Interview with Sally Jo Pitts and GIVEAWAY

 Hi, I'm Kathleen L. Maher, your hostess for this week. Please join me in welcoming Sally Jo Pitts on the Diamond Mine of Christian Fiction.*cue trumpet fanfare* 

Sally Jo, do share with us your new book baby and tell us everything about it! 

 My latest release is “Color Me Springtime,” a novella included in a spring romance collection with seven other authors entitled Where Blooms Love. 

 

About “Color Me Springtime”: The Hamilton Harbor Spring Arts Festival committee welcomes a Paris guest artist who is also a hometown girl. The festival ushers in May flowers, but will the celebration also renew a high school romance left behind fourteen years ago?

Where Blooms Love book blurb: Love is in bloom in this inspiring collection of romances. In these seasonal stories, meet a young Loyalist who discovers a wounded patriot hiding in her barn, forcing her to choose between turning him in or first nursing him back to health. When a king issues a one-year challenge between sisters, who will become the next queen, and who will find love? A wounded soldier attends a Star Wars marathon and finds his future. And a horse and a baby bridge the way for an unlikely couple to explore a life together.

Across cultural differences, political divisions, and historical timelines, each novella carries Spring's life-giving promise that love unites hearts because God first loved us. Hope blossoms in this fresh collection of love stories penned by these Elk Lake Publishing best-selling authors.

How long have you been writing? And how long have you been working on this book in particular?

I have been writing in earnest for ten years. I started this novella in October, 2021. An editor coordinated the project, and it was interesting working through various issues with the other authors throughout the editing, title and cover selection, and publishing.  The title was to be Where Love Blooms, but the ISBN was issued, and Amazon had it up as Where Blooms Love.. The book cover, manuscript, and marketing memes all had the original name. We would have to unpublish and republish to use the original name. After debate, we opted to change everything  to Where Blooms Love. The name kind of grows on you and I hope it does for readers!

I love it!

Who have been the mentors and role models in your life? Name three influential people and what they imparted to you.

 My critique partner, Marcia, who I met at an ACFW conference  has tirelessly read through my manuscripts and offered content, grammar and tightening suggestions. Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck from My Book Therapy and Deep Thinkers retreats  have each offered invaluable advice and coaching. 

Describe the exact moment in your life when you just KNEW you were born to write.

As a youngster, I read Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and Alfred Hitchcock mysteries and I liked to write simple storylines that played out like movies in my head.  Throughout my school years, I always enjoyed tackling creative writing assignments. My teaching career led me elsewhere, but after I retired, I took a creative writing class and rediscovered my love for writing. So, the writing bug bit me in childhood but I didn’t see myself as a writer until after I retired from teaching. 

What fuels your creativity? 

I’m not sure. Ideas constantly pop into my mind. I have a folder titled “story ideas” where I stuff  thoughts when they strike. 

Do you have other creative expressions, hobbies, or callings?

Bible study, teaching Sunday school, and watching grandkids play sports.

Do you have a few words for that person out there struggling to believe that their day will ever come? Whether its publication, marriage, a first baby, a deeply held prayer to be answered… Is there a scripture that encouraged you in your moments of doubt? 

If you are plagued with the need to write, there is a reason. Press on. A wonderful scripture that is encouraging is Philippians 4:8.  

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Amen!

How can readers find you? 

I can be found on my website www.sallyjopitts.com where you can sign up for my news and receive a free short story prequel to my romance series.

Facebook: Sally Jo Pitts Reader’s Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/268471081560375

Here on the Diamond Mine, we like to offer a giveaway. Sally Jo is graciously offering an ebook of 

Where Blooms Love to one lucky commenter.

To enter the drawing, tell me your favorite spring flower.

Thanks so much for spending time with us here this week, Sally. I look forward to seeing the comments of our readers and interacting with you all more!

 

Sally Jo Pitts brings a career as a private investigator, high school guidance counselor and teacher of family and consumer sciences to the fiction page. Tapping into her real-world experiences she writes what she likes to read—faith-based stories steeped in the mysteries of life’s relationships. She is author of the Hamilton Harbor Legacy romance series and the Seasons of Mystery series.