Food, Faith, and Forever Love with Alexis Goring (+ Giveaway)

Today's guest here at the Diamond Mine is someone I've had the privilege to meet in person. We were both attending our first ACFW conference. Even though we'd corresponded a few times online and done some critiquing for each other, meeting new people is always a bit intimidating to me. But Alexis's infectious grin and warm, welcoming personality can put anyone at ease. 

Without further ado, let me introduce you to Alexis Goring

About the author

Alexis A. Goring is a passionate writer with a degree in Print Journalism and an MFA in Creative Writing. She loves the art of storytelling and hopes that her stories will connect readers with the enduring, forever love of Jesus Christ.






Connect:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlexisAGoring/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PennedbyAlex
Website: https://alexisagoring.jimdo.com
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/capturingidea/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7260528.Alexis_A_Goring

“God is Love” blog: http://capturingtheidea.blogspot.com

 

Welcome, Alexis! I’m thrilled you’re able to join us this week at the Mine. Let’s start with some lightning round questions. 

Thanks for having me!

I'll start you off easy with a few warm up questions. :) Ballpoint, Uniball, or Fountain Pen? 

Ballpoint

Are you an early bird or a night owl? 

Such a night owl!

Ugh, I was a night owl in college but now need my full eight hours of sleep! What are three things you’ve used as a bookmark? 

Paperclips, postcards and folded printer paper


Oddly, no one ever answers that questions with "bookmark," LOL! What one book would you recommend to someone who is new to Christian fiction?

The Isaac Project by Sarah Monzon








I have read Sarah Monzon's books but have not yet read this one.. 

Name one thing that drives you crazy.

The crunching sound of Ginger Snaps (cookies) in people’s mouths.

That's very specific! Fill in the blank: Someday I want __________

to experience my own happily-ever-after in real life. 

Yes! Us single gals are in agreement on that! 

Are ready to dive deeper? Food plays a part in most of your stories. The characters are at restaurants or cooking dinners (all of which tend to make me hungry, thankyouverymuch). Do you consider yourself a foodie?

I am a total foodie! Sometimes I dream of owning my own restaurant with attractive locations in Maryland, Virginia, D.C., New York, Montana, Texas, and California.

Wow, writing and restaurants! If you were a superhero, what would your name be? 


Wonder Woman. I’ve wanted to BE her since age 4. Most recently, Gal Gadot played a modern version of Wonder Woman and she slayed in that movie! She’s my new inspiration. 

I was behind the times and watched the new Wonder Woman a couple weeks ago. I agree, Gal Gadot made a fabulous modern day Wonder Woman. But Lynda Carter will always be my favorite. 


Do you have any secret talents? 

I found out that journalism was a secret talent when a Journalism Professor (Stacy) believed in me as a college student and opened up a whole new world of career possibilities. Before then, I’d only thought about being an English Major and writing books that hopefully would turn into movies. But when I started studying how to be a journalist, it was like the sun rising and felt like the perfect fit.

And how long have you been writing? Or another variation of this question: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve been writing stories since age 9. But not “real” books until about age 25. But since age 9 I always “knew” that I wanted to be a writer and I pursued it whole heartedly by joining the Journalism & Yearbook class in high school, getting my B.A in Print Journalism, and earning my MFA in Creative Writing. 

There is no such thing as a typical day for an author, but tell us a bit about some of your habits (where you write, what inspires you, what do you like to have with you, etc.).

I write in my house but want to start writing in coffee shops. God inspires me because He gave me the gift of writing. Other places I receive inspiration are when people watching in every day life in various locations like the mall, the bookstore, the park, etc. Movies and books also provide great inspiration. Music is my favorite muse!


Coffee shops tend to be too busy and packed for me (plus I don't drink coffee), but I can sit at a table at Panera and write for hours. 

What is the first book or story that made an impact on you?

The Holy Bible was the first book that made an impact on me. But other than that, I’d say The Guardian by Dee Henderson as a fictional book made the most impact on me as a reader and writer. It introduced me to her O’Malley Series!

I absolutely loved the O'Malley series. I think it's one every reader of Christian fiction will agree on! Tell our visitors a bit about your latest book. What do you hope readers come away with after reading A Second Chance?

My book, A Second Chance, was published in Jan. 2017. It’s about two entry-level journalists who need a second chance in love. 

Traci, the heroine, is a jilted bride who’s knee-deep in wedding expenses after her fiancé ran off with her Maid of Honor on their Wedding Day. Needless to say, Traci is bitter and even doubtful that God has good plans for her life after that experience. Marc, the hero, is known as a “Mr. Nice Guy” and that bores his girlfriends so they always break up with him. He feels forever in the friend zone and when readers meet him, he’s pretty much written off finding love and resorted to throwing himself into his work. But his niceness is of invaluable help to his sister Gina who is struggling to raise her two children in the wake of her firefighter husband’s death. Marc helps out by babysitting her kids whenever Gina needs a break or needs to meet a book deadline because she is a bestselling romance author. 

I hope that my readers takeaway a lesson on life after they read A Second Chance and that lesson is that no matter how dark and dismal things may seem, God still loves you and has good plans for your life just like He promises us in Jeremiah 29:11.

Who would play Mark and Traci (and even Gina) in movie?

I’d love it if movie producers cast Zac Efron to play Mark, Amanda Detmer to play Traci, and Alexis Bledel to play Gina in the big screen version of my book, A Second Chance!


Check out the A Second Chance Pinterest board to see some of the inspirations behind the story. https://www.pinterest.com/capturingidea/a-second-chance-book/

And of course, because I am a fan of a good story, I always like to know…what are you working on now/next?

Recently, I finished writing my third book. It’s about a wedding photographer who’s never been in love…until she meets the one man she cannot forget.

Sounds like another great read! Thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to spend some time with us, Alexis. As always, it’s been a delight to chat with you!

You’re welcome! Thanks for hosting me on your blog and allowing me to talk about my life and my stories. God bless you! 

More about A Second Chance

Newly single food critic and newspaper reporter Traci Hightower is done with dating. After the man of her dreams left her at the altar on their wedding day and ran off with the woman she thought was her best friend, Traci resolves to focus on work and resigns herself to being a bachelorette for life. 

Marc Roberts is a political reporter who is known as Mr. Nice Guy, the one who always finishes last. However, Marc’s compassion and kindness is of invaluable help to his newly widowed sister Gina Braxton who is trying to raise her two kids in the wake of her firefighter husband’s death. 

Traci and Marc may be the perfect match, but they don’t know it yet. With God’s guidance and the help of Gina’s matchmaking skills honed by her career as a bestselling romance novelist, there is hope for a happily ever after for these two broken hearts. 

Available for purchase on Amazon




Alexis is giving one lucky reader an e-Book copy of A Second Chance. To enter, simply leave a comment below telling us how you met your true love (or if you haven't met him yet). Be sure and leave your email address so we know how to contact you if you are chosen as the random winner.  Earn an extra entry by connecting with Alexis on social media and letting us know you did so. 

*Must have five entries in order for contest to be valid.

Saddle up with Author, Jim Burnett!

Welcome to another fine week on the Diamond Mine! We’re always entertaining new authors, and this week is no exception.  Get yer spurs on, giddy-up, and welcome Jim Burnett.  I’m scatter happy this week, so I’m firing out those questions! Ready? Shoot!

Well, howdy in, Jim. Let’s hurry and get the intros out of the way. What genre do you write in? Fiction or Nonfiction? Both. My Christian Western Novels are fiction. I also write for several Christian magazines about leadership.

Tell us about your family/neck of the woods. I hail from Brandon, MS which is about 12 miles east of Jackson, MS. I am happily married for 32 years, have three children and three grandchildren, one horse and one dog.

Is writing your first occupation or did you have another? I am and have been a full-time pastor for over 28 years. I have been writing for over 20 years. I have found that writing extends the influence of my ministry. I have met people via writing books and magazines I would have never met otherwise in a lifetime.

Do you have a favorite place to visit in the United States? Cades Cove in Townsend TN and several places in Wyoming, including Horse Creek, which is the setting of my novels, Casper, and Greybull. I have some cowboy friends there. I have incorporated several of these places in my books.

Did you base your story on a particular Bible verse/concept? Yes. The prequel, which is Horse Creek Trading Post has Acts 17:26 as a guiding verse. God has appointed our times and where we live. For such a time as this we are alive, and God wants to use us right where we are geographically.  The sequel, Return to Caller’s Spring Ranch is driven by Acts 13:36 where it is said of David, he lived for God’s purposes in his generation. The first book, Miracle at Caller’s Spring Ranch can really be summed up from Luke 15 and the prodigal son. In this case, however, it is a prodigal family.

 Would you rather live in the mountains, near the seaside, or nestled in the rolling hills of growing crops? Why? I love the mountains. I would be perfectly content living in the foothills of TN. I love seclusion. However, I also like wide-open spaces. I could picture my wife and I living on a ranch in Wyoming.

Do any of your characters resemble you and why? Yes. Many of the experiences in the characters of my series come from my own. Being around horses, love for western heritage, etc. Jeb Reese’s birthday is the same as mine. He’s in my sequel.  Some of my children’s names are characters in the book.

           

 Tell about your book and what you hope your readers will gain from reading it. Horse Creek Trading Post is a prequel that is a historical western. A Quaker family by the name of Reese sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to begin a homestead in eastern TN. Another generation moves west to Horse Creek, Wyoming where they set up a homestead. This homestead becomes more than just a place where supplies are purchased and services rendered. It becomes an outpost of heaven.

 What book is next on your agenda? A fourth in the series, which serves sort of as a sister to the other three. I am also working on a collection of short stories.

Pshew. The last one. My favorite! Tell 5 things fast about Jim Burnett that have nothing to do with writing. 1) I’ve been interviewed on Fox and Friends about prayer in schools, 2) I am absolutely crazy about horses. My wife says I’m about half horse. 3) I love the Lord and am earnestly seeking to live for his purpose in my generation. 4) I like to use lots of creativity in my preaching and teaching, 5) I’d like to invent cologne that smells like a horse.  

Out of shot, folks. That was quite a round. Thanks, Jim for stopping by the Diamond Mine. And as usual readers, we WANT you to be qualified to win one of Jim’s books! You know the drill, but if you don’t, leave a comment with your email, and we’ll select a lucky winner.

Or, if ya can’t wait to dive into Jim’s new book, mosey on over here:  http://a.co/3GtHdkV and have a copy real quick-like. :) I mean, how can you resist a book that looks like this?

Dr. Jim Burnett is a pastor, teacher, speaker, and writer who has pastored churches in Mississippi over his twenty-eight years in ministry. The lead pastor of Willow Pointe Church in Hattiesburg, Miss., he is also the author of leadership articles, and the Christian western novels, Miracle at Caller’s Spring Ranch and Return to Caller’s Spring Ranch. As an advocate for prayer in public schools, he was interviewed on Fox and Friends. An avid horseman, he has a deep love for western heritage. He and his wife Kim have three children and three grandchildren.