Meet author Lori Closter
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Lori Closter is a wife, mom, and grammy fulfilling her dream of giving people hope and faith through stories. A lifelong Northeasterner with degrees from Cornell and Temple, she was writer/assistant producer on educational films for National Geographic. She has published several stories, and her coming-to-faith novel Topping the Willow and feature screenplay version have been multiply recognized in contests. Lori and her retired pastor husband now live in coastal NC.
Tell us about your newest book.
Topping the Willow is a contemporary, mature Young Adult novel for ages 15-99. A rebellious New York teen accidentally puts her ambitious attorney mother into a coma, and winds up spending the summer on a Vermont horse farm owned by Christians—where she learns about God, forgiveness, and faith.
What inspired you to write Topping the Willow?
As a lifelong reader, I’ve always known I would write a book—but not about what. When a family member told how she’d been the last to see a vacationing family before a tragic accident, I knew it was the set-up for a novel even as she spoke. When I later learned two of my cousins knew this family, 1500 miles away, it became personal. Then I had to figure out the story …
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
Brittany Warner, 15, “hates” her mother—but never meant to put her into a coma. The guilt-ridden teen winds up stuck for an entire summer on a Vermont horse farm run by Christians. When family secrets threaten her very identity, her risky decisions create a dangerous spiral that endangers herself and Will, a hot young believer. But a greater love is at work, giving her hope…
What genre do you focus on?
I’m straddling three—but all deal with family and personal relationships and are meant to bring hope. 1) My stories are secular women’s fiction, from a Christian worldview. 2) My faith-based YA novel Topping the Willow and 3) my feature screenplay version are gritty and realistic, but with clean language—and hopefully non-preachy. As Frederick Buechner said, “I always hope to reach people who don’t want to touch religion with a ten-foot pole.” And writing a screenplay is a different skill, which is why this project has taken me years to develop.
Why do you write?
I came from an outwardly normal family with deep dysfunction. It’s taken my whole life to see it clearly. So I began writing to process pain and achieve forgiveness and freedom. As I matured, I came to understand God’s hand and grace at work in our lives, and wanted to depict that realistically.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
The usual modern hurdles—a website, social media, publicity, reviews … but also, persevering despite what has seemed very strong, long-term spiritual opposition. Months ago, I again felt so stuck that it was as if I were slogging through concrete. Then one morning God allowed a real concrete truck to block my driveway completely, proving I wasn’t imagining it! I had to laugh.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
Being creative, as God designed us to be, brings great satisfaction. But the very best feeling is of impacting His Kingdom. The full harvest isn’t in, but not long ago I clearly discerned the words in prayer, “It is beginning, the fruitfulness.” So inspiring. When I hear my novel positively affected someone, it’s a huge blessing.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
As a young child, I was terrified of death for the same reasons as Brittany in the opening scene of the novel: my parents said that someday I would die, and the world would go on forever without me. Talk about trauma. Little kids need better than that. Also, the horse subplot is based on real life. I owned that horse for two awful years; careful what you wish for. But it became a huge God story, and an abridged version—spoiler alert—is on my website in the About section.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
I’ve been honing my craft for a long time. But more importantly, I’ve gained deeper and deeper insights into God’s lovingkindness and purposes for suffering. I hope it shows in my writing. He wants us to know him personally!
What is your favorite pastime?
Spending time with my husband, family, and friends. My six little grands are spread over the East coast; we’re an I-95 family, but at least we don’t have to fly. And reading, of course.
What are you working on now?
I’ve drafted True North, a sequel to Topping the Willow, which may become a Narrowgate Farm Trilogy. I don’t know of many—or any?—contemporary series that seriously trace the spiritual growth of a contemporary teenage girl in a realistic way, and hope I do it justice. And if anyone would like quarterly email updates, please shoot me an email with YES in the subject line; I’m currently between servers.
Other info:
Website: www.loricloster.com
Amazon link to book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJNG6RPQ
Library of Congress Control Number, to request a library buy the book: 2022360943
Social media links:
Facebook: Lori Closter
Instagram @lori_closter
linkedin.com/in/lori-c-007b6255/
Meet author J’nell Ciesielski
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With a passion for heart-stopping adventure and sweeping love stories, J’nell Ciesielski weaves fresh takes into romances of times gone by. Bestselling author of The Socialite, she is a Florida native who now lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and lazy beagle. Learn more at www.jnellciesielski.com.
Tell us about your newest book.
To Free the Stars. Ten years have passed since Jack and Ivy, elite operatives for the secret agency Talon, rescued their friend Philip and completed their fateful mission. The 1920s are in full swing as American speakeasies thrive amid Prohibition, and despite the team’s best efforts, the deadly cult, the Order of the Rising Moon, lives on in the shadows. Which is no surprise to Ivy; nothing has gone as she expected since that day after Poenari Castle.
When a wave of assassinations strikes world leaders, intel confirms the Order’s involvement. Ivy holds them responsible for the tragedy that changed her life, and she is determined to find and destroy the villains once and for all—but she must do so before their relentless assassin eliminates his next target. Her. Except, there’s something oddly familiar about the way he moves, the way he anticipates each of her moves. It’s as if he knows her. But that’s not possible. Is it? Ivy will have to rely on every skill she’s learned if she hopes to survive—and save those she loves. No matter the cost.
What inspired you to write To Free the Stars?
TO FREE THE STARS is the second book in the Jack and Ivy novels and was the part of their story that I was most excited to tell. It’s a Jason Bourne meets Captain America’s the Winter Soldier mashup with tons of action and adventure set from bustling DC to the quiet farmland of Virginia, to a Paris cemetery, to the folklore mountains of Romania. There are assassins, and the fight between good and evil, but the heart of this story is about a marriage. More specifically, a marriage on the rocks and trying to gain its footing again through love, hope, shame, tears, and even a few thrown dishes.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
A thrilling adventure filled with glamorous espionage and a boundless romance inspired by The Winter Soldier.
What genre do you focus on?
I usually stick to historical with heavy romance threads, but for this story I decided to throw action/suspense into the mix because it’s all about spies and their globe trotting adventures.
Why do you write?
I write because I can’t NOT write. All these stories well up inside me and won’t leave me alone until they’re told. It’s freeing to tell these bits of myself. At the end of the day, I just want to tell good stories, and if readers enjoy them and maybe learn a bit of history along the way, even better.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Because this story is inspired by The Winter Soldier character from the Captain America movies I wanted to give a nod to that winter connection. Ivy, the heroine, is often associated with Christmas time, particularly in the song The Holly and the Ivy. Jack, the hero, is named after Jack Frost.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I’m up early to get my daughter off to school by 9 am, then I do errands and chores, and then finally sit down to write for a few hours until it’s time for my daughter and husband to come home. I never work on the weekends because that is family time. The only exception is if edits are due.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
I am very much an introvert so I love being tucked away in my office, just me and my imagination. Unfortunately, authors can’t squirrel themselves away forever because so much of the marketing and publicity has been placed on our shoulders. It can be very difficult to put myself out there, but hopefully readers won’t think I’m too weird.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
I get to spend my days doing the thing I love most, write. Not many are able to commit to full-time writing and I am so grateful each day that I can tell these stories and enter these worlds that fill my head.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
I’m an Air Force veteran. Not many people know that, but I come from a long line of military service. It wasn’t something I ever planned on, but after graduating college I still didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life so I signed it over in service of our great country for four years.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
Every book I change. My process evolves as I grow more confident in my skills, and as my life changes those are the subjects I want to start including for my characters to experience.
What is your favorite pastime?
Eating and traveling! I have a habit of dragging my family around to historical sites.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
Among the Poppies
The Songbird and the Spy
The Socialite
Beauty Among Ruins
The Ice Swan
The Castle Keepers (part of a collaborative novel)
The Brilliance of Stars
What are you working on now?
I haven’t quite announced it yet, but it’s glamorous, frothy, and set during the jazzy 1920s! Stay tuned for details in the new year.
Website: J’nell Ciesielski | Historical Romance Author (jnellciesielski.com)
Link to book: Books | J’nell Ciesielski (jnellciesielski.com)
Social media links: https://www.facebook.com/jnellciesielski
https://www.instagram.com/jnellciesielski/
https://www.goodreads.com/jnellciesielski
Meet author Felicia Ferguson
![](https://www.susangmathis.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/eFelicia-243-1-1600x1200.jpg)
Felicia achieved master’s degrees in Healthcare Administration and Speech-Language Pathology, but has written since childhood and dreamed of authoring books that teach and inspire others. An award-winning fiction and non-fiction freelance writer, she’s the past president of the Destin chapter of Word Weavers International and member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. When she’s not glued to her laptop, Felicia enjoys hiking, meandering with her twelve-year-old Frenchie, and looking forward to the next story.
Tell us about your newest book.
The Choices She Made is a time slip women’s contemporary fiction book set in a fictional ranching town in east Texas. Madeline, the main character, was sexually assaulted at seventeen by an acquaintance, who was the son of a wealthy rancher and she becomes pregnant. The first timeline is of Madeline at seventeen working through the assault and the options of whether to terminate the pregnancy, put the child up for adoption, or keep her. To complicate matters, she is dating a boy who wants to marry her, but he is waffling between going into the military or staying in their ranching town.
The second timeline is of Madeline as a 30-year-old. She kept the child, but moved away so Georgia, her daughter, wouldn’t grow up with small town gossip about her conception. Madeline has never told Georgia who her father is. She’s always said God is her father. This timeline starts with Madeline finding out 1) Georgia has been given a family tree assignment by her history teacher and 2) Georgia’s biological father is on trial for assaulting other women. It follows Madeline’s working through how to tell Georgia about her father in light of the assault and trial and whether or not she will testify about her experience.
What inspired you to write The Choices She Made?
I actually woke up one morning with the vivid image of walking into the auction house where Madeline was assaulted. From there the story just came to life. The setting was inspired by my own childhood growing up on a horse and cattle farm in Kentucky as well as my early years in Texas. Madeline just somehow joined the story.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
Madeline’s story follows a woman leaning into (and growing) her faith after a devastating, life-changing experience and learning to trust God’s word when he says he will make all things work together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
What genre do you focus on?
I write in the women’s fiction genre. But I think it more chose me than me it. I love strong female characters and my reading preferences tend more to that love than any particular genre. From Star Trek and Star Wars to all of Jane Austen’s works, I’m interested in characters. Why they do what they do. Who they are below the surface. How they grow and change over the course of the novel or a series of novels. Women’s fiction really allows for delving into those questions.
Why do you write?
Writing is really who I am. It’s an extension of myself. The ability to see scenes in my head, hear characters in my ears, and then translate their stories to text is probably my favorite thing about writing. Although I really do enjoy rewriting and tweaking to find just the right words once the story is actually down on paper. Deepening the characters, the scenes, the situations so that they truly come to life for the reader.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Madeline Williams. My main characters always name themselves as their story begins to form in my head. It’s like they introduce themselves and then say it’s time for their story to be written.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I’m a morning writer. So I’ll grab my mug of tea, a protein ball, and do my devotions, then hit the keyboard by seven AM at the latest. I’ll usually write until around 10AM when the furchild needs a walk, then come back and write until lunch. If I’m pushing to get through the muddle of the middle, I’ll start back up after lunch and write until my brain is numb.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
Writing the middle of a novel. They don’t call it the “muddle” for nothing! I have to force myself to get a certain word count or number of chapters done a day when I get into the 45,000 word count mark.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
I love being able to tell stories of regular people who wrestle with God, his plan, their wounds, and the people around them. It’s life. And while it’s beautiful, God never promised it would be easy. Being able to show readers how they can work through their own doubts, hurts, and traumas toward healing is extremely fulfilling. It feels like kingdom impact, which is my biggest goal for writing.
What’s one thing your readers should know about you?
I’ve never been a fan of stories where the characters bring out all of their issues only to repack them at the end and go on with their lives. Or worse, they all-of-a-sudden change into a better or more whole person, but the reader doesn’t get to walk with them through the growth process to see how they did it. So in my stories, I show readers that “how” and let them experience and empathize with the hard work so they can celebrate and appreciate the character’s moving into or at least toward a life of freedom (which should be the normal, abundant Christian life). And then perhaps be inspired to do their own hard work toward healing.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
Oh, goodness. I’ve grown so much thanks to reading craft books, attending conferences, participating in critique groups and working with writing mentors. I feel like my characters are deeper, their emotions are more vivid and experiential, and I’ve learned how to weave more story threads into a plot and still provide a satisfying ending.
What is your favorite pastime?
Outside of writing, it would be exploring. I moved to Colorado in June 2023, and I love pulling up Google Maps, finding some point, putting Lillie in the car, and driving around.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
Yes, I have two hybrid published books set on Florida’s 30A and in Fairhope, AL. The Paths We Walk: Trails and The Paths We Walk: Bridges. Tunnels, the third and final book in that series, has been sitting on my hard drive for years while I pursued the stand-alone books. But I have promised one of my readers from church that writing it is next on the list. I also have another book releasing in October with End Game Press. The current title (which I hope I’ll keep) is When Secrets Come Calling. It is set in Montgomery and Gulf Shores, AL. Another one is finished and ready to be published, but I’m researching publishing options for it right now. It’s set at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida during the Bosnian War. Its focus is on repeating family choices and behaviors and the strength and courage it takes to follow another path.
Lastly, in December, I finished a novel set in the Florida panhandle after Hurricane Michael and in Golden, CO. It’s overarching theme is, “How do you recover from betrayal? And what happens if you don’t?”
What are you working on now?
Edits of the completed novels, the last book in The Paths We Walk series, and coordinating the 2024 Write in the Springs conference.
Website: www.feliciafergusonauthor.com
Link to book: https://feliciafergusonauthor.com/books/
Social media links:
https://www.facebook.com/feliciafergusonauthor
https://www.instagram.com/felicia_writes/
Meet author Cindy Huff
![](https://www.susangmathis.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/cindy-huff-2020-1-1600x1200.jpg)
Cindy has been writing since high school in a variety of genres. Novel writing came late in life and she’s enjoyed getting all those voices in her head down on paper. She and her hubby of 50 years recently moved to Purcell, Oklahoma. She has five married children and 11 grandchildren.
Tell us about your newest book.
I started a contemporary romance series: Dog Groom Love Stories. Book#1 Loving the Dog Groomer came out last month. I’m nearing the end of the first draft of book #2 Finding the Dog Groomer’s Soulmate. And I’ve ideas for at least one more. This is only my second self-published book. Being a high breed author is a challenge. Learning to do the things a traditional publisher does for you was a learning curve.
What inspired you to write Loving the Dog Groomer?
I wrote Loving the Dog Groomer to honor my kids who did that job every day. My daughter had a bad breakup and Bria is loosely based on her. The single-dad Marc is very relatable. I want to remind readers that God makes all things beautiful in His time. (That is the theme of all my stories.) With the Lord’s help, we can rebuild our lives and find His happily ever-after for us. Because this is the first book in the series you meet a few characters who show u in the next books. I’ve never intentional written a series before. I have some sequels to historical romance t wrote. Those I wrote because various characters grabbed my attention. While the Dog Groomers Love Stories is more intentional in setting the stage for a sequel.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
Former model Bria Willis loves working with her quirky brother in their dog grooming shop. She prefers dogs over people. They don’t manipulated you and rob your self-esteem. Single Dad Marc Graham is struggling to parent his traumatize son and dealing with Tyler’s service dog is way out of his comfort zone. Can these two broken people find a future together?
What genre do you focus on?
I write Historical and Contemporary Romance. I like to write romances with a bit of an edge to them because that is how life is. Nothing is perfect and even getting to the “ I do” can be a challenge. I love historical settings because I can create strong women that defy the restraints of their day. I write contemporary romances because a problem set in the present resonates more with readers.
Why do you write?
I started writing because I created a story in junior high that impressed my eighth-grade teacher. I continued writing in various genres as I raised my children. After a ten-year break from writing when my life raising five kids got too busy, I found at the end of it I was hungry to write. I needed to create. And when God answered my fleece by providing funds for me to take a writing course that gave me the tools I was missing, I knew He was giving me direction.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Bria Willis is the female character. I saw or heard the name somewhere and thought it fit a woman who was once a model. Marc Graham is my hero. His name is spell different because it is short of Marcellus. His mother found the name in a historical romance novel.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I try to write Monday through Friday. Sometimes my writing takes on other forms than my WIP novel. I can usually write until I reach about two-thousand words, then my brain shuts down. If I’ve been writing blog posts etc. then my creative juices for my novel end up being closer to five hundred a day. Sometimes I’ll write on Saturday but having the weekends free gives me time to do boring things like housework. I have never been one to write for hours without stopping. I once wrote a chapter late into the night and then I clicked don’t save instead of save and had to recreate it. That was so not fun. I know my limitations and that keeps me from being frustrated that I can’t write a novel in thirty days. I edit what I wrote the day before, then continue on to the next portion. Sometimes I’ll reread from the beginning of the story if I feel I may have holes or can’t recall portions.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
Marketing. I hate putting myself out there. I would rather write and let someone else do the marketing. But even though I’ve delegated some things to my VA I still have to interact on social media and create memes and videos. Keeping my name out there is much harder than writing.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
Having people tell me how much they enjoyed my books. If I’ve made a difference in someone’s life, even if it’s only taking them away from the day-to-day stresses for a while, I feel blessed.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
I grew up as a military brat. Which means you are making new friends every few years and leaving the old ones behind. That means I don’t have those friends I’ve known since kindergarten. That’s why I enjoy books about small towns where characters have known each other forever. Because I’ve had to make friends often, I am not afraid of interacting with strangers and meeting new people feeds my soul. That said, I love meeting fellow writers and readers of my genre.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
I have had to work hard at craft and waited ten years for my first novel to get published. I’ve become wiser in the ways of the publishing world and am not afraid of rejections. I know so much more than I did about craft and the industry and am confident after all these years that I can help other newbies reach their goals.
What is your favorite pastime?
I’m addicted to reading. I love going to museums and farmer’s markets and live theater is great fun for me.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
Yes. Here is the link to all my books on Amazon. https://bit.ly/48ljLJY
I have four historical romances and two contemporary at present. I have three others completed and two in process as I write this.
What are you working on now?
The sequel to Loving The Dog Groomer that is currently titled Finding the Dog Groomer’s Soulmate. I also have a Historical Romance title Protecting His Heart in the editing stage.
Website:
hhtps://www.cindyervnhuff.com
Link to book: https://bit.ly/3twXnNw
Social media links:
https://www.facebook.com/author.huff11
https://www.instagram.com/cindyervinhuff/
https://twitter.com/Cindyhuff11Huff
https://www.tiktok.com/@cindyehuff?lang=en
Meet author Diana Lesire Brandmeyer
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Diana Lesire Brandmeyer has written books in the romance and women’s fiction genres. Her works explore themes of faith, forgiveness, and redemption. Some of her popular works include Mind of Her Own, and The Frontier Legacy Bride’s series. In addition to her writing, Brandmeyer is also a speaker and teacher who has given talks on topics such as writing, faith, and family relationships.
Tell us about your newest book.
A Promise in Haste piggybacks off a character that isn’t named in book 2. When I finished the third book in the series I wanted to keep going. The first book starts in Tennessee and now I’m setting the next books in Montana. The women who made the west civilized are important and need to have their stories told. I know my characters never existed, but real women traveled far, difficult journeys and brought pieces of home with them. That’s what I wanted to show with my characters. It wasn’t always an object, sometimes it’s a skill.
What inspired you to write A Promise in Haste?
I had this idea about a woman who loses her parents. She has nowhere to go. Before her mother passed Marla promised she’d always care for her much younger sister. She answers an advertisement for a mail-order bride but doesn’t mention she’s bringing her sister along.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
Marla Atwell, left destitute after her parents’ tragic accident, faces the daunting choice of becoming a mail-order bride to secure a future for her sister. Jack Green, a struggling widower, advertises for a wife to save his failing café. Their unexpected union brings challenges that test their resilience, forcing them to confront love, loss, and redemption. Will adversity tear them apart, or will it forge a bond that transcends the trials of life?
What genre do you focus on?
Historical romance, 19th century and they way they lived fascinates me. When I look at my kitchen and see the air fryer, Instapot and microwave I can’t imagine making meals three times a day without them. And to be clear, even with my modern conveniences I can’t seem to get dinner made every night. How did these women do this and enjoy life?
What drives you?
This last year has been difficult after losing my mom and mother-in-law and breaking my elbow and I thought, why keep writing? I feel it is something God wants me to do. I’m struggling to get the words down, but the characters are in my head rooting me on. James 1:17 NIV says it well. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like the shifting shadows. The gift of writing is not going to go away, it is my choice to honor it or retire it. I’m not going to stop. That’s what drives me, that and knowing my mom would be disappointed that my grief over her had caused that to happen.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Marla Atwell. It’s a name used in the 19th century but not well known. I needed her name to sound like mom because she has a much younger sister who calls her Ma.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
Ha! It’s all over the place. If you’ve ever heard of the Clifton Strengths you’ll know about intellection. It’s a thinking strength. Mine is high, and it’s a great strength to have but it means I have to think about my story a lot. Sometimes it looks like I’m not working and just resting. Some days I hit the keyboard and write a chapter in twenty minutes because it’s fully thought out in my head. Other days it’s a sentence. I find that each book I write comes with a different schedule and I can’t say I’m writing this book at a certain time each day. That process doesn’t work for me and neither does plotting on paper. I’m a discovery writer.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
The hardest thing for me is the marketing and asking people to be on my ARC team. I’m a quiet person and putting myself out there is a struggle. Even writing this interview is hard!
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
Learning new things! I’ve set up a store front this year and that’s been a journey. I’m also investigating how to get audio books made. It seems in this business there will always be new adventures.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
I was working as a barista in 2021-2022 and I don’t like coffee.
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
When I started, I read all the books on plotting and character development complete with worksheets and I tried all of those things. That wasn’t a bad thing, and I learned a lot, but it isn’t how I write. What has changed for me is realizing I’m not that writer. Through Becca Symes courses I finally am comfortable saying I’m a writer that doesn’t plot. My books are better for it because when I plot the joy is gone and my characters don’t come alive.
What is your favorite pastime?
Learning new things! Right now, I’m watching YouTube videos about homesteading. Will I ever raise chickens and can a mess of vegetables, probably not but it is fun to see how it’s done.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
Thank you for asking. I do have more! I have historical and contemporary romances. There are 3 more books in the Frontier Legacy Bride’s series, Small Town Brides series-those are novellas, and contemporary romance Silverton Lake romance series, Mind of Her Own and Hearts on the Road.
What are you working on now? I’m working on a follow up book with one of the characters from A Promise in Haste, it’s also a mail-order bride book.
Website: https://dianabrandmeyer.com/
My store: https://store.dianabrandmeyer.com
My direct store link: https://store.dianabrandmeyer.com/products/a-promise-in-haste
Books2Read link: https://books2read.com/u/4EEoZ0
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DianaLesireBrandmeyer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianabrandmeyer_author/
Newsletter signup: https://bookhip.com/ZTMCCM
Meet author Donna Schlachter
![](https://www.susangmathis.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Donna-2022-headshotIMG_20220508_150801229-1600x1200.jpg)
A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than sixty times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching committed career writers.
Tell us about your newest book:
A King for Kinsella features a widow who needs a man to help around her ranch, and a man who needs a fresh start.
Kingston Marchmont flees Australia in search of a new life—and a new opportunity to prove he isn’t the man wrongfully convicted and transported.
Kinsella Jackson struggles to raise her four children following her husband’s mysterious death. Did he jump? Was he pushed? Or was it an accident? And how can this king help her?
What inspired you to write A King for Kinsella?
I originally responded to a call-out in a multi-author group, and by the time I responded, K and Q were about the only letters left, so I chose K. The notion of a mistaken identity came to mind, one where the widow thinks the man is a king.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb?
Life in the west was dangerous and not easy for a widow on her own with four children. No social safety nets. Her only recourse, realistically, is to re-marry. But her options are limited. So when a stranger sends her a letter saying he’s on his way, she hopes marriage is off the table. Kingston Marchmont wants a fresh start and a second chance, but when he arrives in Colorado, he can see this woman doesn’t want him. Now what?
What genre do you focus on?
I write historical romance with a touch of mystery, and contemporary mystery with a touch of romance. I love cozy mysteries, and I find romance takes the edge off any unpleasantness otherwise.
Why do you write?
I have these stories and characters in my head that scream to be released. Plus, I feel God called me to put these stories out there for readers, to show His love for them.
Who is your main character, and how did you choose that name?
Kinsella Jackson is a widow with four children. I chose the name because of the K thing.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I schedule time on my calendar to write Monday through Friday, except Wednesdays, as that day was already full. I write for 2 hours at a time most of those days, which usually brings me through a chapter.
What is the hardest part of being an author?
I think the hardest part is not knowing how readers will receive the story. For me, it’s a done deal in my head and my heart, but communicating that can be tough.
What’s the best part of your author’s life?
I love writing THE END. I feel I’ve done what I’m supposed to do. Of course, hitting PUBLISH is also a blast.
What’s one unusual fact about you?
I am a Canadian by birth, an American by choice. I met my husband of 24 years online, and moved to the US before I ever met him in person. But God…
How have you changed or grown as a writer?
When I first started, I wanted to know if I had one book inside me. Then I fell in love with my characters, and ended up writing 12 books in that series. And then I realized I could write historic as well as contemporary, and that opened up a new world to me.
What is your favorite pastime?
Reading. Eating. Watching TV mysteries. Sleeping. All depends on the time of day.
Do you have other books? We’d love to know.
I have published 60+ books over 20 years. You can find me at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=donna+schlachter
What are you working on now?
Whatever the next book in my schedule is. Starting in 2024, I’m slowing down on multi-author projects, and focusing more on existing and new projects of my own. I have several series in the works, including the Pony Express, a writer who is also a rancher in Arizona, mail-order brides, and more.
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Link to book: https://www.amazon.com/King-Kinsella-Mail-Order-Papa-ebook/dp/B0CDFK6LYV
Social media links:
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Books: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ci5Xqq
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