Interview and giveaway with author Barbara Britton!!

 

Thanks for having me on The Diamond Mine, Nancy. November has me thinking about being thankful, and I am thankful for Jesus.

Amen to that!!

It's a pleasure to welcome you to The Diamond Mine, and to let our readers know that they can win a free copy of Across the Lake if they leave a comment after the end of the interview. So, here we go!

Discover the life-changing power of Jesus in six short stories from the Gospel of Mark. The miracles of Jesus will leap from the page in a Biblical Fiction story, author reflection, and relatable study.

Travel with Jesus as he calms a storm, heals a desperate woman, raises a dead daughter to life, sends His disciples on a minimalist mission, feeds thousands on a hillside, and shows compassion to a persistent mother.

A perfect study for your small group, personal or family devotions, or book club.

If you know Jesus, fall in love with Him all over again. If you haven't experienced Jesus' power and love, jump in His boat and engage with the Creator and Savior of the world.

What inspired you to want to write this story?

My husband and I traveled to Israel in March of 2023. We took a bus tour around the Sea of Galilee before being called home for a medical emergency. While I was sitting on a boat on the Sea, I felt compelled to write about the love and power of Jesus displayed in the small towns in Galilee.

I cover six accounts from the Gospel of Mark that show Jesus performing miracles and revealing who He is—the Son of the Most High God.

Sounds like you received some powerful inspiration!

What made you decide to be a writer?

I had no plans to be an author. I was teaching Bible stories to elementary students in chapel and needed to modify my curriculum and write new lesson plans. I prayed to God for creativity, but I wasn’t specific that I needed help with only my chapel lessons. After the prayer, I had a prompting to sit down and write sweet historical stories. I finished three books before I started writing about little-known Bible characters. I should have started writing about what I was teaching each week. I guess I’m a slow learner.

I love writing about people in the Bible that many Christians haven’t met. It surprises me how many stories are new to me, and I have been a Christian for a long time. “Across the Lake” was my first foray into non-fiction. I combine Biblical Fiction short stories, my reflections from visiting the Sea of Galilee, and discussion questions for a small group. You can also use it for personal devotions.

It sounds so wonderful, Barbara!

What is the biggest challenge for you in being a writer?

When I started writing, the internet and social media weren’t invented, or were in their infancy. I didn’t have to balance my writing time with building a social media platform. My family responsibilities and my church ministries haven’t changed, but now I need to find time to write posts and snap pictures and comment on friends’ stories. It can be distracting to have dings going off when you’re trying to concentrate.

That's for sure!

This year, I have had some family medical issues happening, so I have been squeezed for time to write. I pray 2027 is a less stressful year. 

Personally, I like to have blocks of time to write, but those can be hard to find. Going to a local coffee shop and leaving the house behind makes it easier to get words on a page.

Yes. When you're home, there are always things that can take your focus off writing!!

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

With Biblical stories, I have a ready-made outline to follow. The challenging part of writing about the Bible is handling Jesus. I didn’t add any words to what Jesus said, and I didn’t give him a personality. I used secondary characters to make the story come alive. But even limiting Jesus from an author’s perspective, He still shines bright.

I also had theologians read my book to make sure the theology was sound. I felt the pressure to get everything right about the stories and about Jesus. 

That's a wonderful approach. I bet the writing was a blessing for you, as I'm sure it will be for the readers.

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

In “Across the Lake,” I hope that long-time Christians will learn something new about the Scriptures. I also hope that readers who don’t know Jesus might place their faith in Him.

I wanted readers to experience the amazing power of the Son of God and bring His compassion to a new crop of readers.

All my stories could have the same theme. I like to write stories that show God is in control even in the chaos of life.

And those are admirable and edifying themes. You are doing such good, needed work!

On a different topic, do you have a pet? If so, tell us about them.

We have a spoiled orange Tabby cat named Ginger. She is a big girl and weighs fourteen pounds. We need to get her slimmed down a bit.

Recently, she brought me a prize--a dead mouse. I discovered I had mice in my kitchen. I set traps and now I am mouse-free. I hope that’s the case. I can always tell if I have a mouse in the house because Ginger goes on sentry duty staring at where she thinks the mouse lives. I wish she could dispose of the traps for me. Yuck!

Agreed! Yuck!

If you could leave a legacy of your life and writing, what would it be?

I am blessed that my family knows Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I pray my writing encourages believers or reaches those who need to know Jesus personally.

There is a lot of darkness in the world, and I pray my books bring light into the world. My stories, especially “Across the Lake,” showcase the light of the world—Jesus Christ. 

A friend at church came to faith because she read a Christian Fiction book and wanted a relationship with the God in the story. Amen to that blessing.

That's awesome. Thank you for doing what you do and helping to shine His light!

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a devotional and drafting a contemporary Christmas story. I enjoy writing about Christmas and the joy of the season. 

Thank you for having me back on the Diamond Mine. I am thankful for you ladies and all you do to showcase Christian Fiction and Christian authors.

Right back at you! We're all so blessed to know Him and to testify of His goodness! It's been an honor to interview you!

Now readers, here are some facts about Barbara, and also her contact info. If you want to have a chance to win a free copy, then click on the comment button, and leave a comment and your email and you'll be entered in the drawing!

Barbara’s bio:

Barbara M. Britton not only loves to write about the Bible, but she has also taught Bible stories for over thirty years. She is multi-published in Christian Fiction where she brings little-known Bible stories to light, or she makes you swoon with her sweet romances. She has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate.

 
Barbara lives in Wisconsin with her husband of almost four decades and an indulged cat. Her sons are grown but they still come home and request their favorite recipes. You can find out more about Barbara and her books on her website, barbarambritton.com. 

You can connect with Barbara on her website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram or BookBub.

You can purchase “Across the Lake” on Amazon or wherever books are sold.

Two Sides to Every Story: Meet Debut Author Karen Mains Procopio

We have another debut author visiting us this week. I'm thrilled to introduce Karen Mains Procopio. The first book in Karen's Lake Tearas Trilogy, Finding Me, released earlier this month. Settle in, learn more about Karen, and get some insider information into this book.

About Karen

Hi, I’m Karen Procopio—educator, journalist, and award-winning short-story author.

As a child, I was enamored with books, often reading late into the night until my eyes blurred. I devoured everything I could get my hands on—Roald Dahl, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, Liliana Heker, Margery Williams, and Mildred Wirt Benson, better known by her pen name Carolyn Keene, whose Nancy Drew mysteries I tore through—sometimes two in a single day. But my favorite was a coming-of-age story called Cammie’s Choice by Jane McIlvaine, about a girl adjusting to life in the Virginia countryside by befriending a horse. As a ten-year-old who had just moved from Massachusetts to Michigan, I connected deeply with Cammie’s struggle to find her place in new surroundings. I checked that book out of my junior high library again and again, always eager to climb onto Corinthian’s back and race through the lush countryside.

That early passion for stories eventually grew into my own journey of the written word, working as a journalist for a magazine and two newspapers during college. Yet even as I reported on real lives and events, fiction remained my true love. I was endlessly curious about people and their stories. What motivates us? How do our past experiences—hopeful or hurtful—influence the choices we make and the people we become? These questions inspired my short stories and now, my newest project, The Lake Tearas Trilogy, a contemporary women’s fiction saga. Through each book’s dual POVs and timelines, I explore the moments, choices, and connections that shape our lives. I believe storytelling has the power to help us understand ourselves and each other—and maybe even to forgive and heal. 

When I’m not writing or imagining story scenes unfolding in my mind, you’ll likely find me swimming laps, riding my bike, or spending time with my grandchildren. 

Connect: website | Facebook | Instagram | X

Suzie: Welcome to the Diamond Mine, Karen. Let's get started. Tell us a little more bit about yourself.

Karen: I'm a musician. I play the clarinet and bass clarinet, and I'm currently rehearsing for a community college production of She Loves Me. I performed regularly throughout high school and college, but eventually, life got busy and music took a back seat.

Now, after all these years, I'm rediscovering that part of myself. There's something wonderfully exciting about making music again!

Suzie: I love that you're rediscovering something you once loved. Let's talk about your new release. What is the inspiration behind your story?

Karen: I've always believed there are two sides to every story. Two people can see the same situation differently, yet both believe they're right.

I think much of life's conflict comes from failing to consider another person's perspective. We're quick to judge without understanding the fears, pain, or circumstances behind their decisions. 

That's what I wanted to explore in Finding Me. If we saw situations through another's eyes, would we judge less and forgive more?

Understanding doesn't mean approving, however. We can recognize a terrible decision while having compassion for the person who made it. Understanding doesn't erase consequences, but it allows us to see the person behind the choice.

These ideas became the foundation for Finding Me and the entire Lake Tearas Trilogy.

Suzie: I think we could all use that reminder. What was the catalyst for your interest in writing?

Karen: I've been enamored with storytelling for as long as I can remember. When my sister and I were little, we'd sit on our backyard swing set, making up stories and singing songs. I also loved to read. One of my favorite childhood memories is the day I received my first library card. It was like being handed the keys to the universe! I couldn't check out enough books. I also loved attending school book fairs, if only to crack open a new book and breathe in the scent of its pages.

But one moment stands out above all the others. I was in eighth grade when my English teacher told me she believed I would become a published writer someday. I remember floating on a cloud for the rest of the day. Her confidence in me meant more than she could possibly have known, and her words stayed with me for years.

As a young adult, I happened to run into her. I proudly told her I'd become a published journalist. She smiled and said, “I knew you would.”

I've never forgotten that moment. Sometimes, all it takes is one person who believes in you to give you the confidence to believe in yourself.

Suzie: I love that someone encouraged you, and now you have a published book and two more on the way. Do you have a day job? If so, how do you find time in your day to write?

Karen: I'm retired now, but I wrote Books 2 and 3 of the Lake Tearas Trilogy while teaching full-time. I squeezed writing into whatever spare moments I could find. I wrote while sitting in parking lots waiting to pick up my daughters from ballet or during my son’s musical rehearsals. I even wrote on my phone while standing in line at the grocery store!

As a teacher, I had summers off, which gave me longer stretches of writing time. Sometimes I'd stay up all night working on a manuscript and finally crawl into bed just as my husband was getting up to start his day.

One thing I learned is that there's never a perfect time to write. Even when I set aside an entire afternoon, interruptions always seemed to find me. Protecting my writing time was one of my biggest challenges. I had to help my family understand that writing wasn't simply something I did when I had nothing else to do. It was important to me, and I needed them to respect the time I devoted to it.

Ultimately, I discovered that if I waited for the perfect opportunity to write, I'd never finish a book. Sometimes, you have to create those opportunities yourself.

Suzie: Boy, isn't that the truth! Were there any surprises that came up as you wrote your story?

Karen: Absolutely! The biggest surprise was discovering that Finding Me wasn't a standalone novel. As I developed the fictional town of Lake Tearas and its residents, I realized that several secondary characters had stories of their own worth telling.

What began as Cate and Susan McDermott's story grew into a trilogy about three generations of people whose lives intersect in unexpected ways.

Another surprise was how emotionally attached I became to my characters. I know they're fictional, but after spending years with them, I sometimes feel as though I could drive into Lake Tearas, stop at the Lake Market, and visit with a few old friends.

Suzie: I'm sure your readers feel the same way about your characters. If you didn't write books, what would you do for a living?

Karen: I retired from teaching early so I could finish my trilogy. If I hadn't retired, I'd probably still be teaching, but I also thoroughly enjoyed working in technology!

Before becoming a computer science teacher, I worked as a network administrator, and I absolutely loved it. I enjoyed building computers, setting up school networks, and especially troubleshooting hardware problems.

Whenever a teacher called me into a classroom to repair a computer, I'd bring it back to my workbench in the server room, which I affectionately called “Santa's Workshop.” I loved the challenge of figuring out what had gone wrong. Was it a bad power supply? A faulty processor? Something else entirely? I'd take the computer apart, diagnose the problem, replace the defective components, and put everything back together again.

There was something incredibly satisfying about taking a computer that didn't work and bringing it back to life. I loved the problem-solving, the hands-on work, and the feeling of accomplishment when I got it running again.

I also earned my CompTIA A+ certification at a time when women were still relatively uncommon in the IT field. There was something empowering about working in a traditionally male-dominated profession and knowing I had the skills to do the job well.

I suppose that's one thing technology and writing have in common. Both require creativity, persistence, and a willingness to take something apart, figure out what's wrong, and put it back together until it works!

Suzie: I'm sure there are plenty of authors who would disagree with you about technology, lol! What's next for you as an author?

Karen: Preparing the second and third books for publication.

Finding Me is the first book in the Lake Tearas Trilogy.

The second book, Finding You, is scheduled for release on April 20, 2027. It follows Aimee Jones and Andrew Worthingham, two siblings separated during childhood who have spent years searching for a place to belong—and, ultimately, each other.

The third book, Finding Ours, is scheduled for December 14, 2027. It brings the trilogy full circle, with Brandi Hutton and Gertie McDermott taking center stage.

Although each book focuses on different characters, the stories are interconnected, and readers will encounter familiar faces throughout the series.

I've spent so many years with these characters that it's difficult to saying goodbye to Lake Tearas ... which is why I'm planning six follow-up novellas, two per book. The town has a few more stories to tell!

Suzie: As most small towns do!

Before you go, how can we pray for you?

Karen: First, please pray that God will use these stories to touch the hearts of readers who may be struggling with broken relationships, painful memories, or the need to forgive someone—including themselves.

Although my novels aren't overtly religious, they are written from a Christian worldview. I believe grace, forgiveness, reconciliation, and redemption are powerful themes, whether or not characters explicitly talk about their faith.

I'd also appreciate prayers for wisdom and discernment as I navigate this new chapter of my life as a published novelist. There's so much to learn about publishing and marketing.

And, of course, prayers for my family are always welcome. They're the most important people in my life.

Suzie: We will be praying for you, Karen. Thank you for taking some time out of your busy release schedule to share with us this week. I'm looking forward to returning to Lake Tearas soon!

About the Book

She went looking for the family she never knew. She may lose the only one she has.

Eighteen-year-old New Yorker Cate McDermott has always believed family means two people: herself and her fiercely driven mother, Susan.

Then one argument changes everything.

Cate has a grandfather. He’s alive. And for eighteen years, Susan has kept him a secret.

Against her mother’s wishes, Cate travels to the lakeside town of Lake Tearas, Michigan, determined to uncover the truth about the family Susan refuses to discuss. But the grandfather Cate hoped would welcome her shuts the door in her face, and the old family home holds far more secrets than answers.

The deeper Cate digs, the more the past collides with the present—and every discovery puts her relationship with her mother at risk.

How much truth can a family survive before there’s no going back?

For readers who enjoy the family secrets and emotional depth of A Week at the Shore, the search for truth in The Last Thing He Told Me, and the hope and healing found in Karen Kingsbury’s family-centered fiction.

Finding Me is emotional women’s fiction about family drama, mothers and daughters, forgiveness, and discovering that home may be found in the most unexpected place.

Goodreads | Amazon