Meet author Stacy T. Simmons
Stacy T. Simmons writes uplifting fiction that delights the reader’s romantic sensibilities. Thirty-four years of marital bliss is a great contributor. She is a mom of two grown children, and she and her family have a menagerie of pets she likes to call “Noah’s Ark.” You can find her writing her next manuscript with a piece of dark chocolate and a cup of coffee nearby.
Tell us about your newest book.
A Promise for Faith is a story about a woman at the crossroads of her life, she faces some interesting choices in her career steps. One of which connects her with an old flame from her past.
What genre do you focus on?
I write contemporary romance—there’s something exciting about writing a story which could happen during the time we are here on earth.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Faith Fuller is a chef, her nickname, “Faithful.” Portrays the journey she undergoes in her own life.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I’m an educator, so my summers are super busy behind my desk trying to write a book in a few months.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
Juggling work and family life. Sometimes I must put off participating in fun weekend activities to achieve my writing goals. Thank the Lord my sweet husband is so understanding and patient.
What’s one thing your readers should know about you?
I’m an avid reader across all genres, I love a suspense or time-slip novel as much as a beautiful romance or historical fiction story.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
Six years ago, when I began to write, I knew the barest of things about actually constructing a novel. In attending both local ACFW-DFW meetings and ACFW conferences my “writing craft toolbox” has strengthened. Within any field of occupation, there’s always more to learn, and I’m an eager student.
What is your favorite pastime?
Spending time with family and friends, swapping stories, and sharing laughter.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
This fall, I have a Christmas castle novella coming out which is part of a collection. As of yet, the title has not been announced. In January of 2023, the second in my Briar Creek Love series will arrive.
What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m working on book three in the Briar Creek Love series, and have my eye on another story to create after this one is finished.
Website: https://www.stacytsimmonsauthor.com/
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/Promise-Faith-Briar-Creek-Love/dp/1951839471/
Social media links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stacy.t.simmons/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stacytsimmons?lang=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stacy.t.simmons/?hl=en
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/stacyts/_saved/
Blog: https://www.fueledbyfaithandcaffeine.com/
Meet author Donnah Cole
Donnah Cole is a curious author who loves exploring different themes and motifs. She dives headfirst into the research, production, and fine-tuning of the stories felt most worthy of sharing. Donnah holds a Master of Arts degree in Health Education & Promotion from East Carolina University, a Bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management from Western Carolina University. She enjoys spending time with family, serving others in her church, playing the piano, and quilting.
Tell us about your newest book.
The Monarch Fields is the sequel to The Popcorn Fields, a two-book faith-based romance series set between Iowa and Nebraska. The romantic saga begins with Taryn McPherson attempting to focus on her teaching career and healing from her past. Her intentions are challenged when Rhett Huxley, a Nebraskan cowboy, returns for summer employment on her family’s Iowan farm. Rhett aspires to repay his college debt and answer God’s call to serve as an international missionary. The last thing he needs is a beautiful distraction. Will past regrets, diverging life paths, and the return of one sinister man impede their chance at love?
What genre do you focus on?
My focus is on Christian Inspirational Romance because I love to develop realistic romantic stories which incorporate godly precepts.
Why do you write?
My number one writing objective is to draw readers closer to God.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
My main characters in The Monarch Fields are Taryn and Rhett. The names have a romantic feel to them. I discovered Taryn’s name by watching a young violinist on YouTube, and Rhett’s name has been on a personal list of favorite names I have saved through the years.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I work a full-time job in healthcare, so my writing schedule is probably a couple of hours per day. Lord willing, upon retirement from healthcare, I hope to spend more time writing.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
The hardest part of being a writer is not so much the writing process, but rather revolves around marketing my books. Being an Indie author makes this task quite challenging. It requires a mindset of perseverance and patience. There is no success without hardship.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
The best part of my author’s life is the joy found through fulfilling God’s call to write and seeing the creativity (which He provides) flow forth.
What’s one thing your readers should know about you?
God did not wake me up today to be average.
What is your favorite pastime?
Besides writing, I love to sew/quilt (inherited from my Grandmother Alma).
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
My writing journey began many years ago when I would submit short stories to Faithwriters.com. I was blessed to have two stories, Too Late to Say and The MartinDell Motel published by Faithwriters in Journey of Faith and Come Away with Me. I then self-published two children’s books, Paddle On and I Wonder before moving back into the adult realm, self-publishingThe Popcorn Fields and The Monarch Fields.
What are you working on now?
I am in the beginning stages of writing my third romance novel which will be set in the beautiful Western North Carolina mountains, my homeplace.
Website: http://donnahmcole.net
Link to book: https://amzn.to/3wVBy8G
Social media links:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/donnahmcole/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/Donnah-M-Cole-102496818802203
Peyton’s Promise: Sign Language at its Best
Have you ever enjoyed a secret sign of love with someone? Peyton and Patrick did. Here’s an excerpt from Peyton’s Promise. Hope you’ll grab a copy and enjoy…the rest of the story!
As Mrs. Milton returned to the kitchen, Patrick caught Peyton’s eye, tapping his hand to his chest, his middle and ring finger pressed to his palm.
She sucked in a breath. As a child, he’d taught her that sign—the sign for “I love you”—and used it whenever she found herself in a pickle. When she’d asked why, he’d said it was a sign of solidarity, of friendship.
Friendship … and only friendship.
Is that what it was now? If so, why did her heart speed up, her face flush, and a lump in her throat threaten to cut off her oxygen? She gave a nod of thanks and focused on her fish dinner.
Since arriving on the island, she’d sensed his feelings were different. But she couldn’t figure out how. One moment, he disapproved of her. The next, he’d show his affection.
And her emotions? They staggered around like a drunken sailor.
Peyton ate a few bites despite her lack of appetite. One by one, the staff left the table. She nibbled at her bread. She’d wait until they were all gone so she didn’t have to see their stares or listen to their opinions of her.
“Let’s take a walk.” Patrick stood behind her, ready to pull out her chair and escort her out of her humiliation.
She patted her lips, set her napkin on the table, and rose. “Thank you, sir.”
In silence they left the room, walking along the path and down the steps toward the lagoon. Keeping a circumspect distance, they waited until they were far from any other staff member before speaking.
“Thank you, Patrick, for trying to defend me. That woman has it out for me, though I don’t know why.”
“You’re different, and that threatens her control. She wants to be the general of her troops who all align with her rules, her dictates, even her thinking. You’re outside of that in every way, and it drives her to distraction.”
Peyton giggled as she stopped to admire a huge freighter passing the island. The setting sun hovered low on the horizon as crickets took up their noisy goodnight ritual.
Meet author Kathy Collard Miller
Kathy Collard Miller is still amazed at God’s work in delivering her from her abusive anger and then opening doors to share her story through writing and speaking. She is the author of fifty-nine books including Heart of Courage: Daughters of the King Bible Study Series. She has spoken in nine foreign countries and over thirty US states. She and her author husband, Larry, are parents, grandparents, co-authors, and lay counselors who live in Boise, Idaho.
Tell us about your newest book.
Heart of Courage is a ten lesson women’s Bible study with write-in questions along with commentary giving intriguing background information for the text. Each lesson delves into different areas of life where courage is needed, including serving in family & church, standing against unbiblical opinions, facing temptation, representing God and opposing evil. Also, how Jesus was courageous. This study is perfect for individual study and groups.
What inspired you to write Heart of Courage?
I tend to be a people pleaser and a more timid person. I knew God promised He would give courage to His people for the assignments He gives them. I wanted to have that courage in my life so that I could serve and represent Him with greater boldness and confidence. What better way to study courage than to write a Bible study which could also be added to the other Bible studies in my “Daughters of the King Bible Study Series.”
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
Today more than ever, we need greater confidence and boldness to represent God in our family, church, community, and through social media. We know God promises He will give us courage but exactly what does that mean? This women’s Bible study examines how God empowered biblical characters to take ahold of that confidence and also apply biblical principles for wisdom in responding to life’s challenges.
What genre do you focus on?
Nonfiction Christian living including spiritual growth, Bible studies, commentaries and compiled books.
Why do you write?
Ever since I first tried to write a novel in middle school, I sensed a love for words and expression. I loved sitting at my roll top desk and writing down my thoughts and ideas. I still have the autobiography I wrote in middle school for a class assignment. Little did I know God was developing my skills which also included being editor of my high school newspaper, for which I wrote my first column. I became a Christian at age 18. After 7 years of marriage, God delivered me from my abusive anger and healed our dysfunctional marriage. Then He opened doors for me to share at my church’s young mom’s group and then at other churches. He also led me to write my story in an article and then in my first book (now updated and titled No More Anger: Hope for An Out of Control Mom). Since then, through my personal Bible study and God’s continuing sanctification of my relationship with Him, I write about what God is teaching me even after walking with Him for over 5 decades.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I’d rather be at my desk writing than almost anywhere else—except being with my two grandchildren. Choosing to write isn’t hard and I always have more ideas than time will allow.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
I personally love to write and have a harder time being involved in marketing. I’m not a natural artist so my efforts at creating motivational and effective materials is the most challenging for me. Thankfully, God has provided several capable people to help me over the years.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
Receiving feedback from readers is a highlight. My first article telling my story came out in 1978 and my first book telling my story came out in 1984. In those days—long ago—there was only US mail, not email, etc. I remember getting letters from many places in the world, including The Sultanate of Oman. Who would have expected that?
And then much later, I had opportunities of connecting with women whose children are now grown, and they would tell me how my books and speaking helped them become a better mother. Of course, all these wonderful things are bonuses. I’m still, though, hoping that I will one day walk in a public place like an airport and see someone reading one of my books. I can’t wait to interrupt her and say, “Hi. I’m the author of that book. Would you like me to autograph it?” I don’t know if that will happen but I hope so.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
When I’m asked this question, it’s fun to pick from two possible answers: I’ve sky jumped out of a plane (tandem, of course). The other is my first epileptic seizure was at a patio restaurant at the base of The Parthenon in Athens, Greece, when I was 66 years old. I’m so grateful I received excellent care from Greek doctors.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
Thank you for asking! I can’t name all 59 but here are the most recent:
- God’s Intriguing Questions: 40 Old Testament Devotions Revealing God’s Nature (co-authored with my husband, Larry)
- God’s Intriguing Questions: 60 New Testament Devotions Revealing Jesus’s Nature (co-authored with my husband, Larry)
- Pure-Hearted: The Blessings of Living Out God’s Glory
- Never Ever be the Same: A New You Starts Today (co-authored with my husband, Larry)
- No More Anger: Hope for an Out of Control Mom
What are you working on now?
I’m now working on the next book in my “Daughters of the King Bible Study Series.” It will be on marriage. Heart of Courage is the 5th book in the series and the one on marriage will be #6. There will be a total of 12 books in that series. The topics of the published studies are prayer, women of the Bible, the Proverbs, and friendship.
Website: www.KathyCollardMiller.com
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1649495137/
Social media links: access them at https://linktr.ee/kathycollardmiller
Book Tour fun
I just returned from my annual book tour in the Thousand Islands, and, as always, it filled my soul to the full, not just because I sold out of my books and met so many wonderful fans, but also because I got to spend time with “kindred spirits,” fellow River Rats who love the St. Lawrence River and the Thousand Islands as much or more than I do.
There’s something so special about folks who love the river and the islands. Even on a rainy Monday afternoon, dozens of happy readers drifted into the Little Bookstore in Clayton. On Tuesday, my cousin, Julie and I went to the Thousand Island Park on Wellesley Island for a book talk and signing under the shade of a large oak with the summer breeze keeping us cool.
On Wednesday, browsers in Michael Ringer Gallery scooped up books to match their excitement of the river, and that evening, a boat with sixty folks cruised to Calumet Island for a tour, barbecue, and book signing with me. What a joy that was!
To cap off the week, ten authors met at the Cornwall Brothers Museum in Alexandria Bay for a book talk and signing. Such fun!
Here are a few pictures to enjoy:
Meet author Kathleen Rouser
Kathleen Rouser is the award-winning author of Rumors and Promises, her first novel about the people of fictional Stone Creek, Michigan, and a multi-published author of historical Christian romance. She has loved making up stories since she was a little girl and wanted to be a writer before she could even read. She’s in the grip of God’s grace and is a fan of the three Cs—cats, coffee, and chocolate.
Tell us about your newest book.
In Flying Into Love, her great-grandmother’s journal holds the key to the past–and maybe her future. Unable to say no when others need her, Talia Sampson took on her deceased aunt’s advice column and the care of her special needs niece. Then new veteran, Ben Tanner, shows up unexpected on her doorstep. Hurt many times, he wonders where home is. Talia isn’t happy finding a hot-air balloon with him, but she treasures the old journal with it. Ben hopes restoring her family’s antique will please her, until he discovers a secret that shatters his trust. And Talia hates flying. Will she trust God—and Ben—enough to go airborne?
What genre do you focus on and why?
Most often I’ve written Christian historical romance, because of my faith in Christ to start. I also enjoy a romance with a happy ending with two people who accept each other’s faults and quirks while falling in love. In a sense romance is the story of God pursuing us while we were yet sinners and still loved us! How everyday people lived in the past has intrigued me as well. Their lives made a difference. Perhaps because of my enjoyment of history I was comfortable making Flying Into Love a split time novel with an historical sub-plot.
Why do you write?
I’m pretty sure God is the one who set the idea in my heart, especially since I was so intrigued with the stories my mom read to me when I was four that I wanted to write books someday. I started out wanting to illustrate them as well, but in time realized my aptitude was more towards writing than drawing. The desire was always simmering in the back of my mind and after I gave my life to Christ, I wanted to use my talent for Him
It was easy to get busy raising my family, but I felt convicted one day after hearing sermon on the parable of the talents and questioned how much I had used mine. It’s hard sometimes, but I try to write uplifting stories that show people who are very human and learning to trust in God just as you or I might be.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Talia Sampson is my main character. It’s a pretty name and when I looked it up, I found out it meant “dew of God” in Hebrew and in Arabic it means “sheep.” I thought both meanings were lovely.
Talia is someone who cares deeply about others, protective about those she loves, but she also gives to the point that her needs and concerns are lost. She is seeking the purpose God has for her life and whom she is meant to be. Through reading her great-grandmother’s journal she is surprised to learn the truth about long held beliefs about her family and finds guidance for herself.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
Like many other authors I find marketing a real challenge. Being an introvert and a very private person, for me social media feels like a task rather than something fun to which I look forward.
And I struggle knowing how to promote my work and connect better with readers. And then there’s the time factor. Every minute I’m promoting is time I’m not writing.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
Creating stories with the Lord! It’s fun to be able to make up different kinds of stories, especially when they have a Christian message. He wired me to look for stories, to think about stories, and when I ask him for help, even though sometimes I must wait, He always comes through.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
Yes! The first two books of my Stone Creek trilogy, Rumors and Promises and Secrets and Wishes. I hope to eventually publish a third, which is written. The working title is Scandals and Mercies. My novella, The Last Memory is part of Barbour’s Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides anthology. My first novella was published in the anthology Brave New Century and is called The Pocket Watch.
What are you working on now?
A middle grade novel about a disillusioned dragon who is prompted to care for dragon foundlings by two children she’s befriended. I’m also doing research for a novel about the tragedy of the sinking of the Eastland in Chicago in 1915.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
Depending on the day of the week, I usually write in the late morning or early afternoon. I work toward a word count, depending on my deadline. Some days I may shoot for 500, others it may be 1000 or 1500. If I start with a lower word count goal and I find I’m in the “zone” I will keep going.
What is your favorite pastime?
I suppose it sounds cliché but probably spending time with my husband. We knew each other for only five months when we got married, so our first fourteen years were rather rocky. And after homeschooling for more than twenty years I had a horrible time adjusting to the empty nest. Now I cherish the time that Jack and I have together, whether it’s getting a cup of coffee to take on a stroll on the boardwalk at our town’s mill pond or just watching a whodunnit together in the evening, I am very grateful that by God’s grace we are still together. I also enjoy reading (of course), making jewelry, and baking.
Website: http://kathleenrouser.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/kerouser
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rouserkathy/
Twitter: @KathleenRouser
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kathleen-rouser
Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/Flying-Into-Love-Kathleen-Rouser/dp/B08YS61PDL