I can't wait for you all to meet my guest, Ann Malley! We'll just jump right in and get started.
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| Anne Malley |
1.
Give me one fact about you as an author that
most people don’t know.
All right, Erin. This one’s a toughie. But that’s okay.
Digging deep is what makes interviews fun. I’m struggling, though, because as a
new author there’s a ton of things readers likely don’t know about me. But from
a Christian perspective, I’d say the most interesting fact is that I began my
writing career in a very different space. My work was salacious, un-Christian,
and very much attuned to meet the demands of the world. I never published but
came quite close being represented by a top literary agency that could have
secured my “success” had I stayed on that road. But God intervened. Thank
goodness. I can say that now.
The endless obstacle of cross-country moves—the hand of God—eroded
the stability needed to focus on career. Naturally, I rebelled. But a radical
spiritual reversion came next. The vortex of gratitude, shame, and confusion as
I struggled to reconcile my writing life consumed me. It still does sometimes.
Then homeschooling hit me. Yep, I homeschooled my kiddos, although my oldest
made it thru to 7th grade in the public school system. My youngest,
my only son, experienced a blip of private boarding school, but was soon back
in the nest – something I highly recommend.
But amid all the moves and having to live in places where
gang violence and other lovelies lurked just beyond our front door, I realized
what a blessing it was/is to have to take a more active role in the day-to-day
education of one’s children. (I taught them all to read personally, long before
school days.) The realization of teaching and the obligations therein is what
changed my writing, gave me renewed purpose, and led me to where I am today.
2.
As Christian writers, we long to share God’s
love, goodness, and grace with others through our writing. But quite often our
stories speak to us as much as our readers. How did God use this story to help
you stretch and grow as a person?
My writing life and my stories – all of them, published or
not -- liken to Christ’s Parable of the weeds. Matthew 13:25-43
24 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his
field. 25 But while everyone was
sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.
26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads,
then the weeds also appeared.
27 “The owner’s servants came to him and
said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds
come from?’
28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them
up?’
29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you
are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that
time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in
bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”
So, in this process, I’ve learned to be patient with myself
and others. Charitable, too. I try to see the good in other’s work and in my
own, letting the fullness of God’s grace work its will in His time. This
applies to individual projects that require editing and/or where the threads
you believed to be bad turn out to be good. But patience and charity have their
place in observing an author’s body of work, too. We should look to where the
stories lead in the development of characters as well as the author. It’s not
over until it’s over and plenty of weeds can transform with the aid of God’s
grace.
3.
Was there a scene you had to edit out which you
really liked? Tell us about it.
I’ve edited out so many scenes from so many books, it’s
impossible to pick one. There’s a time and place for all things, even beautiful
things. One may love a strand of pearls, but know instinctively that they are
inappropriate when one is required to dig in the garden or run a marathon. A
beautiful set of pearls could get ruined, be lost, and/or not be appreciated as
they should be in such a situation. With that in mind, I like to save old
scenes, phrases, descriptions, etc. My slush files are a treasure chest of
sorts, filled with gems awaiting the right opportunity to shine.
4.
I love strong male heroes, don’t you? What is
the quality you like the most about your hero?
I have two books out at present – Fallen Angel and Rodeo
King. Both books are very different. Fallen Angel is an action packed romantic
suspense, a thriller. Rodeo King is a sweet contemporary where suspense is
limited to personal struggles, not killers. (Although infertility can kill a
woman’s spirit if she’s not careful.) But both heroes, I hope, embody a
steadfast ethic of duty. Men who shirk their duty are anathema to me. As
scripture teaches, charity covers a multitude of sins. Well, a strong sense of
obligation and fortitude are what do it for me. Not that looks don’t help.
We’re Christians, not blind men. But the inner beauty of truly masculine traits
is what should shine forth in every hero, otherwise the externals are just false
advertisement.
5.
If you could go back and change one scene, which
one would it be and why?
I can’t go back, Erin, and I’m glad. This journey is a
mission to move forward. Even our mistakes work to the good if we take the
lesson. That said, I’ve learned not to lament what’s gone before. It’s a recipe
for disaster and wrinkles, something I’m diligently working to avoid not only
by embracing a solid skin-care regimen and drinking plenty of water, but by
listening to the Word. Letting that sink in is better than any moisturizer!
6.
Being a writer is a busy life, isn’t it? I’m
sure you’re working on something new to intrigue your readers. What’s in the
works for you right now?
Busy is the word. Diverse, too. In addition to marketing my
current works, blogging, and engaging in the social media I’ve come to LOVE,
I’m currently working on the second installment of the Diamond Dog Series.
Craving GRACE is being edited, retooled, polished, and combed over to ensure
the message therein is clear and edifying. Will there be bombs, bad guys
(gals), and bullets? You bet. Romance? Um, yeah. A compelling romance, bursting
with internal and external obstacles, is a MUST. Life sure is like that.
And Christian Romantic Suspense is right up there with
secular offerings much like inspired romance. There’s no skimping on quality
unlike many believe. Meanwhile, I’m trying my best to be patient with this
current project, although I’ll admit to being antsy.
The sequel to Rodeo King, outlined and tucked safely away,
is waiting in the wings. Not so patiently perhaps as my brain is firing
non-stop with the urge to get going on it. But the time will come, likely
sooner than I expect. The third installment of Diamond Dogs, Mercy Nation, is
also calling my name along with so many other projects itching to break out of
the “treasure chest.”
Thank you, Erin, for this chance to reveal my deeper self
and what motivates my writing in the context of a spiritual journey. I hope
this interview encourages others to revisit their own writing, pick up a new
novel, and/or be more forgiving with themselves if only to see the bigger
picture. It’s critical to stop and actively think about what we’re doing, why
we’re doing it, and where it is we believe we’re going – or want to go. “And we
know that to them that love God, all things work together unto good, to such
as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints.” Romance 8:28.
Check out these blurbs:
Having a baby isn’t a matter of winning or losing. But it sure
feels that way when Leigh Ann Lacie, widowed, wiser, and woefully infertile
returns to Wild Horse Montana to find her high school honey, RODEO KING Frank
Ferguson, toting twin babies. He needs a nanny. Leigh Ann needs cash. It’s the
perfect match.
The frozen sperm left by her husband is an expensive legacy, one
she’s determined to use to make her dream of family come true. But being
widowed once is enough, so wild riding Frank can keep his kisses to himself…and
there’s no way she’s telling anyone about her secret mission. She’s not about to
fuel small town gossips. And her success will only break Frank’s heart.
True charity demands she guard them both from the occasion of
pain, but God has other plans.
TERROR trafficking, international ASSASSINS, a single faith-filled
MOM, one missing BABY, and a VENGEANCE driven CIA operative with personal
scores to settle. Protecting the woman who dumped him to have another man's
child may be his duty, but if she's guilty of crimes against the state, he'll
bring her down. Unless she gets to him first.
Angel le Blanc loves God, but what good can come of this?
Ann Malley's BIO:
A believing Christian, seasoned by Providence, Ann writes
about real women battling their way to a happily ever after. Deadly situations
that demand faith and perseverance feature in her romantic suspense
stories. While personal demons, the kind
that only faith and honest self-reflection can defeat, fill the pages of her
sweet contemporary romance. Tucked securely inside the National Capital’s outer
reaches, Ann keeps busy when not writing with her husband of 32 years, three
grown kids, and a spooky little kitty named Boo. She’s a member of RWA, FHL, ACFW,
and Inked Voices. Find out more at AnnMalleyBooks.com.
