Welcome to one of our own today! I’m
super pumped to be interviewing V. Joy Palmer this week and introduce you to
her new release, Weddings, Willows, and Revised Expectations. Joy is gliding in her favorite dream world with her second release! And it's all set in an antique store. Intrigued? Grab your cat eye glasses, adjust your pillbox hat, and don those vintage lace gloves. We're on a roadshow towards Joy's joy!
PT: Let’s start with the nuts and bolts. Tell the readers your
genre.
VJP: I write inspirational romantic
comedy. My heart is to make readers laugh and swoon while sharing God’s love.
<3
PT: You have such a witty, funny way for
writing. How did you come to the point of choosing your genre, or did it choose
you and how did that happen?
VJP: Thank you so much! I fell in love
with Erynn Mangum and Jenny B. Jones’ stories. When I started to search for
other books like theirs, I was heartbroken to find so few within CBA. It was
around that time that I heard the saying, “If you don’t see the book you want
on the shelf, write it.” I had tried my hand at some other genres, but once I
realized that I wanted to write the kind of stories that I love to read, then
my voice came out with a…well, a Tap,
tap, tap! on the keyboard. LOL!
PT: Was the first book, Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations based
on a real story or a total fabrication? What about your new one?
VJP: Well, I like to binge-watch wedding
reality shows, and that’s certainly played into both stories. But Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations was really
born when I was single and frustrated with the man who is now my husband (and who
thankfully has a good sense of humor), and Izze (my main character) started
chattering in my head one day. While it’s not autobiographical, our love story
is the story behind the story. <3
Like my first book, Weddings, Willows, and Revised Expectations
has pieces of my love story and personality, but I also poured a lot of
heartache and emotion into the story. While I wrote, waves of trauma crashed
into my friends, my family, and my heart. The situations were different from my
characters’ journey, but the emotions and healing process were the same. I
rediscovered my worth in God though Apryl and Chance’s story, and I hope this
story of my heart can do the same for its readers. <3
PT: Now, the first book was set in a
wedding dress store. This one is based in an antique store, Are the two novels
a series? How did you come up with using an antique store?
VJP: Weddings,
Willows, and Revised Expectations is the second book in my contemporary romantic
comedy series from WhiteFire Publishing and the sequel to Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations. However, it functions as a
standalone, so you do NOT need to read my first book to enjoy this one.
However, there are some jokes and things that will make you grin if you have!
:-D
There’s actually a building in my
town that inspired me to use an antique store in Weddings, Willows, and Revised Expectations. This building has two
separate business: an antique store and a mechanic for antique cars. My hubby
and I were walking into town for ice cream (cake batter) one day, and I started
wondering how that setup happened. It sparked an idea that tapped into my love
of all things vintage and wedding reality shows. ;-D
Here's the Blurb:
Seventeen years after being orphaned, Apryl Burns and her
twin sister Courtney have their own expectations for life. While Courtney
continues to shine at everything, Apryl holds fast to the mantra that as long
as her potato chip stash remains intact, then she’ll be fine.
But when their beloved grandmother ends up injured and
unable to manage her struggling antique store, Courtney makes it their mission
to revamp the business and save what’s left of their family’s legacy. Despite
rampant doubts in her abilities, Apryl finds herself trapped under the weight
of family loyalty as they transition to a wedding venue decorating service.
Soon she’s forced to ask (translation: blackmail) their grandmother’s
renter/handyman, Chance McFarland, for help, an arrangement that is made even
worse by the fact that Chance is her former (ahem, and current) crush.
Chance knows a few dozen things about family loyalty, which
is why he begrudgingly agrees to Apryl’s insane plan. While Apryl claims
they’re archenemies, the girl Chance only glimpsed in their teens starts to
emerge, stealing what remains of his heart.
But expectations are a powerful thing. Amidst the glamorous
weddings and swaying willows, can those old expectations be revised into
something new?
PT: Tell 5 things fast about V. Joy
Palmer that have nothing to do with writing:
VJP:
I love scarves, and I’ll even wear
light scarves in the summer.
I consider myself fluent in Gilmore Girls.
I’m obsessed with bookish merch like candles, mug
rugs, and book sleeves.
I live and breathe coffee, but chai lattes are my go-to
drink in new places.
I love to go for walks, especially in autumn and spring.
PT: Do you write on a laptop or PC?
VJP: I’ve always written on a laptop. I
love being able to write anywhere, and I’ve discovered that I work best outside
of the house. There’s too much to clean at home... Excuse me while I continue
to avoid mopping the floor…
PT: What’s on the screen right now? A
new book? Editing? Marketing? Or all of the above? Or other?
VJP: I’ve been pretty focused on
marketing for Weddings, Willows, and
Revised Expectations and the teetering TBR pile that comes with being a
reviewer. I have started working on a new story, but it’s slow going at the
moment – much to the dismay of my awesome readers! <3
PT: Favorite color, food, and chair to
write in?
VJP: My favorite color is purple. I have
a lot of favorite foods, but they usually consist of chocolate, cheese, and/or
potato. Not all together. ;-) My
favorite writing chair is at my favorite coffee shop (where I do a big chunk of
my writing). It’s like a padded bench seat. It’s all soft and squishy – which
is perfect for when I’m in a writing haze for four hours – but the straight
back keeps me from falling asleep! LOL!
Ah. And there you have it. I picked up a few treasured nuggets of knowledge on our vintage search to know Joy a bit better. Generous to a fault, she is offering an international giveaway of
Weddings, Willows and Revised Expectations! If you're new here, just leave comment with an email and we will choose a person at random.
More about Joy~
V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations
and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger
and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an
unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and
drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves
that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their
adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.
Even MORE about Joy~
(Wink) VJP: And
I do author interviews on this lovely group blog ~
If you can't wait to see if you win, you can purchase her book here and now:
Thanks for reading!
