Romance, Road Trips and Recipes with Nancy Lavo

 This week, we welcome Nancy Lavo to the Diamond Mine. Nancy writes contemporary romances. Keep reading to find out how you can enter to win a copy of her newest release.

About Nancy

A lifelong love affair with romance novels and a fiction writing course at the community college started Nancy on the road to publication. She’s published in sweet and inspirational fiction. After a decade-long hiatus to care for her family, Nancy decided to answer the tug of her heart and rejoin the ranks of writers.

When she’s not writing, which happens more often than it should, she can be found taking long walks or lunching with friends. She is married to her college sweetheart and they have three children.

Connect with Nancy: Website | Facebook | Instagram

Suzie: Welcome to the Diamond Mine, Nancy. It’s a pleasure to have you join us this week. I always like to start with a couple would you rather questions.

Would you rather live without internet for a year or without air conditioning and heating for a year?  

Nancy: Easy one! Goodbye, internet. I might survive without heat, but Texas air conditioning is a must.

Suzie: Same in Tennessee. Summers tend to get unbearable.

Would you rather give up social media or eat the same dinner for the rest of your life?  

Nancy: Tough call. I could cheerfully eat a diet of tacos the rest of my life, but if I wasn’t on social media I might get more writing done. I frequently gripe about social media, but the truth is I have a wonderful community there who I would miss terribly.

Suzie: I have a love-hate relationship with social media. Alright, that’s enough of those. Tell us a little about you—family, hobbies, day job, or whatever you’d like to share that’s not in your bio.

Nancy: I love a good road trip. I love to hop in the car, gps at the ready, and head to someplace new. And I’m a bit of a tea snob. My husband and I travel with an iced tea maker and tea bags to insure a decent glass or cup along the way.

Suzie: I enjoy a good road trip too. What are three books on your current tbr?  

Nancy: The Do-Over by Bethany Turner; Finding the Road Home by Tina Radcliffe; and The Right

Kind of Strong by Mary A Kassian

Suzie: And I just The Right Kind of Strong to my tbr. :)

What does your writing space look like? 

Nancy: Chaos. 

Nancy: I write out my manuscripts in longhand—I use pretty Vera Bradley notebooks, then I type it into the computer and print a hard copy. I make changes on the hardcopy and type them into the computer and print a new hard copy. And on and on. By midway through the book, I’ve created a mountain of papers. Chaos!

Suzie: I can imagine!

Would you share with us a little about your road to publication? 

Nancy:  I started writing back in the nineties. I published six books over the next ten years then quit writing completely. It felt like that season of my life was over. After that, I worked in a library, surrounded by books, and in time, felt the pull to come back to writing. I joined a critique group in 2015 and have been writing ever since. 

Suzie: What are some of your favorite things about writing romance? 

Nancy: I love watching the character’s relationship and attraction develop. The first time their eyes meet… the first time they kiss… I just love it. Funny that even though I’m writing the story, they sometimes surprise me. And I love happy endings.

Suzie: As a reader of romance, I love everything you just said (especially the happy endings).

Tell us more about your latest release. 

Nancy: A Slice of Paradise is a sweet, light-hearted romance—enemies to lovers. I had so much fun writing it. Some books are a battle to get down on paper and others just flow. A Slice of Paradise just flowed.

Suzie: In A Slice of Paradise, Eden is a baker. Would you share a favorite recipe from your kitchen (or Eden’s) with us? 

Nancy: Eden first wowed her new friends with blueberry muffins, so here goes:

6 TBSP butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for greasing the pan

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 TBSP baking powder

Pinch of salt

Heaping ½ cup light brown sugar

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 TSP vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Grease a 12-hole muffin pan. (Or line pan with muffin papers)

Sift together flower, baking powder, and salt into large bowl. Stir in sugar and blueberries.

Beat two eggs lightly in a large bowl, then beat in the milk, butter, vanilla extract.

Suzie: Yum! And it's berry season. The perfect time to try these out.

Thank you for spending some time with us and sharing more about yourself.

About the Book

Can a taste of love cure the scars of yesterday?

Single mother and baker Eden Lambert arrives in quaint Village Green looking for a home for herself and her 18-month-old son, Jake. Her warm welcome by her elderly hostess, Mary Jo Piermont, is offset by the cold disdain of Mary Jo’s self-appointed protector, Joe Wolfe.

At first, the long-legged blonde and her kid look like trouble to Joe. Mary Jo saved the builder’s life years ago, and he will do no less for the woman he considers a surrogate mother. But as he keeps an eye on the unwanted guests, Joe’s suspicions soon become replaced by admiration and respect for Eden’s resolve and dedication to her son. With his background of abuse and abandonment, Joe is aware of the dangers facing the vulnerable and wants better for Eden and Jake. He offers her a business arrangement—he’ll build her a bakery, and she can run it.

As they join forces to start the bakery, can they overcome the scars of the past to find a recipe for love?

Amazon | Goodreads

Giveaway

Nancy is giving one of our blog visitors a print copy of A Slice of Paradise. To enter, leave a blog post comment and let us know what you enjoy baking. Giveaway is valid with 5 entries. Open to US addresses only. Giveaway ends on 5/14/24.

 I’m so excited to interview award winning author, Donna Jo Stone, today! If you’ve been lucky enough to read her novelette, “A Wedding to Remember” you already know how touching her writing is. Her debut novel “Joann”, part of the Apron Strings series, releases this month and we get to hear more about it today! Without further ado, here’s Donna!

Donna Jo Stone writes southern-flavored novels for the inspirational and general market. Her stories are often about people facing tough times. Not all of her books have romance but when they do, the romances are sweet. No graphic language, sex, or violence, just plenty of heart-tugging emotion with endings that leave readers with a sense of hope.

First, let’s learn a little bit about you. Can you share a few things about yourself that have nothing to do with writing?

When I was a young child, I once won a gardening contest. Unfortunately, my green thumb disappeared as I grew into adulthood, though I keep buying plants.

My favorite places to visit are small, interesting places along the way to somewhere else, a habit probably developed from road trips with the family in the old station wagon. Tiny museums, small town libraries, and thrift shops draw me like a bee to honey. I could spend hours poking around in such places.

I collect teapots, and have given a few teas. I adored having tea parties for my daughter and her friends. And my sons were always happy to taste test the trifle and scones

That’s fascinating! I love road trips with my family and may have to start collecting a few things along the way, as well :) What drew you to write?

I’ve always loved writing and reading.

My father was a great storyteller and would regale anyone who’d listen with a tale or two, so I think it’s inherited. My mother loved to read and we visited the library regularly. Books were special in our house. My mother didn’t write novels, but she was constantly writing letters.

I wrote my first “book” at age seven. I made a booklet with illustrations and a green construction paper cover. In my story, when the princess found the frog and kissed him, he didn’t turn into a prince—she became a frog.

You wrote your first book at seven? Your love for story is evident! How do you come up with your story ideas?

Sometimes I get fascinated about the history of a place and start wondering what life would have been like. The next thing I know, a story seed starts blooming. When I was a young child, we lived in a rural area. I was the sort of girl who loved fairy tales and the woods were the perfect place to dream up all sorts of characters and scenarios.

My stories are often sparked by a photo, a song lyric, or a quote, but I also have fun with putting my own spin on assigned stories, working within set perimeters to create a novel.

The idea part is usually easy. However, that does not mean the execution is!

We’ve all been waiting. Tell us about your new release. Joann is part of the Apron Strings Series, correct? Can you share a little bit about the series and where this story fits in the series?

Joann is book five in the Apron Strings book series, a collection of inspirational novels connected by one cookbook, Mrs. Canfield’s Cookery Book, as it changes hands from woman to woman. There is one novel for each decade from 1920 to 2020 featuring a new character. All of the stories are set in small towns or rural communities.

My novel is set in the 1960s. Joann lives in Pecan Grove, Louisiana, and helps in the family store. During that period of history, women were often forced to choose between working or getting married. There’s a romance, and a sister story. Of course, I had to put music in a story from the 60s.

The Apron Strings Series is the brainchild of Jenny Knipfer. I was thrilled to join the lineup of inspirational authors Naomi Musch, Amy Walsh, Patti Wolf, Jessica Marie Holt, Sandra Ardoin, Lisa R. Howeler, Dawn Klinge, Regina Walker, and Dawn Kinzer. It’s a wonderful series, and a wonderful group of ladies.

Are there certain themes explored in the story?

Joann is a practical type of person, the kind who rolls up her sleeves and tries to make things better. She’s the oldest and feels responsible for her family, so it’s hard for her to lean on others, including God. She has to work out the balance between her desire to be in charge of her own destiny and her need to let someone else steer the ship a little bit.

The 60s were a time of huge change and pivotal events. I wish I could’ve explored more of the topics of the decade, but there were so many, more than enough to write ten books! We can learn a lot from those who went before and how they faced upheaval and change.

The characters in your books always feel so real. Do you have any favorites ?

Can I say all of them? They are all unique. Some break your heart a little more, due to the circumstances they face. I have a few stories featuring teens on the autism spectrum and those get me in my emotions. Teens are often alternately heart-tugging and humorous.

What are you working on now?

I have two projects I’m currently working on for release later in 2024.

When the Wildflowers Bloom Again, a southern, coming-of-age set in 1978 rural North Louisiana. My character, fourteen-year-old Marigold Parker, is part of a close-knit family. When she’s assaulted by her older male cousin and turns up pregnant, she doesn’t know who to turn to for help. This book will be out later in 2024.

I believe with all my heart God helped me write When the Wildflowers Bloom Again. It needed the most editing (read that as total gutting and rewriting) of anything I’ve written. When the Wildflowers Bloom Again has won multiple literary awards.

Also slated for release later this year is a domestic suspense with romance as part of the Our House series, a collaboration with a wonderful group of inspirational fiction authors. The books are set in different eras, some historical, some contemporary, and are of different genres, but all share the same location, an English Village in Suffolk. I could not resist joining this project, since my mother was from England. She would’ve gotten a kick out of it.

My book is set in 1983. My main character is a successful real estate agent but her deepest wish is to reconnect with her birth mother. Then, when she gets a letter threatening her mother (there’s a shady business deal she knows about and the bad guys want to shut her up) she flies to England and must find her.

When you’re not writing, what do you enjoy doing?

I’ve always enjoyed all sorts of handicrafts. I took up quilting about fifteen years ago but still consider myself a beginner. I make about one quilted jacket a year, and one quilt. My storytelling finds its way into that as well, though. When my mother went into the hospital and we knew it was for the last time, I began designing and sewing a grieving quilt.

I posted the pattern and the meaning behind the quilt here. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Xl6sM5yI2x9tx8qXf_nupn2hlWEoqAyk7osy7IqXnIA/edit?usp=sharing

This past year I made a quilted jacket from a sweatshirt using fabrics and scraps from my stash. I have great fun practicing free motion quilting. Just don’t look too close at the stitching!

O ne cookbook connects them all...

Joann ~ Book Five in a string of heartfelt inspirational stories, featuring different women throughout the decades from 1920 to 2020.

Twenty-four-year-old Joann Kincaid’s life ambition is to one day run the family’s general store in Pecan Grove, Louisiana. It’s 1965 and the times may be a-changing, but Joann’s father is stubbornly hanging on to old-fashioned views about what he wants for his daughter. She’s just as determined to prove she’s a capable businesswoman.

In the past, she entertained romantic dreams alongside her vision for the store but discarded those notions when her high school sweetheart, Nathan, left for college. Now he’s back to reestablish his family’s farm—and a relationship with Joann. She still loves him but isn’t sure she can trust him.

As the conflict in Vietnam escalates, there’s a real possibility Nathan could be drafted. Should Joann pursue her lifelong dream to continue her family’s legacy? Or give Nathan a chance to prove he’ll be her true and committed love before it’s too late for them?

JOANN Apron Strings Book Five, releases May 15 and will be available for kindle, in paperback, and on KindleUnlimited.

Connect with Donna Jo:

Website: https://donnajostone.com.

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556916105499

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donnajostone/ 

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7768860.Donna_Jo_Stone

Amazon author page:https://www.amazon.com/stores/Donna-Jo-Stone/author/B0CR8VJT1S

Almost an Author Writing Column Writing for YA : https://www.almostanauthor.com/category/genre/writing-for-ya/

Email: donnajostone@gmail.com

Ruthie Madison Chats about Writing

Chatting with author Ruthie Madison today! (And of course we have a free book to give away this week!) She's a California girl with her heart firmly planted in Montana. Take a break from gardening, cleaning that garage, or whatever spring chore you're working hard at and sit back and relax a few minutes. Let's get to know this week's author!

PT: Hi Ruthie! Let all the reader know how  you become interested in being a writer?

RM: Writing is in my genes as my grandmother Ruth McCleod was one. I started writing as a young girl for fun, and it grew into my adulthood. Also writing stories helps me escape from my present circumstances and fills my time to keep me from being dissatisfied with life.

PT: Books are a great means of escape which is why we all adore them! What genre do you write in? 

RM: I write whatever I am inspired to write. Sometimes I like to write outside of my box and experiment with different genres. Most of my stories have romance and a few contain suspense. Other genres are fantasy, Christian horror, and what I am working on now,  women sleuthing mysteries.

PT: Let's talk location. Where is home and any other place that is dear to your heart?

RM: I live in central California, but home is where my heart is and that is Montana.

PT: Are you a full-time writer or do you do double duty for work?

RM: Haha. I wish I did have a full time job. Writing  is more like a hobby right now.  I’m a consultant for two companies: Tupperware and Norwex.

PT: What is your favorite color, place to write, snack, and hobby?

RM: I have more than one favorite color, but I would go with pink. I love to write on my desk and I enjoy eating fruits and nuts as a snack. I play apps on my Kindle to pass time and go for walks and if the mood hits, I read my books.

PT: So let's get to your books. Tell us a little about the setting of Baby Blues and how you started the series?

RM: Baby Blues is a sequel to The Past Hunter. It starts three years after Julie married her hero Eric Young. She is desperate to have a baby, but her inability to have a baby causes her to feel hopeless and she gets a little sad. At the same time, her husband’s half brother escaped prison and Eric is worried that he could be seeking to destroy him by taking away what is precious to Julie.  Baby Blues is full of suspense and inspiration. I didn’t originally plan to write a series. I just wanted to write The Past Hunter and move on to another story, but a reader  encouraged me to turn it into a series and thus I began.

PT: Interesting. Will there be another book in the Second Chance Series?

RM: I already have three other books in the series: The prequel Love in a Diner (free for subscribers), one I already mentioned, A Man For Beth, and Holly Christmas Wish. I have a fifth book coming out when my finances improve.

In case any readers need a Christmas book in April. :)

PT: What are you working on now? Writing? Editing? Other? More than one?

RM: I am working on a mystery called Who Killed Sylvia Moon.

PT: Tell 5 things about Ruthie Madison that have nothing to do with writing.

RM: 

1. I was once a substitute teacher.

2. I am big on faith

3. I have an empathetic sister

4. I want to live on a ranch in Montana

5. I am big on Norwex.

PT: And there you have it! You've just met another great author here at the Diamond Mine. And we're giving away a free copy of one Ruthie Madison's books. The winner can pick between Baby Blues and Holly's Christmas Wish! Sweet!

But the only way you can be entered is to leave a comment (and your email) for Ruthie or enter your info on our contact form. We'd love to give a free copy away! Tell your friends and let's load up the comments. 

Find Ruthie here: 

www.ruthiemadison.weebly.com

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Interview and GIVEAWAY with Author Carrie Walker!

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 Carrie Walker!

Carrie Walker lives in Michigan with her husband and seven children. From her ten years serving as a high school youth minister, adventures around the globe, and raising a family, many stories have been knit within her heart.

As an avid reader she pens what she loves to read, contemporary stories that bring hope to a hurting world. Weaving romance among story lines of characters in struggle, she aims to show God working in all situations. When she’s not playing board games with her husband, shuttling kids in the Walker bus or wishing for snow, Carrie can be found at the keyboard bringing those stories to life.

Carrie’s writing has been recognized in many contests. Her debut novel, Emma’s Hero, placed in the ACFW Crown Award, Monroe Walton Center for the Arts Award, and won the 2020 ACFW First Impressions Contest.

Connect with Carrie on Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, Bookbub, and Goodreads!

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?

Coffee in the mornings and after dinner. Tea while I’m writing. Hot chocolate when it’s snowing :)

I like your thinking! If you could order anything in the world to eat (we can dream, can't we?), what would it be?

Ooo. That’s a toughie. When we were in France they had these amazing chocolate crepes. Today, one of those sound fabulous.

That does sound good! Where is your favorite place to write, and why is that your favorite place?

In an armchair in my living room, with a lap desk. It’s so cozy there. I have a heated blanket for the winter and I’m not too far from everyone in the house. But mostly, I think it’s because where I first started writing and no matter how many spaces I set up, by habit I gravitate there.

Sounds very cozy! Do you have an odd habit that is only explained by your bookish, writer tendencies? Safe space. ;-)

I have a collection of bookmarks in my purse. And a notebook (you know in case an idea comes to me). And a book. Doesn’t everyone?

Absolutely they do! What inspired you to write Emma's Hero? 

A woman who my husband and I ministered to in high school as youth ministers gave birth to a baby with the same medical condition as Theo’s. When I went to visit them in the hospital I immediately imagined how many lives her baby had touched, probably without her knowing. That mother and daughter inspired the story that grew to be about Emma, Mason and Ben. 

That's amazing! What led you to write in this genre? 

It’s my preferred genre to read. I love contemporary fiction and feel any story is better with romance mixed in. I stumbled upon Karen Kingsbury’s Baxter series and her style of writing with multiple POVS, deep faith, and romance really inspired me to want to write stories like that.

So fun! What message do you hope to convey to your readers? 

That every life has a purpose and no matter how alone you might feel, you are never truly alone. 

Beautiful message! Can you tell us a little about your next project(s)? 

My next project, “Right Before Their Eyes” releases in February of 2025 and is the second book in this series. It follows Mason as he tries to decide on medical school, while grappling with a hidden love for Clare. Clare tries to balance caring for her grandma with dementia, working as a social worker in the foster care system, and her boyfriend seeking success. And Lucia, one of her foster teens who’s seeking love in all the wrong places. 

Love that! Do you have a favorite Bible verse or story that inspires you on a soul level? 

Lamentations 3:22-24. No matter where we are at, or what struggles we face, the reminder that God will never tire of giving us mercy and love, that it renews fresh each morning, is so beautiful. 

So good! What are you currently reading? Inquiring minds -- mine! -- want to know. ;-)

I am just starting “The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley” by Courtney Walsh. I’m looking forward to some smiles and laughs :)

Love! 

Thanks for answering all of my prying questions, Carrie!

Giveaway ~

Carrie has generously offered to giveaway one e-copy of her new release, Emma's Hero!

“God won’t give me more than I can handle? I’m pretty sure He just did.”

After a year of loss and bad choices distance Emma Reynolds from her lifelong beliefs, she finds herself pregnant and alone at a twenty-week ultrasound, hearing the words “incompatible with life.” When her son, Theo, survives birth, she fights to give him the best care possible. As each day passes, Emma’s love for Theo grows—along with her fear of losing him. She can’t understand why God allows her son to suffer.

Seventeen-year-old blogger, Mason Hughes, feels lonely and worthless after his father left their family years ago. When he ignores his mother’s push to “contribute to society,” she volunteers him to help Emma each week. Wishing he’d applied for any other job, Mason has no choice but to grocery shop and practice his rusty social skills with a mother and son he doesn’t know.

Paramedic Ben Sullivan has earned himself the title of “most eligible” bachelor among his friends as they continually set him up on blind dates. While he’d love to avoid the uncomfortable events, his heart can’t help but seek the one thing missing in his life—a marriage like his parents have. If only he could find the woman himself.

As Theo’s tiny life connects them to each other, their loneliness breaks under the love of community, and they will never be the same.

Rules, Info, and Such ~

The author is giving away one e-copy of Emma's Hero!

This giveaway will close on 4/25/24 at 12:00 A.M. for all the night owls.

A winner will be drawn within four days of close of giveaway. The winner must respond to our e-mails within one week of notification, or their prize will be forfeit. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Enter via the handy Rafflecopter link below. May the odds be ever in your favor. ;-)

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer loves to write romantic and comedic stories that proclaim God’s deep love for us. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and an avid blogger. In her spare time, Joy loves to sing (especially Disney songs), drink large quantities of coffee, and take flowery photos for Bookstagram. When Joy isn’t fighting with fictional people, she’s hanging out with her husband and their adorable daughters. Connect with Joy via www.vjoypalmer.com!

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Amazon Author Page!

A Visit with Author Kathy Cretsinger!

Happy Wednesday!

And welcome to the blog!

Are you enjoying Spring? Where I live, in Kentucky, we have a lot of false starts to the season, but the flowers and trees are promising us that warm weather is making a comeback. 

Today I'm so pleased to bring you one of my favorite people, and the reason I'm a published author today! Kathy Cretsinger!

Kathy and her husband, Jerry, moved to Western Kentucky from the hills of East Tennessee several years ago to be close to their children and grandchildren. This brought another change in their lives. Kathy began publishing her books and then decided to help other authors who were having a hard time in the publishing industry by starting Mantle Rock Publishing. Kathy loves being close to her family and enjoys growing orchids, which continue to multiply. Kathy is a board member at the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference and a member of ACFW. She has a bi-weekly blog on her website http://www.kathycretsingerauthor.com. You can also find her on Facebook at Kathy Cretsinger, and at Kathy Cretsinger, Author.

 When the writing bug bit me and I began hanging out with writers online, I was repeatedly told, “You’ve got to meet Kathy Cretsinger!” When I finally did, out-of-state at a conference of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), she invited me to attend her writing group, and I discovered she lived less than 30 miles from me. She, Susan Page Davis, and the late Sandra Robbins, along with several other amazing writers, took me under their generous wings, keeping me going until I was ready.

 

In the years since I’ve known Kathy, she’s written a series of historical fiction novels and is in the middle of a romantic suspense series. Both are based on places or situations near and dear to her heart, and I love them. She and her husband, Jerry, as mentioned earlier, are the former owners of Mantle Rock Publishing, where my first books were published. When they decided to retire, the new owners renamed it Scrivenings Press, LLC, and it continues to grow. Kathy and Jerry built a publishing family that continues today.

 

So, I call Kathy my “Book Mama,” and I’m thrilled to bring you an interview! She has generously offered a signed paperback copy of the third book in her Shady Valley Series, Shady Connections, as a giveaway to one of our readers -- all you have to do is comment to be entered!

 

And now, the interview! 

 

Regina: Kathy, I can’t tell you how happy I am to have you on the blog today! I know you’ve got a lot to share, so here goes!

 

Real-life stories make the best foundation for events in a novel, I think. What is one story from real life that you’ve included in one of your books?

 

Kathy: This is the first time I’ve put this in a book. When my daughter, Diane, was in first grade, she had to ride the bus. I had to drive about two miles to pick her up. When the bus came one day, the bus driver got out with her and walked to my car. He told me he couldn’t let her ride his bus anymore because she was fighting. When we were settled in the car, I asked her what happened. She said, “That boy kept pulling my pigtails and I told him to stop. He kept on. You always told me to treat other people like they wanted to be treated, so he wanted me to hit him, or he wouldn't keep on pulling my pigtails.” We had a talk that night about doing to others. 

 

Regina: I would love to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation! LOL!! I can see the serious expression on her face!

 

Now to something to satisfy our readers’ curiosity … ;) 

 

Salad or Sandwich?

 

Kathy: Salad. Bread does not agree with me, but I do eat a Reuben and Big Mac occasionally.  

 

Regina: Going gluten-free has been a life-changing habit for you, I know, and one you’ve used as a catalyst for the characters in your “Shady Valley” series!

 

Here’s one of my favorite questions: What is your favorite Bible verse, and why?

 

Kathy: Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”  This has been my favorite verse since college. We have something to look forward to if we live according to God’s word. Nothing can harm us here on earth, we have a great reward in the end. 

 

Regina: Amen! Now let’s find out about what you like for entertainment!

 

What is your favorite movie and why?

 

Kathy: My favorite movie is “Dirty Dancing.” I like a movie that shows good in the end. This movie does. Two people are misunderstood, and they come to terms with themselves in the end. The movie is set in the mountains of North Carolina, cold creeks, beautiful scenes. You watch both main characters grow up in the movie.

 

Regina: Would you believe I’ve never watched it? I know. At 60, I have no excuse. I’ll try to watch it before we get together again! LOL! 

 

A lot of interviewers ask for your favorite book. That’s just not fair! What has been the most recent book you’ve read that excited you or moved you in some way? Why?

 

Kathy: The last book I read was The Songbird of Hop Hill by Kim Vogel Sawyer. It releases in April. I’ve always loved reading Kim’s books. This one did not disappoint me. When I started reading it, I never thought I’d enjoy reading a book about a prostitute. She was so desperate with no family. It tells of faith, changes, love of others. I highly recommend it.

 

Regina: I’ll keep that one on my radar!

 

If you were on a deserted island with a laptop and no Wi-Fi what are two programs or apps you would have to have on your computer?

 

Kathy: The first one would be my Bible. If I’m stranded, I’m not going to be writing books, but I will be reading them. My Kindle app will have to be full. I may be there a while.

 

Regina: Bible apps are wonderful! I think, with the book count on my kindle at over a thousand, I’d be okay for a while. If we could be stranded together, we could SHARE! ;)

 

Thanks for the interview, Kathy! I love getting to share you with our readers!

 

Now, here’s some information about Shady Connections, the third in Kathy’s Shady Valley Series!

 

Nothing shady ever happens in Shady Valley, Tennessee, but shady things happen everywhere.

 

Bruce Howard and Grace Manis decide to elope in November, and they find they are expecting a baby soon after their marriage. They are in their 40s, and they never expected to have a family.

 

Bruce is having dreams of being abducted. A stranger suggests Bruce is a dead-ringer for his brother who was murdered and his son abducted. Can Bruce be that child?

 

An old acquaintance enters Shady Valley and memories flood back. Is he the abductor?

 

Daisy Greer is also expecting, and someone is trying to steal her baby and Grace’s. Can the perpetrator be found before the babies are born? Well, nothing shady ever happens in Shady Valley. Or does it?

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this, and will comment below! Thanks to Kathy’s generosity, one commenting reader will receive a paperback copy of Shady Connections! I loved it, and I think you will, too!

If you can't wait until the drawing, you can purchase Shady Connections HERE!

 

Until next time, enjoy a good book – or ten! 😊