Author Interview and Giveaway with Tammie Edington Shaw!

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 Tammie Edington Shaw!

Tammie Edington Shaw loves all things history. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and has published numerous daily devotions and articles, including short fiction. She was editor of a weekly newspaper, production coordinator of a magazine, and a project coordinator for David C. Cook Publishing. She served on the staff of the Write-to-Publish Conference for fifteen years. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband of thirty-one years.

Connect with Tammie on Facebook at Tammie Edington Shaw!

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?

Unfortunately, none of the above. Due to health restrictions water is now my only beverage. I never thought I could give up coffee, but I did and don’t miss it.

Totally get that! Yay for health! If you could order anything in the world to eat (we can dream, can't we?), what would it be?

Grilled salmon. Love it.

Delicious! Where is your favorite place to write, and why is that your favorite place?

At home in my office, which is our former dining room. After my husband goes to work, it is quiet, just me and my characters.

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

I don’t know but maybe when I watch a true crime show on television, I mute the previews and coming up segments because I want to be surprised. I rarely read back cover copy when I buy a book. I go by the title, author and subtitle. I want to be surprised.

How fun! What inspired you to write Callie's Redemption?

I grew up next door to an old home which served as a stagecoach inn when the National Road went through Indiana in the mid1800s. I imagined my hero and heroine meeting there and the challenges they struggled with, relationally and life in the 1800s. Setting is usually my inspiration for stories.

That's a cool setting! What led you to write in this genre? 

This book is historical romance, but I’ve not been a long-time romance reader, but more of a reader of historical fiction, but the romance is nice for a happy ending. I like my readers to think about the time period and how people struggled with things that we take for granted. I think my books are evenly distributed between romance and history.

A great mashup of genres! What message do you hope to convey to your readers?

Overall, in all my writing I want the message that Christ makes a positive difference in our lives. In this book, I want readers to see that He can redeem everyone no matter where they are in their lives.

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

This book, Callie’s Redemption is Book One of the Sweet Valley Promises Series published by Winged Publications. I am working on Book Two, Emily’s Hope which comes out in Spring 2027 and I’m also thinking about Book Three, Lily’s Faith which follows in Spring 2028.

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

I’ve been adding the verse reference Jeremiah 31:3 when I sign my books, “. . . I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore, with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

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

For a few years I was pursuing publication in the Amish fiction genre, although historical is my first love. But I still enjoy reading the Amish books. I am reading Courting the Amish Widow by Emma Miller. I’m also reading a nonfiction book I picked up last week at the Write to Publish Conference, Sacred Margins, On the Spiritual Life of a Writer by Steve Laube.

Interesting! Thanks for answering all of my prying questions, Tammie!

Check out Tammie's new release, Callie's Redemption, and the giveaway for it below!

About the Book ~

Callie’s Redemption

Book One of the Sweet Valley Promises Series

The year is 1840 along the National Road in Indiana at a stagecoach inn.

Will two rejected young people learn to love and trust again, or will their diverse pasts

keep them apart?

Will Callie learn to trust a personal God, and will Josh be able to put his failures

and stuttering behind him and pursue his calling to be a preacher, even if it

means leaving Callie behind?

Giveaway ~

The author is giving away one print copy of Callie's Redemption to one US resident! 

This giveaway will close on 7/2/26 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.

And may the odds be ever in your favor. ;-)

Enter 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. In her spare time, Joy loves to sing (especially Disney songs), drink large quantities of coffee, and create aesthetic content 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, Facebook, Instagram, and Amazon Author Page!

Interview with Author Crystal Caudill!!!

 

Today we welcome blog-member Crystal Caudill who has an exciting new book out! It's book number one in her "Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age" series, and it's called "Counterfeit Love."

Before we start our interview, here's a little taste of the story:

Can this undercover agent save the woman he loves--or is her heart as counterfeit as the money he's been sent to track down?

After all that Grandfather has sacrificed to raise her, Theresa Plane owes it to him to save the family name-and that means clearing their debt with creditors before she marries Edward Greystone. But when one of the creditors' threats leads her to stumble across a midnight meeting, she discovers that the money he owes isn't all Grandfather was hiding And the secrets he kept have now trapped Theresa in a life-threatening fight for her home-and the truth.

After months of undercover work, Secret Service operative Broderick Cosgrove is finally about to uncover the identity of the leader of a nototrious counterfeiting ring. That moment of triumph turns to horror, however, when he finds undeniable proof that his former fiancee is connected. Can he really believe the woman he lovedis a wiling participant? Protecting Theresa and proving her innocence may destroy his career-but that's better than failing her twice in one lifetime.

They must form a partnership, tentative though it is. But there's no question they're both still keeping secrets-and that lack of trust, along with the dangerous criminals out for their blood, threatens their hearts, their faith, and their very survival.

Wow! Sounds wonderful, Crystal! Now, on to our interview.

What do you enjoy most about being a writer?

The flexibility of schedule and where I work is probably my favorite thing. I'm a caregiver and the seasons that slam us with intense care needs are unpredictable, unless I'm on deadline and then you can guarantee it will happen. I literally could not work a regular job at this point in my caregiving life, and God has blessed my husband with a job that allows for me to be home. He's also blessed me with an outlet and ministry that I enjoy (most days) through writing.

I'm glad you've been blessed to be able to do your writing!

Do you have a favorite book or character among your novels?

It always depends on which book I write. However, I will say that Andrew Darlington ended up being one of my favorite heroes. He's from Counterfeit Hope, book two of The Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age. He's a foot-in-his-mouth, rough-around-the-edges kind of guy. But he has a huge heart which surprised even me. He's the perfect guy for my heroine and her son.

Where do you get your ideas for a story?

I'm a huge history nerd. I love researching, visiting museums, and hearing the experiences of others. It's usually during this history dive that story ideas spark to life.

I totally understand! I love researching and learning about history and how people navigated different eras and situations.

Which comes first, the story ideas or the characters?

Again, it depends on the story. Usually characters and bits and pieces of story come together, but not anything you could really call a plot.

What is the most odd or weird inspiration you've ever had for a story?

It's not so much inspiration for a story as a story detail. In Counterfeit Love, book one of my Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age, the medical school shared space with a brewery in order to keep their cadavers cold. This space also happened to be next to an incline rail. Medical students were known to grab body parts-I woudn't be surprised if they'd been dipping into the alcohol too- and wave them at the passengers as they went by. I had to include at least a mention of that in my story.

Wow! That's quite a detail!  :)

Do your characters ever take over and run off with the story or do they always behave?

My characters never behave. I'm currently on a deadline and the ending I thought I had plotted out got tossed out the window in favor of what my characters decided. I can only plot stories about 1/3 at a time, if I'm lucky, before they deviate from my original plans.

Sounds like you're a fellow seat-of-your-pants writer!

Do you ever base the qualities of your characters on yourself or people you know?

Not particularly. My characters really grow into their own person. I start off with looking at Meyers-Briggs personalities to start and then they become who they become over the course of the story. 

That's a really interesting approach!

Do you write in bursts or in a more disciplined manner? 

I try to write every single day to at least a certain point. However, my life is extremely chaotic and so I can't really have a set schedule. I have seasons of it, but the unpredictability of my life makes it difficult.

I'm sure a lot of authors can relate to that.

What do you hope that readers will take away after reading your books?

My main priority of my stories is to entertain and encourage. It's my hope that everyone will walk away feeling like they can make it through whatever challenges they are facing because they have a God bigger than anything they face. I throw my characters through the wringer and have them yanked down to their lowest. I know as a kid, seeing characters survive and thrive after what they've been through always made my challenges just a little easier to bear.

That's very true. The most memorable stories always seem to be the ones where the characters underwent extreme situations and overcame them.

What are you working on now?

The deadline for Counterfeit Faith, book three in Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age, is Sunday. This story has been met with the most time-draining challenges I've ever faced, from caregiving needs after a knee replacement surgery, Covid, and some still unexplained illness to the holidays, launching Counterfeit Love, and my own bout of Covid. Prayers are appreciated for that, but it's going to be a great story. You get to finally see Josiah Isaac's story, and bless his soul, it's a doozy.

I'm looking forward to it! Crystal, thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions. This has been a fun interview!!

And readers, here is some more information about Crystal, as well as her links:

Crystal Caudill is the author of "dangerously good historical romance," with her work garnering awards from Romance Writers of America and ACFW. She is a stay-at-home mom and caregiver, and when she isn't writing, Crystal can be found playing board games with her family, drinking hot tea, or reading other great books at her home outside Cincinnati, Ohio. Find out more at crystalcaudill.com.

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