connecting with readers, so be sure to say hello. https://linktr.ee/JulieArduini. Thank you, Laura, for hosting me. This was fun!

 

 

Julie Arduini writes small-town romances featuring Christian surrender themes and chocolate mentions. She’s the author of the series SURRENDERING HEARTS (Anchored Hearts, Repairing Hearts, +four more). Her other romance series is SURRENDERING TIME (Entrusted, Entangled, Engaged). She also co-wrote a YA/Women’s Fiction series with her daughter, SURRENDERING STINKIN’ THINKIN’ (You’re Beautiful, You’re Amazing, You’re Brilliant). Her stand-alone romances include MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN and RESTORING CHRISTMAS. In 2025 she joins Leah Atwood, Robin Bayne, JoAnn Durgin, and Dawn Kinzer with the small-town romance series Dogwood Creek Matchmakers. Julie maintains a blog at juliearduini.com and Substack. She resides in Ohio with her husband and daughter. Learn more by visiting her at http://linktr.ee/JulieArduini.

Interview with author Kirsten Clark!!

Today we welcome author Kirsten Clark to The Diamond Mine! Her wonderful Holiday Book "A Christmas Cup of Joe" will be out this November!  Here's a little taste of it. 

He’s a lost soul. She has faith. God has a plan for them both.

Simon Jenkins is a lost soul. Struggling to process a deep loss, he survives one day at a time on the freezing streets. So when a beautiful woman with ruby-red lips thrusts a blessing bag into his arms and shares a message of faith, Simon is dubious. But her eyes twinkle with the promise of hope and love.

Sandra Williams leads a life of faith. She has a great job and a cozy apartment, but her life hasn’t always been this way. And, to be honest, she’s lonely. So when she’s called by God to take a blessing bag to Dickensfield Park, she’s taken aback by the handsome man she meets, but is also excited about God’s plans.

That sounds wonderful, Kirsten! Now here we go with the interview:

Can you tell us a little more about your book?

Sure! A Christmas Cup of Joe is a cozy Christmas romance, but one that doesn’t shy away from exploring meaningful themes.

Simon and Sandra are brought together by nothing less than divine intervention and a cup of joe thanks to their local coffee shop, Holy Grounds. Can Sandra convince Simon that he’s worthy of giving God’s love, and their budding relationship, a chance? You’ll have to read on to find out 😉

How did you get your idea for this story?

When I decided to write Christian fiction, I challenged myself to write a story with a character that truly personified what it means to withhold judgment and offer grace. Sandra is that character.

 How interesting! What made you decide to be a writer?

At age four, I was inexplicably drawn to the light-blue boxed set on the top shelf in our basement that was the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I convinced my mom to read them to me. At first she tried to explain that I wouldn’t like the books because there were no pictures, and she was right: I didn’t like them. I loved them!

While I didn’t explicitly want to be a writer then, those moments spent listening to my mom read established a deep, abiding appreciation for the power of storytelling and literature as the foundation of my innermost self.

Those books were my favorites, too. I not only read them to my children, but have reread them periodically as an adult! I bet a lot of writers had them as favorites.

What was your first story?

I wrote a terrible story about a brown calf with a heart shaped mark on his forehead named Valentine that was (you guessed it!) born on Valentine’s Day. While based on true events on my Grama and Grampa’s farm, it lacked a plot of any kind.

It does sound cute, though! :) 

Do you write from an outline, or just from inspiration, or both?

I’m a huge planner. But once I’ve set out the important plot points, inspiration always takes over. 

Do you have any underlying themes that you want your readers to come away with?

I think it’s important not to write didactically, but I do hope A Christmas Cup of Joe makes readers think about trust, hope, worthiness, and what it really means to be a Christian.

Well, those are beautiful goals! 

Do your characters share any traits with you or someone you know?

Ohh! That’s an interesting question. My Dad is a grumpy guy, so maybe some of those traits found their way into the version of Simon we meet at the beginning of the story.

Do your characters ever surprise you?

I don’t know if surprise is the right word. Sometimes I ignore my characters and write them into situations that just don’t work. When I pull a manuscript apart looking for the problem, I always learn that I should’ve leaned into the character’s motivations and listened to them more closely. They know.

That's a very astute observation. They do know!

Do you have a favorite character in your books?

That would be like picking a favorite child! I have a soft spot for each of my characters. Bridgette the barista with her clicky-clacky nails is such a fun character.

Yes, some characters are such fun to write!

Tell us what you're working on now.

I never want to lose momentum, so I’m always moving forward to new projects. Currently I’m working on a full-length novel, as well as the next installment in the Holy Grounds series.

Well, I hope you have plenty of stories in you! Thanks for the interview, Kirsten!

And now readers, here's a bit more about Kirsten, and her links, too!

Author Bio: 

Kirsten Clark developed a deep and abiding love for stories at a young age, and has been plotting how to become an author ever since. When not writing sweet romances, she can be found in the classroom teaching at her local college, curled up with a cup of coffee and a good book, or baking chocolate cake while listening to podcasts. A graduate of the Universities of Alberta and British Columbia, she lives in Alberta, Canada with her husband and two children, who keep her on her toes.

Purchase Links: not available yet - Release Date: November 1st, 2024

Social Media links: 

Website - https://www.kirstenclarkauthor.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560555721535

Instagram - @kirstenclarkauthor