Interview with author Terri Gillespie

Award-winning author, speaker, and YouTube personality, Terri Gillespie writes stories of faith and redemption to nurture women’s souls. Her novels, devotionals, and blogs have drawn readers to hunger for a deeper relationship with their Heavenly Father.

She is the author of critically-acclaimed women’s devotional, Making Eye Contact with God (now in its 15th year), award-winning She Does Good Hair, CUT IT OUT!, Really Bad Hair Day—winner of the 2022 Golden Scroll Contemporary Book of the Year, and award-winning, Sweet Rivalry.

Terri loves to keep in touch with her readers and has special goodies for her subscribers.

Lianne, here. Do yourself a favor and visit her at one (or ALL) of the links below.

• Website (including newsletter sign up): https://authorterrigillespie.com

• YouTube series New Release Top Picks, A2A Author 2 Author Interviews, and Giveaways: https://www.youtube.com/@TerriGillespieAuthorforAuthors

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTerriGillespie

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerriG_Author

• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/terrilgillespie

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terri.gillespie.author

• BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/terri-gillespie

• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2775460.Terri_Gillespie

LBL: I like to start with a little non-writing "Which do you prefer" trivia about you. So...which do you prefer?

1. For your physical location, a country or an urban setting?

TG: For me personally, I’m a boring suburbanite. If I could live by the ocean, I would be one happy camper.

LBL: Mm-hm. Ocean views are the best.

2. Sweet or salty snacks?

TG: Yes. Salty and sweet together is my favorite.

LBL: The best of both worlds.

3. For your personal enjoyment, paper, digital, or audio books?

TG: Paper. When you’ve wanted to publish since you were a child, the dream doesn’t seem to be a reality until I can hold the book. Then being able to lick my fingers and pinch the corner of a page followed by the soft whoosh as it turns . . . Ahhh, yes. Licking an e-reader is kind of gross. And random licking of the fingers while listening to an audio book might be misinterpreted.

LBL: LOL!

4. Are you a morning person or a night owl?

TG: Morning. Up before the sun and down before the moon.

LBL: 5. Pets or no pets? If yes, what kind?

TG: No pets now. I miss having one. And despite what people might say, virtual pets are not the same thing.

LBL: Aw. Maybe in the future?

Any other piece of non-writing trivia you’d like to share with us?

TG: I am related by marriage to three famous people: Frederick the Great of Prussia, Vincent Price, and Rush Limbaugh.

LBL: So that's an interesting mix. I have to say it, those answers tell us a lot about your personality. lol.

When not reading or writing, what do you like to do?

TG: Hmm. What else is there? Movies with hubby.

LBL: Right? What else, indeed. But movies with hubby is a good alternative, for sure. :)

What inspired you to become a writer? Were there any books or authors that were particularly instrumental in this vocational choice?

TG: I may be one of few authors who didn’t read as a child or young adult. Not because I didn’t want to, but because it was such a struggle. Most would be surprised to learn that my first books read for pleasure were to my younger sisters—at fourteen I was reading the Golden Books. But, oh, how I loved books. When the bookmobile would come to school before our library was built, I chose all sorts of books. Unfortunately, I couldn't finish them. Just a few chapters and I gave up.

The greatest influence on me was my grandmother. She was a storyteller and somehow sensed my craving for stories. When I was five or six, she set up a rickety metal table and placed her treasured royal typewriter on it next to clean crisp paper. While my siblings were playing outdoors, my little finger was busy tap-tap-tapping on that old machine. I wrote tiny adventure stories—which, of course I illustrated—then taped them together for posterity.

I guess those were my first self-pubbed books.

LBL: Hey, self-publishing is the way to go for many authors. Great that story telling runs in the family.

What is your primary genre, and why did you choose it?

TG: Women’s Contemporary. I love the “now-ness” of women’s themes, which ironically never seem to change through the years.

LBL: So true. I guess women are/were women no matter when or where.

How many books do you have published?

TG: Six. Another book releases in late July. It’s a bit outside my usual genre, middle grade fantasy.

LBL: Do you have a favorite?

TG: Goodness. That’s like asking if I have a favorite child. I suppose if you threatened to take away chocolate for the rest of my life, I would say my first book, a women’s devotional, Making Eye Contact with God. It’s now in its fifteenth year and still selling.

LBL: Keep the chocolate, but good answer!

If you could be a character in any book, one you’ve read or one you wrote, who would that be and why?

TG: Hands-down, Harriet from my Hair Mavens’ Trilogy. In the first book, She Does Good Hair, Harriet was the designated “antagonist”, but she had a good heart, just an unfiltered mouth and a lot of baggage. Harriet said the things I thought, which got her in trouble initially. Still, I loved her spunkiness and eventually, her unique faith journey.

LBL: She sounds like a lot of fun. :)

What is your writing process like? Are you more of a plotter or a pantser?

TG: A bit of both, actually. Initially, I was a meticulous plotter with a research binder and character questionnaires. Eventually, however, the story was so loud I couldn’t stand not writing and would write until I needed to plot again. Today, I still have my research binder, but have created a “cheat-file folder” which has photos of my characters, important particulars such as eye and hair color, some genealogy, and backstory. These are taped into my cheat-file folder then I have easy access to those important details. Helps me avoid inadvertently changing a character’s eye color. The plotting has been relegated to my synopses, which I build as the plot grows.

LBL: Sounds like a smart system. And flexible! That's always a plus. Care to share a picture of your writing space?

TG: My writing hub.

My writing hub is also where I film my YouTube channel’s series. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2iMKu7zt6wB4vmPKqsM7EA

My books bookcase with current WIP notebooks

LBL: I could get alot of writing done in a writing space like that. :)

Tell a little about your newest release, Sweet Rivalry, and how you came up with the idea.

TG: Sweet Rivalry is the story of twin sisters separated by their troubled mother when they were three. One sister, Sarah, remains with her grandmother in a Christian home and works at her grandmother’s bakery. The other twin, Raven, has an unstable childhood living in crack houses until she’s put in a foster home.

Sarah discovers Raven when Raven appears on a televised baking competition. The story is how they become a family. The basic story brewed for nearly ten years until COVID when I watched a lot of TV. One of the shows I binge-watched was Long Lost Family, where families are reunited. Some of the outcomes were uncomfortable to watch. Others so inspiring.

I wondered what happened to these people when the production crew left. How did they integrate this soul into their family. Or once the hype was over, did they continue their regular lives and not include the new family member?

LBL: I just love the story behind the story. Do you have a new project in the works? Can you tell us a little about it?

TG: The middle-grade fantasy entitled, Saving Penny. It’s the story of a magic Penny from 1860 who has been passed down through the Wilson family, beginning in 1865 with an ancestor who was a recently freed slave. My coauthor is Cynthia L. Simmons. We hope it will be a series—working series title, Penny’s Magical Mystery Tours.

LBL: That sounds fascinating! Do you have a particular go-to Bible verse you’d like to share with us? Why is it special to you?

TG: Zephaniah 3:17:

ADONAI [the LORD] your God is in your midst—a mighty Savior!

He will delight over you with joy.

He will quiet you with His love.

He will dance for joy over you with singing.

This verse is so special to me because it’s a beautiful love letter. I love the image of GOD dancing for joy over me with singing.

LBL: That is a beautiful image. For me, I so often go to the Psalms for poetry and beautiful images, but there you have it in one of the minor prophets.

How can we pray for you?

TG: Thank you so much. For me it’s always family salvation and wisdom.

LBL: I will add that to my prayer list, and I'm sure our readers will want to do the same. Thank you so much for spending some of your time with us, so we can learn about you and your work.

Terri is generously giving away a copy of Sweet Rivalry, winner’s preference as to an e-book or print. So don't miss this opportunity. To be entered to win, leave a comment below along with your preference of e-book or print.

An #interview with Elly Gilbert, Author of Under the Blue Skies (A Big Sky Amish novel #3)

 

Interview with Elly Gilbert about her new book    Under the Blue Skies. (A Big Sky Amish Novel)

 

 LVH: Glad to have you stop by, .  Tell us about the book: 

EG: Under the Blue Skies is the third book in the Sunrise Big Sky Amish series. It takes place in West Kootenai, Montana, like the rest of the books Tricia Goyer wrote. In this book, a man named Thomas Smucker moves to West Kootenai to start a new life.. However, his plans are disrupted when his five-year-old niece is suddenly placed in his care. Meanwhile, Lovina Graber, a woman with some physical struggles and a secret she wants to keep, dedicates her time to helping others, despite longing for a family of her own. When Thomas becomes an instant father, Lovina steps in to help him care for his niece, and the two develop a unique bond. As Thomas's life begins to unravel, Lovina is there to pick up the pieces, but she must confront her own doubts about her worthiness, especially when her secret is revealed in an embarrassing way.

LVH: I can't wait to read it! How did your interest in writing originate?

EG:  I’ve been writing since 2nd grade when I won a short story contest. From then on, I was hooked. I wrote poetry and stories up through high school, majored in English, and taught middle and high school reading and writing for about 20 years. Once I left the classroom, I had more time to write and learned about the Sunrise Publishing opportunity, so I auditioned and won a contract.

LVH: What does your writing process look like? 

EG;  I work full time and have three busy teenage kids, so most of my writing time occurs in the margins of life. Sometimes I write early in the morning or on my lunch break. I try to keep a tight schedule but sometimes I get behind, which frustrates me. I also tend to be a perfectionist, so sometimes it is a challenge to push past that and get the words on paper. I’ve really enjoyed having Tricia as a mentor who gives me encouragement and feedback along the way. Otherwise, I might have given up several times along the way!

 

 LVH:  If you could cast your characters in the Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would play your characters? 

EG:  For Lovina, I kept picturing Rachel Shenton, who plays Helen on All Creatures Great and Small- she has such a sweet, delicate face with the most endearing dimples. For Thomas, I thought of Jonathan Jackson, who played Lucky Spencer on General Hospital.  I had such a crush on him in high school! I thought he had a brooding look that was perfect for a quiet, troubled guy like Thomas. And of course, for Emily, I pictured a young Dakota Fanning from her Uptown Girls movie days- a little sassy, but completely adorable!

LVH: Who was your favorite character in Under the Blue Skies: 

EG:  That’s hard! I guess I felt closest to Lovina because there are elements of her that come from my personality. She wants to help others and not draw attention to herself. She struggles with her feelings of worthiness. When I started writing her, I envisioned her as more bitter about her situation, but that didn’t really work for who I felt she was at her core, so she changed, and I really loved how she turned out. She’s someone I would be friends with.

 LVH: What are you working on now? What is your next project? 

EG: I’m writing my second Sunrise book. This one’s about Lovina’s twin sister Josie who is learning how to allow others to help her. After that, who knows what’s next!

 LVH: Share your bio:

EG:  Elly Gilbert lives in central Kentucky with her husband, daughter, and twin sons. A lifelong bookworm, she finds joy in reading and writing inspirational fiction and devotions for adults and teens. When she’s away from her desk, you can find her scoping out the nearest nacho joint with her family or snuggled up with her rescue dogs, Gus and Charli. She adores her pearls, never turns down dessert, and believes that when it comes to earrings, bigger is always better.

 Website:www.ellygilbert.com

Instagram: @MrsEllyGilbert

Facebook: @MrsEllyGilbert

Twitter: @MrsEllyGilbert