Interview and Giveaway with author Kristen Joy Wilks!!

Today we welcome author Kristen Joy Wilks to The Diamond Mine! She's an award-winning writer of romance and children's books. If you want to be entered in the drawing for a free copy of one of her books, please click on "leave a comment" link at the end of the interview, and include your email address, and you'll be entered! So, here we go with a couple introductions to her children's series, followed by the interview!

Faith-filled frolics with furry friends!

Book one of the series, which is perfect for 6-10 year-olds, is available now:

Phooey Kerflooey wants to stay on the farm with Jessie. But when Jessie chooses a different puppy, Phooey is thrust into the arms of another family. 

A family with all boys. Boys who make traps, write lists of dangers, and shout Shakespearean insults at rodents. A family that likes scary things like shiny kitchen floors, wheelchair races, and battling attacking squirrels. 

A family that doesn’t know she cannot drink unless it is from a fancy, fancy teacup! Can Phooey find the china teacup she needs and teach her boys how to become the family of her dreams?

Theme verse: Philippians 2:4–Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. NLT

 Phooey Kerflooey vs The Battle Squirrel (releases June 3rd)

Phooey Kerflooey has finally found a home of her own.Too bad a raging squirrel found it first!

Rasputin the squirrel spends his time stealing snacks, pooing on the counters, and biting tender noses. Phooey’s perfect home has become a perfect storm of chaos!

Phooey will do anything for her boys. Almost step on the shiny floor. Mostly go potty outside. Bite a baby carrot in half. Maybe two carrots, or even three!
The boys want Phooey to chase Rasputin and save the day, but it’s hard when so many scary things stand in her way. If only Phooey had her pink dolly to boost her bravery.
Can Phooey find her courage and chase that bad squirrel out of their lives forever?

Maybe tomorrow.
Or the day after that.
For sure by next week.
Phooey will be very brave . . . someday.

Theme verse: Isaiah 32:18--My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.

These sound delightful, Kristen! Now for the interview!

When did you decide to be a writer?

When I was in first grade, my teacher sent me to a young writers conference. She must have seen something in me that I hadn’t dared to look for myself. I heard Steven Kellogg speak, bought a copy of A Rose for Pinkerton with a rare $5 bill my parents sacrificed to send with me, and let myself dream big dreams. 

Wow! That was one wise teacher to spot your talent so early!

What was the first story you wrote?

The first story I remember writing was penned in preparation for that young writers conference. The cover was laminated construction paper cut into the shape of a large guinea pig and I illustrated the interior with horrendous ineptitude! It was about Fluffy, my brother’s guinea pig, and her victory over our dog Inky when he attempted to eat her. I recall my mother’s concern that my illustration of her chasing Inky with a broom during the attempted murder made her look as though she was holding a pitchfork, ha!

I bet it was cute! What inspired you to write children’s books?

My first published books were Christian romcoms, however, I have a long history with children’s ministry and books for this age group. My degree is in early childhood education, and I took two different online courses about children’s writing. My husband and I have been in full-time camping ministry for over twenty-five years and I grew up at an off-grid Bible camp that hosts many retreats for children and teens. Plus, books for kids can have all the zany fun and delightful insanity that one could wish for!

That's true! What’s your favorite part about writing?

Fast drafting! I write my rough drafts during National Novel Writing Month in a glorious cloud of hastily penned madness! 

I haven't done that challenge for a while. I forgot how much fun it was! I should do it again!

Do you work from an outline, inspiration, or both?

I outline carefully before jumping into my crazy rough draft. In fact, I spend the entire month of October taking my story idea through four to six different outlining tools to make sure that it has a solid skeleton. However, once I start typing, sometimes new chapters, events, or even characters appear. I often get inspiration for new story ideas during worship at my church. I write them down on the bulletin and then put them into my story idea file on my computer. When October rolls around, I choose the ideas I like best and then start outlining. 

That's an interesting process! What do you want the readers to take away from your stories?

I would love for my readers to be able to see God’s deep and mind-boggling love for them when they are living a really hard day. I want them to know God seeks them, is reaching out for them, and longs for them every moment of every day. 

Oh, that's beautiful, Kristen!

Do you have a favorite character in your books?

Phooey Kerflooey is such a favorite! She is so big and so very afraid of every little thing. I find her hilarious and heartwarming and so delightfully bumbling. 

Do any of your characters share traits with you or any other real person or animal?

Marcus (the older of Phooey’s boys) shares many traits with me. He tries so hard to make the world safe for his younger brother Conner. But Conner is a rowdy young daredevil, even though he uses a wheelchair. Paintball wars, wheelchair jumping, insane squirrel traps! Conner loves them all and their neighbor Nia is just as obstreperous. Poor Marcus has his hands full with those two, plus their large and scaredy puppy, and the attacking squirrel. Phooey Kerflooey was originally based on our own Newfoundland dog, Princess Leia Freyja. Leia was 114lbs and afraid of haybales and bags of chicken food. She refused to drink unless it was from her own mug and loved our family full of boys very much. Strangely, our current Newfoundland (Nessie Grace Karu) has many traits in common with Phooey. She is very large for a female Newfoundland, weighing 130lbs at just one year old. Also, I wanted to choose a toy that Phooey loved but her boys wouldn’t like. So I used my grandmother’s TP doll that sat over the spare TP roll on the back of the toilet for inspiration. The doll is a bit spooky and has a frilly pink dress that covers the TP. Well, Leia never bothered my grandmother’s doll but Nessie loves her! She sneaks into the bathroom and takes off with that TP doll at a full gallop! In fact, the doll is looking quite ragged with both feet chewed off and decidedly mangled arms. Both Nessie and Phooey love their pink dollies even if the rest of us find them to be somewhat alarming decorations, ha!

My husband and I enjoyed our family full of five boys! What fun we had along with the happy chaos. :)

Do your characters ever surprise you?

Yes! Since I fast draft, sometimes they just start to do something crazy as I’m typing but I don’t stop to change anything. If it’s a bad idea, I’ll change it when I revise. I had no idea that Marcus would be struggling with finding peace in a house full of chaos in Phooey Kerflooey. Or that Phooey’s quest for a fancy teacup was really a search for belonging in Phooey Kerflooey vs The Fancy, Fancy Teacup. Marcus and his longing for peace closely mirrors my own struggles growing up in the craziness of camp ministry. I didn’t think about it though, not until Marcus lived out that longing on the page. 

I always learn something about myself when writing, too.What are you working on now?

I currently have two projects. One fiction and one non-fiction. 

Phooey Kerflooey vs The Deep, Deep Dark is the third book in Phooey Tales: Spring, my chapter book series from Phooey’s POV. This book takes place after Phooey and her boys move to an off-grid Bible camp very similar to the camp where I live. The camp generator breaks down. Since it provides electricity for the whole area, this plunges Phooey’s world into darkness. Her boys read her a Bible story about the plague of darkness in Egypt and Phooey is sure that all of the other plagues are coming for her! She vows to fix the camp generator with helpful nose pokes before the plague of death comes for her and all the people she loves! This story is due to come out in September.

The Rough and Rowdy Devotional: Finding God in Family Tales is a

children’s devotional book that uses stories that my dad and

grandparents told me to point kiddos toward Biblical truths. There

are some crazy stories in this one, from Grandma Autumn riding a

wild burro to Grandpa Del story about how his dad shot flies off the

wall with a pistol when he was courting Del’s mom! This book will

come out in July.

They both sound really great! It's been a delight to have you on The

Diamond Mine, Kristen. Thank you!!

And readers, here's a bit more about Kristen, as well as all her links.

Don't forget to leave a comment with your email for the drawing!

Short Bio: Kristen Joy Wilks writes from a remote 

mountain meadow that alternates between quiet and chaos. 

The mom of three sons, a cat named Whisper Persnickety, 

and Nessie Karu their giant Newfoundland puppy, she lives 

with her camp director husband at Camas Meadows Bible 

Camp. Kristen has witnessed a plethora of crimes 

committed by squirrels. Snacks destroyed, chickens 

attacked, fires started in the woodshop! Despite these 

many trials, her stories highlight the humor and grace God 

gives amidst the detritus of life. When she’s not battling 

squirrels, Kristen can be found tucked under a tattered 

quilt at 4:00 a.m. writing a wide variety of implausible tales 

or at www.kristenjoywilks.com.

 

Website  https://kristenjoywilks.com

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

BookBub  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kristen-joy-wilks

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/booksdogskissesandfrogs

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@kristenjoywilks

Pinterest  https://www.pinterest.com/kristenjwilks7/

Amazon Author Page  https://www.amazon.com/Kristen-Joy-Wilks/e/B016FREUPM?ref

Goodreads  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14422377.Kristen_Joy_Wilk

 Amazon ebook: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0D4118H93

Amazon paperback: Available June 3rd

Barnes and Noble ebook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/phooey-kerflooey-vs-the-battle-squirrel-kristen-joy-wilks/1147001594

Kobo ebook: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/phooey-kerflooey-vs-the-battle-squirrel

Apple ebook: https://books.apple.com/us/book/phooey-kerflooey-vs-the-battle-squirrel/id6742045841

The paperback will be available at other retailers on June 3rd.

Free Phooey Kerflooey Coloring Pages: https://kristenjoywilks.com/fun/coloring-pages/

Coloring Prompts from Phooey Kerflooey vs The Battle Squirrel: https://kristenjoywilks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Phooeys-Coloring-Prompts-Phooey-Kerflooey-vs-The-Battle-Squirrel.pdf

Amazon Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Phooey-Kerflooey-Fancy-Teacup-Spring/dp/B0D9M25J1Y/

Amazon ebook: https://www.amazon.com/Phooey-Kerflooey-Fancy-Teacup-Spring-ebook/dp/B0D9JBMX83

Barnes and Noble Paperback: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/phooey-kerflooey-vs-the-fancy-fancy-teacup-kristen-joy-wilks/1146054159

Barnes and Noble ebook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/phooey-kerflooey-vs-the-fancy-fancy-teacup-kristen-joy-wilks/1146021659

Kobo ebook: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/phooey-kerflooey-vs-the-fancy-fancy-teacup

Apple ebook: https://books.apple.com/us/book/phooey-kerflooey-vs-the-fancy-fancy-teacup/id6553835259

Free ebook with Kristen's Newsletter: https://kristenjoywilks.com/quarterly-newsletter/

Free Phooey Coloring Pages: https://kristenjoywilks.com/fun/coloring-pages/

Coloring Prompts from Phooey Kerflooey vs The Fancy, Fancy Teacup: https://kristenjoywilks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Phooeys-Coloring-Prompts-Phooey-Kerflooey-vs.-The-Fancy-Fancy-Teacup.pdf

Our own Penny Frost McGinnis Releases New Book!

Check the gift register stat, because we are welcoming yet another new book baby from our own Penny Frost McGinnis!

 OH! And don't 

miss the BOOK GIVEAWAY!

PT: Oh, Penny! We are all thrilled to welcome in your new addition Home Away from Home. So, tell the readers how you came to write and why you write in your chosen genre.

PFM: Over 25 years ago, I set a goal to write for publication. Along the way, I had a few poems and articles published. I intended to write for children, but God nudged me toward women’s fiction and eventually romance. I learned how to write that genre from conferences, classes, reading inspirational fiction, and how-to books. As I continued to work a full-time job, I honed my skills and started a blog. After I retired, my coworker encouraged me to finish my novel and seek publication.

PT: Many writers have a message they want to convey overall to their readers. What do you want to tell readers through your writing?

PFM: My goal in writing is to share the hope I have in Jesus. When God called me to write, I knew I needed to inject positivity into a negative world. By shining His light, I’m able to spread the joy and hope I’ve found in a relationship with God, and there’s nothing more hopeful than Jesus’ love.

PT: What a great goal to have. How did you come up with the idea for your newest release Home Away from Home?

Book blurb: Home Away from Home

When Marigold Hayes turned fourteen, her mother died, and her father went missing. For forty years, she has searched for her dad and lived a quiet life on Abbott Island, until she met Johnny. As her love for Johnny grows, her sorrow from the relentless search for her father breaks her heart. She begs God to help her move forward with her life before she has no love left to give. Then three mysterious strangers show up who could change her life.

Johnny Papadakis moved to Abbott Island ten years ago. His ex-wife had pushed him away and discouraged him from having a relationship with their daughter. After years of hard work, his restaurant flourishes, so does his relationship with Marigold. As he seeks Marigold's hand in marriage, his daughter shows up on his doorstep, looking for a place to call home.

Can Marigold and Johnny settle the past and move toward the promise of a blessed future?

PFM: Marigold, the main character, appeared in book #1 as a strong, independent woman who ran her own business, and loved her friends well. Since she is 54, I wondered what made her move to an island at 18 and live alone all those years. Her character is influenced by a woman my husband and I met briefly, who ran a kayak business. As an older adult, I knew Marigold carried baggage, lived life, and learned lessons. The story works through loss and grief in a different sense. I can only say, God inspired me to place Marigold in a situation where her father had been missing for many years and she needs to either find him or let go.

Johnny is a great balance for Marigold. He’s had loss in another way and wants to reconcile with his daughter. In the meantime, he hopes he and Marigold will have a happy ending.

PT: I love the name Marigold. I’m a sucker for cute, unusual names. Now, this is a second in the series Abbott Island. Do readers need to read your first release, Home Where She Belongs, or do the books stand alone?

PFM: Readers can read the book as a stand-alone, but I’d love for you to read Home Where She Belongs, too.

PT: Does Home Away from Home have a spiritual thread or is it based on a Bible verse?

PFM: The scripture I chose for Home Away from Home is Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Marigold’s story is all about hope and this verse shores her up when she faces some tough decisions. This is also one of my top ten verses that inspires me. I use it as the theme for my blog, Hope for Today’s Heart.

PT: Give us a peek into how your writing day goes.

PFM: Since I’m retired, I try to write at least 3-5 hours. I eat breakfast, then sip my coffee while I check email, then glance through social media. Once I’ve settled in, I work on something associated with my writing, write or edit the book I’m working on, or create devotions for my blog. I usually have breaks with Rosie May and tea in the afternoon. I’m a slow writer, and I edit my writing several times.

PT: Share with the reader the best thing you enjoy about writing and worst thing you hate about writing.

PFM: I’m thankful to have the opportunity to write. I enjoy the prewriting, research, and sketching out characters and their lives and love to create the setting. I don’t enjoy the final fine-tooth combing at the end where I’m trying to find any errors that may have been missed. It makes me fall asleep 😉.

PT: Do you enjoy any hobbies along the way?

PFM: Probably too many. I’ve been embroidering since I was five and recently started again. I enjoy wool felting, crocheting, paper arts, and growing flowers and herbs in my tiny garden, and of course reading. My husband and I have a golden retriever named after Rosie in Home Where She Belongs and we enjoy spending time with our kids and grands (not sure that’s a hobby 😊 but it’s fun.)

PT: Now for my fav! It's time for my:

(Photo credit: Joe Caione/Unsplash)

about Penny Frost McGinnis that have nothing to do with writing:

PFM:

1. I’m fascinated by God’s creation.
2. Dark chocolate is the best.
3. I enjoy growing lavender.
4. Winter is my favorite season.
5. I’m a Cincinnati Reds fan!

Dedicated Reds Fans!

PT: What’s next for the Abbott Island Series? Another book or a new direction all together?

PFM: I’m currently writing a Christmas novella, set on Abbott Island, that will be part of a collection of Christmas stories set in Ohio, and I’ll be writing Lucy’s story as book #3 in the Abbott Island Series. With her sparkling personality, she’ll be fun to write.

PT: A Christmas Novella! That sounds like a great direction, and I’m sure everyone can’t wait until the next Abbott Island series debuts.

PFM: Thank you for interviewing me, Peggy.

PT: And thanks for sharing your little bundle of joy with us! As always, you can learn more about Penny at her links:

Website/Blog: https://www.pennyfrostmcginnis.com/

Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/PennyFrostMcGinnisAuthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/penny-frost-mcginnis

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22233131.Penny_Frost_McGinnis

Oh, and about that BOOK GIVEAWAY...

leave your name on our contact form or 

leave a comment with your email to be entered to win an EBook copy of Penny Frost McGinnis's Home Away from Home!

Penny Frost McGinnis, author of Home Where She Belongs and Home Away from Home, books #1 and #2 of the Abbott Island series, would live in a lighthouse or on an island if she could. Instead, she and her husband are content to live in southwest Ohio and visit Lake Erie every chance they get. She adores her family and dog, indulges in dark chocolate, enjoys fiber arts, and baseball. She pens romance with a dash of mystery and the promise of hope. Her life's goal is to encourage and uplift through her writing. Visit her blog at Hope for Today's Heart, where she brings God's hope to people's lives through the written word.

                        *************************************************************

I hope you enjoyed today's interview with Penny Frost McGinnis! Christian authors need your support. Consider checking out Penny's links, buy her books, join her newsletter, or write a review. Yes, it's that simple to keep your favorite author clicking away at those keys. And while you're checking out Penny's great books and links, please check out mine also @https://www.peggytrotter.com/. Join my newsletter for awesome giveaways and new releases!

       

         

2023 Brings in New Blood to the Diamond Mine

As you know, dear readers, the end of a year and the beginning of a new one brings both melancholy and overflowing hope. And so it is here on the Diamond Mine. We will be saying goodbye to Karla Akins, Crystal Caudill, Jill Chapman, and Kathleen L. Maher. We pray their writing careers will continue to excel as they lift the gospel through fiction.

But it is with great joy we bring in new blood into the Diamond Mine. Please give a heartfelt welcome to Janet Morris Grimes, Carlene Havel, Laura V. Hilton, Lianne Bruynell Lopes, Michelle Massaro, and Mindy Steele.

Janet Morris Grimes

Janet Morris Grimes may not have realized she was a writer at the time, but her earliest childhood memories were spent creating fairy-tale stories of the father she never knew. That desire to connect with the mysterious man in a treasured photograph gave her a deep love for the endless possibilities of a healing and everlasting story. 

A wife of one, mother of three, and Tootsie to four, Janet currently writes from her quiet two-acre corner of the world near Elizabethtown, KY. She has spent the last few years preparing to introduce her novels and children’s stories to the world. 

Stories that stretch your heartstrings. 

An unforgettable combination.

 Find Janet on her website: http://janetmorrisgrimes.com/

 Janet's book:

Click pic for Amazon link.

Carlene Havel

Carlene Havel writes Christian-themed romances and historical novels. She has lived in Turkey, Republic of the Philippines, and numerous US states. After a career in human resources and software development, she began writing in 2005. The Havels live in Texas, surrounded by their extended family. She is currently hard at work on a sequel to Song of the Shepherd Woman.

Check out Carlene on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarleneHavel/

                                    Carlene's latest release:

Click pic for Amazon link.

Laura V. Hilton

Award winning author, Laura Hilton, her husband, Steve, and their five children make their home in Arkansas. She is a pastor’s wife, a stay-at-home mom and home-schools. Laura is also a breast cancer survivor.

Her publishing credits include three books in the Hidden Springs Series, The Amish Wedding Promise, The Amish Christmas Gift, and The Amish Secret Wish. She also has the Amish of Seymour series from Whitaker House: Patchwork Dreams, A Harvest of Hearts (winner of the 2012 Clash of the Titles Award in two categories), and Promised to Another. The Amish of Webster County series, Healing Love (finalist for the 2013 Christian Retail Awards). Surrendered Love and Awakened Love followed by her first Christmas novel, A White Christmas in Webster County, as well as the Amish of Jamesport series, The Snow Globe, The Postcard, and The Birdhouse. Other credits include Swept Away from Abingdon Press’ Quilts of Love series.

Join Laura on her Faceobok page:  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLauraVHilton/

Laura's latest release:

Click pic for Amazon link.

Lianne Bruynell Lopes

Lianne Bruynell Lopes writes stories that meld her passion for God, history and romance. Her WW2 novel, Shadow of the Wolf, won Treble Heart Books, who published it, the book of the year award as well as ACFW’s Carol award for historical e-book in 2002. It also received a four-star review from the Romantic Times magazine. For ten years, Lianne taught middle and high school English and history at a Christian school in sunny Florida where she lives. Before that, she and her husband served as missionaries in Brazil. They have two beautiful grown daughters and a wonderful new son-in-law. When not writing, Lianne can be found reading, crafting, volunteering at the Miami hospital where her husband is director of pastoral care, and doing anything else that will get her out of cleaning the house.

Website: www.LianneBLopes.com

Facebook.com/lianne.b.lopes

Twitter.com/lianne_lopes

Pinterest.com/mercywriter

instagram.com/mercywriter

Stay tuned for Lianne's next release!

Michelle Massaro

Michelle Massaro writes contemporary fiction soaked in grace. A Southern California native, she and her husband now proudly make their home in East Tennessee. While raising their four children, she’s dabbled in homeschooling, teaching Creation Science, and leading worship. When she isn’t tinkering with words, Michelle enjoys old Rogers and Hammerstein movies, snuggling her Pomeranian, and scouring Zillow for investment properties. A new lipstick and a good French roast always make her happy. And if you need a hug, she's your gal!

Find Michelle on her website: https://www.michellemassarobooks.com/

Michelle's latest release:

Click pic for Amazon link.

To celebrate onboarding these authors I am giving away 3 prizes. 1. Daisy Journal 2. Handcrafted earrings, and 3. Hand Crocheted Flower Crown. Leave a message or fill out our contact form to be entered. And don't miss anymore of my giveaways! Sign up for my newsletter today @peggytrotter.com.

Author Colleen Hall's Frontier Hearts Series Will Charm You!

 Warrior's Heart Book Giveaway!

Welcome weekly readers and visitors from all around! I've a new author for you. One that has never before graced The Diamond Mine. And when I researched her, I was so fascinated with her new book, I bought it! LOL. I love western stories with Native Americans, and that is just what Colleen Hall's book is about. So get your fringed buckskin on and braid your hair, because we're riding headlong across the grassy prairie to learn more about this week's author and her new book, Warrior's Heart.

PT: Introduce yourself and tell us how you began writing.

CH: Thank you, Peggy, for having me. I’ve loved writing ever since I was a child. My mother tells me that I wrote my first story in third grade. In middle school I wrote novels in installments, and my friends read the latest installment on the bus on our way home from school. I continued to write as a hobby until after I married and had children. However, I didn’t get published until about seven years ago when I got serious about being a writer.

PT: What genre do you write in and do you have another genre you’d secretly like to write in?

CH: I write inspirational historical fiction. Sometimes I dabble with the idea of writing a contemporary romance, but I love history, so for now, at least, that’s what I write about.

PT: Describe your writing space.

CH: My writing space is a nook at the back of the house. My husband went shopping with me at several antique stores to help me find the perfect old desk where I could work. After all, if I’m going to write historical novels, my desk should be appropriate for helping to create the proper historical ambiance.

PT: Give us a book/author that is in your top five books.

One of my favorite books is The Outsider by Penelope Williamson. Ms. Williamson has a gift for weaving historical information into her stories to create a vivid “world” that takes the reader back in time. Her characters are multi-faceted and believable. Their strengths and foibles give them so much depth that they seem to leap off the page.

PT: Hobbies?

CH: I love browsing antique stores and hiking with my husband, and I love reading. I also love messing with my horse and riding when I have the opportunity.

PT: Pets?

CH: Over the years our family has had a menagerie of pets, from dogs and cats, a rabbit, lizards, and horses. I love horses and have owned horses for most of my life. Now, we’re down to one horse and three cats.

PT: Favorite foods while writing?

CH: Hmm. . . I try not to snack, ever, but I do love chocolate and will occasionally indulge when I feel like celebrating or if I’m in a tough spot with a plot. Chocolate helps the creative process!

PT: Do you work with silence or music or other?

CH: Silence, definitely! Music distracts me and takes me out of the story.

PT: Do you have a current favorite Bible verse and why has it become a favorite for you right now?

CH: It’s hard to choose one favorite verse, because I have several. I love Psalms because the Psalms deal with so many life issues that we experience. Psalm 139:17, 18 are special to me. These verses remind the believer that the Lord is always with us, and they humble me to realize that God actually thinks about me.

Psalm 139: 17-18 (NIV)
How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you.

PT: Tell us about your new release, Warrior’s Heart?

CH: Thank you for buying Warrior’s Heart! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Warrior’s Heart is the book that I didn’t plan to write. Book #3 in my Frontier Hearts Saga was supposed to feature another character, but as I tried to develop a story around this person, nothing happened. I couldn’t get any ideas for this plot. And while I was struggling to develop the story, Wild Wind (a character readers meet in Wounded Heart, Book #2) was in my head demanding that I tell his story. He wouldn’t let me go. 

Finally, I scrapped the initial story idea and gave in to Wild Wind. Once I let him have his way, a story line began to develop. I created a love interest for him named Rose. However, Rose wouldn’t come to life. I couldn’t get her off the paper, and Wild Wind refused to love her. Wild Wind had already met and fallen in love with a woman in Book #2, and he now refused to love anyone else. This created a problem, since between Books 2 and 3, the woman Wild Wind loved had married another man. Wild Wind is such a strong character that he wouldn’t budge, and I couldn’t make him love another woman. 

So, I had to make his love interest a widow and free her to love Wild Wind in Book #3, which meant that I had to rework parts of the plot. Once I gave in to Wild Wind on this final point, the story came together and flew off the page. I guess I could say that Wild Wind really wrote Warrior’s Heart! I find the love match intriguing. 

PT: How did you come up with the idea and the setting for this book and the series?

CH: The first book in my series is set in the South right after the Civil War. In this book, Her Traitor’s Heart, the hero mentions wanting to go West to help with the army’s Indian Wars. It seemed natural to move the story West for the following books, especially since I’ve always been fascinated with the West. I try to put each of my books into a particular time in our nation’s history and explore what social, political, and economic factors influence and shape the characters. Warrior’s Heart takes place during the height of the army’s Indian Wars when white settlers fear and hate the Tribes, and it’s in that context in which I set Wild Wind’s struggles to bridge two cultures and to love a white woman. I thought those dynamics would help to increase the tension in the story.

PT: Tell us 5 things about Colleen Hall that have nothing to do with writing:

CH:

1. I'm a redhead. (Probably everything that you've heard about redheads is true!)

2. I’m left-handed.

3. I’m not mechanical—for me, trying to figure out anything mechanical is like trying to speak Greek. 
4. I’m a New Englander by birth, but I married a Southerner, so I’ve lived in the South longer than I lived in New England.
5. I don’t like coffee.

PT: What’s on the chalkboard for future books? A new series?

CH: My Frontier Hearts Saga will have five books. The last two books feature Wild Wind’s sons—Cole and Rafe Wild Wind. Book #4, Wild Heart, is set during the time of the Colorado uranium mining boom during the Titanic era. Book #5, Valiant Heart, takes place right after World War I, in which Rafe Wild Wind’s war experiences as a “flyboy” fighter ace profoundly affects his life after the war. I just completed Book #5, so I’m not sure where I’ll go from here. I have several ideas, though.

PT: Now, I would ask more questions, but I'm in the middle of Warrior's Heart! But thanks so much for being with us, Colleen! Readers, you can keep up with Colleen here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColleenHallRomance

Website: https://www.colleenhallromance.com/    Sign up for Colleen's newsletter!

and buy her stuff here:

https://www.amazon.com/Colleen-Hall/e/B07BZVNZSD/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

and find out more about her here:

Bio:
I'm a displaced New Englander who came South to attend college, where I met and married a Southerner. I never returned to the North to live. I now reside in the Upstate of South Carolina with my husband and family, one horse, and two very spoiled cats.

and enter to win by leaving your name on our contact form or leaving a comment with an email to win a copy of Warrior's Heart!

Now, everybody shhhh! I'm reading. (wink)