Hi, guys! V. Joy Palmer here! Since we are all friends here, you guys can call me Joy. ;-) And one of my favorite things to do is talk with my friends at coffee shops then head to the bookstores. Yes, plural. After all, books and yummy drinks are the perfect combination! So consider this our virtual coffee shop. I'll wait a second for you to get your warm drink and a fuzzy blanket before we chat with today's guest. <3
Today we are going to pry into the private life of CHAT with author Janalyn Voigt!
Janalyn Voigt fell in love with literature at an early age when her father read chapters from classics as bedtime stories. When Janalyn grew older, she put herself to sleep with the tales "written" in her head.
Today Janalyn is a storyteller who writes in several genres. The same elements -- romance, mystery, adventure, history, and whimsy -- appear in all her novels, no matter what the genre.
Learn more about Janalyn
Voigt and the books she writes at http://janalynvoigt.com!
Connect with Janalyn Voigt 🠆 Amazon, Facebook, Goodreads, BookBub, Mailing List, and Website for Authors!
Interview ~
This may be the most important question I ask -- no pressure or anything, LOL!
*drum roll*
What are you drinking in our virtual coffee house? Coffee? Tea? Hot chocolate? Something else altogether?
Mocha! It’s my favorite hot drink. I don’t indulge often, but today is special since we’re having this chat.
I usually start the day
with several cups of Greek coffee. It’s strong, sweet, and good for you. The
Greek Island of Ikaria is one of the world’s ‘blue zones,’ places where a large
percentage of the population lives longer than average. Scientists suspect that
the coffee they drink has something to do with it. Greek coffee is ground to a
fine powder, then brewed in small pots until it almost boils. This process
creates a creamy layer on top that makes the coffee go down smoothly.
For writing sessions, I favor a nice cup of Earl Grey tea. In my book (sorry,
couldn’t resist the pun), the flavor is synonymous with creativity.
LOL! That pun was GOLD! ;-) And that sounds delicious! If you could order anything in the world to eat (we can dream, can't we?), what would it be?
I can’t resist pineapple-upside-down cake made with fresh pineapple. After I arrived in Hawaii, where my serviceman husband served a tour of duty, I discovered that I only hated canned pineapple. I only use fresh pineapple when I make this cake, which isn’t often since I can’t resist it.
YUM! Where is your favorite place to write, and why is that your favorite place?
For
a long time, I wrote in a closet beneath the stairs that I converted into an
office. That was by choice rather than necessity. My family tended to forget my
whereabouts, or else it was too much trouble to hunt me down. I didn’t inquire.
It was the most productive I’ve ever been. After a while, I started feeling cramped, so I
moved into the guest bedroom. I plan to add a murphy bed against one wall so I
don’t dispossess house-guests entirely. My office is on the second floor and offers
a better view for procrastinating daydreaming than a closet ever could.
Love that you had a writing closet even if it didn't have a view! Do you have an odd habit that is only explained by your bookish, writer tendencies?
No. Next question,
please.
Okay, well maybe, yes. About
those cups of tea…I sometimes discover a full cup of tea at my elbow,
completely cold, and wonder how it got there. I glance around but never
discover the little elf that spirited it there. This only occurs while I’m
writing, so I must be an easy target while I’m lost in a storyworld...
Man, those elves strike again! ;-) What inspired you to write The Promise Tree?
I wanted to continue the Irish-American family saga I started in the Montana Gold series. Those books were well received, so I knew my readers would enjoy more stories about the family. The Montana Treasure series, of which The Promise Tree is book one, picks up ten years later. Some of the children have reached marriageable age, and I continue with their love stories.
A preacher’s daughter shouldn’t encourage a troublemaker,
no matter what her wayward heart desires.
Liberty has always believed she should marry a man of God,
but Jake doesn’t qualify. The promises they’d made at age twelve can’t change
that. If only Jake would stop pursuing her, she might keep from falling in love
with him.
Jake fears he’ll lose Liberty to Beau, the new man in town.
He doesn’t trust the smooth-talker—and certainly not with Liberty. Expressing
his opinion sounds jealous and pushes Liberty further away. Jake’s efforts to
forget the woman he loves lands him in jail for a crime he didn’t commit.
A bounty hunter on the trail of a notorious outlaw gallops
into town, and Liberty finds herself in unexpected peril. When Jake rides after
her, he faces a test of faith. Jake and Liberty must each overcome their own false
beliefs. Only then can they experience the truth of God’s redeeming love.
Set during a troubled time in America, the Montana
Treasure series explores faith, courage, and love in the Wild West. Read
this heartwarming story to affirm your faith in love.
Purchase The Promise Tree HERE!
Love that concept! What led you to write in this genre?
I blame my father. If it wasn’t for him, I’d have gone outside to play on a Sunday morning rather than watching vintage westerns. They were habit-forming. My father brought me up in parts of California where the wind would whistle while tumbleweeds rolled across the road. Add a love of history and an active imagination into the mix, and I didn’t have a chance.
What great memories! What message do you hope to convey to your readers?
I write mainly to entertain but also to inspire. The Promise Tree explores the meaning of love in many contexts. The story explores expectations within romance, friendship, the bond between a mother and daughter, and the love of a father for his child. I anticipate that readers will examine their own expectations of love and come away with a greater appreciation for its complexity and beauty.
That's beautiful! Can you tell us a little about your next project(s)?
The second book in the Montana Treasure series, as yet untitled, tells the story of a beautiful, vivacious, intelligent spinster. Phoebe has turned down her share of suitors. Why marry for the sake of it? There has to be more to life than courtship. When Phoebe learns her cattle baron uncle is seeking ranch hands, Phoebe persuades her uncle to hire her. That puts her in close contact with Will, her uncle’s ranch manager—the only man who ever swayed her decision to avoid marriage.
Phoebe's story sounds wonderful! Do you have a favorite Bible verse or story that inspires you on a soul level?
There’s a poem that I remember when I’m afraid to strive for something new:
George
Gray
by Edgar Lee Masters
I
have studied many times
The
marble which was chiseled for me—
A
boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbor.
In
truth it pictures not my destination
But
my life.
For
love was offered me and I shrank from its disillusionment;
Sorrow
knocked at my door, but I was afraid;
Ambition
called to me, but I dreaded the chances.
Yet
all the while I hungered for meaning in my life.
And
now I know that we must lift the sail
And
catch the winds of destiny
Wherever
they drive the boat.
To
put meaning in one’s life may end in madness,
But
life without meaning is the torture
Of
restlessness and vague desire—
It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.
What are you currently reading? Inquiring minds -- mine! -- want to know. ;-)
I discovered Daphne du Maurier when I read Jamaica
Inn. It’s amazing what vintage authors could get away with. Pages of
description would be frowned upon now. I’m so glad she was able to write
freely. I’ve never read her Rebecca—an omission I’m currently
correcting.
“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderlay again.” What
is it about the first line of Rebecca that captivates me? The words are
simple, and yet they hold depths of drama. I don’t even know what sort of place
Manderlay is, but I’m already perceiving it through the veil of a dream.
Besides enriching my life, reading (and being humbled
by) great literature improves my own writing.
I completely agree with you!
Thank you so much for hanging with us and for answering all of my prying questions, Janalyn!
Giveaway ~
Janalyn has generously offered to giveaway one print or digital copy of ANY book in the Montana Gold Series!
Learn more about Janalyn Voigt's Montana Gold Series HERE!
2 comments:
Thanks so much for a fun conversation and the chance to say hello to your readers. I'd love to know everyone's favorite kind of pen. I've favored those blue Bic pens since I was twelve, but my husband is slowly converting me to Parker pens. It would be nice to have a more variety in a writing implement. Any recommendations?
Thank You For Posting the Interview
Very Interesting
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