.jpeg)
He’s a lost soul. She has faith. God has a plan for them both.
Sandra Williams leads a life of faith. She has a great job and a cozy apartment, but her life hasn’t always been this way. And, to be honest, she’s lonely. So when she’s called by God to take a blessing bag to Dickensfield Park, she’s taken aback by the handsome man she meets, but is also excited about God’s plans.
Can you tell us a little more about your book?
Sure! A Christmas Cup of Joe is a cozy Christmas romance, but one that doesn’t shy away from exploring meaningful themes.
Simon and Sandra are brought together by nothing less than divine intervention and a cup of joe thanks to their local coffee shop, Holy Grounds. Can Sandra convince Simon that he’s worthy of giving God’s love, and their budding relationship, a chance? You’ll have to read on to find out 😉
How did you get your idea for this story?
When I decided to write Christian fiction, I challenged myself to write a story with a character that truly personified what it means to withhold judgment and offer grace. Sandra is that character.
How interesting! What made you decide to be a writer?
At age four, I was inexplicably drawn to the light-blue boxed set on the top shelf in our basement that was the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I convinced my mom to read them to me. At first she tried to explain that I wouldn’t like the books because there were no pictures, and she was right: I didn’t like them. I loved them!
While I didn’t explicitly want to be a writer then, those moments spent listening to my mom read established a deep, abiding appreciation for the power of storytelling and literature as the foundation of my innermost self.
Those books were my favorites, too. I not only read them to my children, but have reread them periodically as an adult! I bet a lot of writers had them as favorites.
What was your first story?
I wrote a terrible story about a brown calf with a heart shaped mark on his forehead named Valentine that was (you guessed it!) born on Valentine’s Day. While based on true events on my Grama and Grampa’s farm, it lacked a plot of any kind.
It does sound cute, though! :)
Do you write from an outline, or just from inspiration, or both?
I’m a huge planner. But once I’ve set out the important plot points, inspiration always takes over.
Do you have any underlying themes that you want your readers to come away with?
I think it’s important not to write didactically, but I do hope A Christmas Cup of Joe makes readers think about trust, hope, worthiness, and what it really means to be a Christian.
Well, those are beautiful goals!
Do your characters share any traits with you or someone you know?
Ohh! That’s an interesting question. My Dad is a grumpy guy, so maybe some of those traits found their way into the version of Simon we meet at the beginning of the story.
Do your characters ever surprise you?
I don’t know if surprise is the right word. Sometimes I ignore my characters and write them into situations that just don’t work. When I pull a manuscript apart looking for the problem, I always learn that I should’ve leaned into the character’s motivations and listened to them more closely. They know.
That's a very astute observation. They do know!
Do you have a favorite character in your books?
That would be like picking a favorite child! I have a soft spot for each of my characters. Bridgette the barista with her clicky-clacky nails is such a fun character.
Yes, some characters are such fun to write!
Tell us what you're working on now.
I never want to lose momentum, so I’m always moving forward to new projects. Currently I’m working on a full-length novel, as well as the next installment in the Holy Grounds series.
Well, I hope you have plenty of stories in you! Thanks for the interview, Kirsten!
And now readers, here's a bit more about Kirsten, and her links, too!
1 comment:
What a fun interview! Congrats on your upcoming release :)
Post a Comment