Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Gay N Lewis' New Release - Mattie's Choice!

It is my pleasure to introduce you to one of my favorite authors, Gay N Lewis. I have read many of her books. 

1.Tell us a little about Gay Lewis and why she decided to become an author.

Interesting question. I don’t think I made a conscious decision to become an author, but I’ve always been a story teller. I told the story of Noah to a church audience as a preschooler, and I wrote stories in childhood. When I was six years old, I wrote a musical drama with two kids plus me to perform the thing. We sang and danced in the play. I charged the neighborhood kids two pennies to attend the performance. The kids came and I was pennies richer.

One of my most embarrassing moments came when I was a freshman in high school. I had nothing to do in study hall, so I decided to begin a story. A cute, popular, jock sat at my table. He was a junior and I was in awe of him. He grabbed my story, read it, and then made fun of it.  To say I was crushed is an understatement. That was years ago, and I remember it like yesterday. Bullies exist. I wrote about them in Sarah and a Date for Mackenzie. Even though I felt humiliation from that insensitive nutcase, I continued to write. I ran across pictures recently of my church youth group in another drama I’d written for a sweetheart banquet.

2. You are most known for your "Sarah" books. For those readers who have not been introduced to this lovable, bumbling angel, can you tell us a little about Sarah series?

Thank you! I’m so pleased readers fell in love with Sarah. She’s has a good heart and a sweet spirit, but she is impulsive and makes one mistake after another. Her Creator gave her empathy for humans. This compassion causes her to break the rules, and we see ourselves through Sarah’s goofed-up experiences. We all bumble from time to time. Many of her incidents have actually happened to me. Like me, she’s always lost. She loves stilettos but can’t walk in them. My Sarah books aren’t preachy, but I learn from Sarah’s mistakes, and I hope others do as well.

3. Tell us about your newest work, Mattie's Choice...

My husband’s family inspired this story, and it has been on my heart for years. Mattie’s Choice is a historical, Christian, and Women’s fiction book about two women married to abusive brothers. I admired my mother-in-law. She lived during perilous times. Her sister-in-law was her best friend. In 1925, women were supposed to be submissive, stay married, and if abuse occurred, it was considered by society to be their fault. My mother-in-law faced such things, and I don’t know how she did it. I dedicated the book to Mae (mother-in-law) and Kathleen (aunt by marriage). Many of the events in the book actually occurred to these two women. For instance, my mother-in-law wasn’t allowed to see her twin brother or other family members. When a son was hospitalized, she wasn’t permitted to be with him. You’ll see Mattie faced with the same situations. I wonder what I would have done if I’d been in her shoes.

3. Wow, that is an interesting topic. I know from personal experience, emotional abuse by a controlling hubby is still prevalent today. I know this book will open eyes and hopefully help women. So tell me, what made you decide to go a different direction and write Mattie's Choice based on your past in-laws?

Actually, Women’s Fiction was always my first choice, but a sweet, petite angel popped into my head, and I wrote fantasy instead. Mattie’s Choice, and Clue into Kindness are women’s fiction novels and they deal with controlling husbands. Mattie’s Choice is historical, and Clue into Kindness is contemporary.

4. I have read Clue into Kindness and thought it was an excellent novella. The characters were real, and you showed their good and bad sides. What do you want the readers to take away with them after reading Mattie’s Choice?

I hope women will find a way to comfort and help other sisters who find themselves in an emotionally or physically abusive situation. Study questions are included and this book is designed to make readers examine situations and think.

5. What has God shown you in the process?

Choices aren’t easy. Sometimes they’re painful, and consequences follow.

6. What's next on your plate?

I have a sequel to Mattie’s Choice that I’m working on. It too is historical, but it also has romance. All my books are Christian.

7. Where can readers find you (and your books) on the web?

The Sarah books are available in print, eBook, and audio.
For more information, please go to http ://gaynlewis.com/
Gay would love to have you see her video trailers and become a follower of her blog.
www.facebook.com/GayNLewis and also on Twitter @GayNLewis2.


Sarah has her own Facebook page. Follow Sarah on Facebook@ Sarah Wingspand

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Thanks so much ,Gay, for being on The Diamond Mine of Christian Fiction. 
 To order Maggie's Choice  (and I know you'll want to) go to this link.

amzn.to/2wP5Oos

1 comment:

Gay N Lewis said...

Thanks Julie for inviting me. The month of October is dedicated to breast awareness. Did you know October is also designated for National Bullying Prevention Month, and it's also National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Most people know to take care of breast health, but many don't know about domestic violence. I'm hoping Mattie's Choice helps with this issue. Thanks again!