The Diamond Mine of Christian Fiction: Writing and Preservations with Rachelle Paige Campbell and a Giveaway

Welcome back, readers. We so appreciate you taking the time to visit us each week and learning more about the wonderful authors we interview.

This week, I'm pleased to introduce Rachelle Paige Campbell. Keep reading to find out more about Rachelle and her newest book. Plus enter to win a $5.00 Amazon gift card.

Rachelle Paige Campbell writes contemporary romance filled with heart and hope. No matter the location—big city, small town, or European kingdom—her feel-good stories always end with a happily ever after. She’s grateful for the support of her family, her robot floor cleaner, and her reluctant writing partner (her dog).

SW: Welcome to the Diamond Mine, Rachelle. We’re grateful to have you here and introduce you to our readers.

Let’s get started with a couple of Would You Rather questions.

Would you rather live somewhere it is constantly summer or constantly winter?

RPC: If those were my only choices, I’d go with summer. BUT I love spring and fall so I don’t mind winter.

SW: Would you rather always say everything on your mind or never speak again?

RPC: If I can still write down what I’m thinking, I’ll go with never speaking again. (Coincidentally, every time I lose my voice, my kids love to guess my pantomiming.)

SW: Now that we’ve gotten the icebreakers out of the way, introduce yourself. Tell us about your family, day-to-day life, hobbies, etc.

RPC: I’m a stay-at-home mom of two boys, turned stay-at-home writer. My husband also

works from home (he has for the past decade), so I spend a lot of time with my family, and I love it. When I get the opportunity, I love to travel. Closer to home, I enjoy gardening (because I live with all four seasons, I don’t ever have to weed for too long) and taking long walks with my dog (a rescue poodle mix).

SW: What are three books on your TBR right now?

RPC: The Single Dad’s Holiday Match by Tanya Agler

Montana Reunion by Jen Gilroy

Rancher to the Rescue by Patricia Forsythe

SW: I've read two of those, and you're in for some great reads! Would you share about your journey to publication? Do you have any advice to those aspiring authors out there?

RPC: Don’t compare yourself to others and find a writing group. Those two statements sound like they should be separated by or rather than and. Writing can be lonely and having a group of other writers in your corner, to bounce ideas off of and encourage each other and read for each other, is so important. But you can’t compare your journey to anyone else. It’s impossible to really understand what someone else has experienced but it’s easy to see their success and feel bad about yourself.

SW: Here’s your chance to give a shout out to some people. Who has inspired and/or encouraged you in your writing?

I have been blessed by so many people along the way. Lyz Kelley encouraged me to join a writing organization and I found Chicago-North Romance Writers. Within the bigger group, I’ve made some really good friends that have led me to others. My friend, author Kayla Kensington, put me in touch with the amazing Tina Radcliffe who has really helped guide me forward. My friends Kelly, Kelly, Shannyn, Pamala, Tammy and Julie, aka the Panera Supper Club, have been so supportive of every twist and turn I’ve taken.

SW: Tina Radcliffe is wonderfully supportive of other authors. And I 100% agree with finding a writers group. Some great friendships are formed in those.

Of all the characters you’ve written (and you can include works in progress), who would you most likely accept a date with and who would you most like to be best friends with?

RPC: Easy! I would absolutely accept a date from Noah Kidwell and would be best friends with Zoey Wright. These two are side characters in Her Hometown Dream. The second book in the series *spoiler alert* follows these two on their rocky reconciliation.

SW: Oh, intriguing. Now I want to know more.

What was your inspiration behind Her Hometown Dream?

RPC: As a kid, I wanted to preserve old homes. I was obsessed with Colonial Williamsburg. This book was born out of daydreaming about pursuing that path.

SW: Are you working on anything new for your readers?

RPC: I am editing the sequel for Her Hometown Dream with a spring release planned. I have another two books in the series under contract with Anaiah Press. I’m so excited to share this special, sweet, small-town with my readers.

SW: Let’s end with the most important question of the day. How can we pray for you?

RPC: I am so touched. Thankfully, at the moment, my family and I are healthy and happy. We’ve had a rocky year (like so many others). I want to pray for our whole country, that we see the good in each other and heal together.

SW: Amen. There are so many people hurting in our world, and our country needs a revival.

Thank you for taking the time to share with us this week, Rachelle, and congratulations on your books. We look forward to reading them.

About the Book

Amy Parker returns to her hometown for a two-week visit before moving on to take a job she really doesn’t want. But when the historic mansion that sparked her passion for history hits the market, she thinks she’s finally found a way to stay for good. With the help and support of family and friends, Amy sets out to make her lifelong dreams come true.

The tenth anniversary of the tragic death of Jake Grant’s best friend is fast approaching, and all he wants to do is create a charity to honor him. Too bad Jake has no idea what he’s doing. To make matters worse, the woman he holds responsible for his friend’s death is back in town, and she doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.

Jake and Amy need each other’s help, so they forge a professional relationship to get what they both want—Amy has the skills necessary to complete the charity paperwork, and Jake can approach the mansion’s owner on her behalf. Professionalism quickly morphs into something more, though, and old feelings resurface. As they grow closer, a shocking revelation forces Jake and Amy to make sense of the past if they have any hope of a future together.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Giveaway

Rachelle is giving one of our readers a $5.00 Amazon gift card. To enter, just leave a comment and let us know what your next read is. Earn a bonus entry if you sign up for Rachelle's newsletter (let us know you did so in the comments). Be sure to leave a way for us to contact you if you are randomly selected as the winner.