Brandy Bruce is a mother, a wife, a book editor, an author, and someone who really loves dessert! After working as an editor for a traditional publishing house for more than a decade, Brandy transitioned to freelance editing. She's the author of Looks Like Love, The Romano Family Collection, and soon-to-be-released The Last Summer. Originally from Texas, Brandy and her husband now make their home in Colorado with their three children. She's active online and you can contact her through her blog. Or find her on Twitter or Instagram.

​1. What inspired the idea for The Last Summer?
I was a freshman in college when these characters first came to me. In fact, I still have the original spiral notepad where I wrote the first draft! It was a time in my life when friendships were paramount and romance was so intriguing. Since that early first draft, I've rewritten this story several times. The characters just stayed with me. When I was pregnant with my third child, I rewrote it a final time. And I love the finished product!

2. What do you want readers to take away from reading The Last Summer?
I truly hope they take away the truth that we should give grace to each  other.

3. What was the hardest part about writing The Last Summer?
I love the unique bond between the friendships in the book; it was difficult to explore the thought of what happens when friendships enter a season of change. I felt very attached to every character.

4. What does your writing process look like?
I'm one of those writers who doesn't plan very much! The story unfolds as I write it. Every now and then I'll write out a simple outline, but normally, I just find a spare minute (usually that's at night, after the kids are in bed!) and I start typing. 

5. When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?  Did becoming an author ever cross your mind?
When I was very young, I remember wanting to be a police officer, like my dad. But I fell in love with reading in middle school and began to write, and the dream of being a writer began to take form. I was writing stories in the sixth grade. When I went to college years later, I knew I wanted to work with books, but I wasn't sure I'd ever get the chance to be an author. I decided I would try to be a book editor and I worked toward that goal. After graduating with a degree in English, I worked as a book editor for a traditional Christian publishing house for more than a decade and I loved it so much. Working with books was a dream come true. But I never lost my passion for writing and whenever I had a little extra time, I'd write the stories that kept coming to me.

6. Who are some of your favorite authors? Do these authors influence your own writing?
Robin Jones Gunn is one of my all-time favorite writers. I was obsessed with her Christy Miller series when I was in middle school. And as I got older, her Glenbrooke series has probably influenced me more than any other. I read so many different genres! I love Suzanne Collins and Diana Gabaldon. Melissa Tagg. Siri Mitchell. Honestly, I love everything from Southern fiction to fantasy.
 
7. When you are not writing, what hobbies do you enjoy?
​I'm a family girl. I love spending time with my husband and three children. My kids are awesome. I also really enjoy having coffee with friends. And I'm someone who loves dessert! I like baking any flavor of cheesecake.

Check out the cover reveal of The Last Summer HERE.

​Debbie Lynne Costello has enjoyed writing stories since she was eight years old. She raised her family and then embarked on her own career of writing the stories that had been begging to be told. She and her husband have four children and live in upstate South Carolina. She has worked in many capacities in her church and is currently the Children's Director. Debbie Lynne has shown and raised Shetland Sheepdogs for eighteen years and still enjoys litters now and then. In their spare time, she and her husband take pleasure in camping and riding their Arabian and Tennessee Walking horses.

1. What or whom inspired you to become an author?
I’ve loved writing since I was 8 years old. In high school I had a creative writing teacher who encouraged my writing. But the person who inspired me to be a writer is my husband. I was homeschooling at the time and my boys were in high school and didn’t need me all the time, but I stayed in the room with them in case they did need me. I read books while I waited for them to need my help. At dinner, I’d tell my hubby all the things I’d change in the book or the problems I saw in it. One day he said to me, “Why don’t you write your own book?” I sat on that and thought about it for a couple weeks. Then one day I sat down and started to write. Joe has been a huge encouragement to me and my writing. Always asking how my writing day went.
 
2. What authors inspire your writing?
Definitely MaryLu Tyndall, Kathleen L Maher, and Julie Lessman
 
3. What is your current WIP?
I am in the process of writing the sequel to Sword of Forgiveness. Its working name is Sword of Trust. You’ll see some of the same people in my sequel that you see in Sword of the Matchmaker and in Sword of Forgiveness.
 
4. When did you write your first novel?  Is this novel published?
My first novel is Sword of Forgiveness and it was published in 2015. I wrote it in 2008. Wow hard to believe it has been 9 years!
 
5. What do you want readers to take away from reading Sword of the Matchmaker?
I’d like readers to take away the importance of listening to God. And how He wants to be a part of our lives, guiding us in everything we do. He speaks to us through so many ways—strangers, friends, a still small voice. I also want my readers of this novella to be able to enjoy the story and finish it but keep thinking about the characters.
 
6. When you are not writing, what hobbies do you enjoy?
My favorite hobby is trail riding with our horses. I raise a sheltie puppies about once a year. I also do some sewing, painting, and crocheting. Although, I am finding that all but the riding and puppies are hard to fit into my schedule these days as I keep my grandkids when my daughter is working. 

Enter HERE.

​A native of Washington State, Sondra Kraak grew up playing in the rain, hammering out Chopin at the piano, and running up and down the basketball court. Now settled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, she enjoys spending time with her husband and children, blogging about spiritual truths, and writing historical romance set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She delights in sharing stories that not only entertain but nourish the soul. Her debut novel, One Plus One Equals Trouble, was a Genesis semi-finalist (2015) and the winner of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Unpublished Women’s Fiction Award (2015). Sondra has since published three novels.

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​1. What or whom inspired you to become an author?
I’ve created stories in my imagination since childhood. I enjoyed reading fiction in high school. Then I got busy with the academics of college and seminary and that story part of me was set aside. I started reading fiction again when I had little ones, and the stories in my emerged. It seemed natural to try writing them down.

2. Who are some of your favorite authors? Do they influence your writing?
I don’t read just for fun anymore. I read to learn, which makes me slow down, which in turn makes the experience richer. These are the authors that teach me:
-Ronie Kendig. Her heroes are amazing. Wounded, strong, special ops men. That’s my type of man. And Ronie’s writing is so easy to read. It flows through my head like my own thoughts. I don’t have a military background and can’t plot suspense well, otherwise I’d be writing in her genre.
-Susan May Warren. Deep, deep characters with fun quirks. Susie writes rich descriptions and great kisses, and her heroes are manly men (smokejumpers are almost as cool as special ops men).
Tamera Alexander. Beautiful, rich history, and great humor.
-Jennifer Rodewald. She tackles tough issues and her love for Jesus comes through in her writing. She also has a witty voice. I love wit and banter.
-Karen Witemeyer. I loved her early books. They stirred my dreams for writing historical romance, which was what I always wanted to write growing up.
-Denise Hunter. She creates great chemistry between hero and heroine, and like Susan May Warren, writes the best kisses.
-Becky Wade. Specifically, My Stubborn Heart. Again, it’s the wounded hero issue. Matt Jarreau might be my favorite hero ever. And the heroine is extremely witty and loveable.
-Ronie Kendig . . . oh, wait. I already said her. Did I also mention I like wounded heroes?
Favorite authors from the ’90’s that influenced my love of story and romance: Lori Wick, Linda Chaikin, Francine Rivers, Bodie and Brock Thoene.

3. When did you write your first novel? Is this story published?
I found the courage to branch into fiction six years ago. I had to barrel past fears and misunderstanding that writing romance was subpar to the theological writing of my Biblical studies degree. I simply can’t help it. I love romance. My first novel, which took three years to write, is Such a Hope, released last October. My first released novel, One Plus One Equals Trouble, is the product of NaNoWriMo 2016 (National Novel Writing Month, which is November). Two Ways Home is the stand alone sequel to One Plus One. The next book in the series, Three Words and a Kiss, will be out later this year. I’m also working on a stand alone sequel to Such a Hope.

4. What does your writing process look like?
Messy. Amorphous. Unpredictable. I’ll try to make some sense of it. It begins with characters, their wounds, and the question, “How can Jesus heal this person?” Specifically, “How will Jesus use romance to minister healing in this person’s life?” *Side note—falling in love was tremendously healing for me and I consider it a sacred season of my life.* Back to the process. I jot down a few events of how the two will meet, what needs to happen to move the character toward healing, and then I’m off and writing. I get stuck, edit and rearrange, jot down more scene ideas. Always, I’m hearing dialogue and writing partial scenes in a separate document. Somehow it all comes together. Of course, listening to the sound track from Last of the Mohicans doesn’t hurt.

5. What do you want readers to take away from reading Two Ways Home?
I want readers to experience Jesus in all my stories. In Two Ways Home, I’m hoping readers will gain courage to face whatever is keeping them from experiencing that deep sense of home that can be found in the Lord. Luke had to learn to hold on, but Mary had to let go. We can come home both ways, by learning to connect and find intimacy, but also by trusting that God is larger than our losses and that he holds us even as we let go of people and places in this world.

6. When you are not writing, what hobbies do you enjoy?
I’m grateful that the things I do for jobs are my passions: church ministry, music, and writing. I can’t imagine life without them. But there are some things I used to enjoy that I don’t feel like I have much time for, which is sad. Stargazing. Canning. Road trips. Playing the piano for fun (as in practicing Chopin). As a family we enjoy camping, playing backyard sports, and board games. We are also big readers of picture books and chapter books. My daughter has started horseback riding lessons, and I enjoy watching her. Oh, daydreaming is a big hobby of mine.

Check out the Character Spotlight with Luke from Two Ways Home HERE.

​Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Once she understood the powerful saving grace thanks to the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior. She writes to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness.
She spends her days hanging out with her husband and their two boys. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the president of the Virginia Chapter.
You can find her on her website at http://tonishiloh.weebly.com/

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​1. What or whom inspired you to become an author?
I’ve been an avid reader since I was a child. As I got older, I thought I would like to write a story, but I never went beyond poetry and a couple of musings. I was too shy to share my work. It wasn’t until I went back to earn my Bachelor’s in English, that it finally hit me, thanks to a creative writing class. My professor was very encouraging and the writing bug hit. J
 
2. What does your writing process look like?
So a great question and one I’m not sure I can completely answer, lol. I get an idea in my head and I write it down. Most often, I’m already working on a story so I set it aside. Then the characters start nudging me, sharing their hopes and dreams. When it’s time, I pray before writing and type. No planning on my part. I simply let the words flow.
 
3. This is a spring wedding collection.  What is your favorite part of spring?
The flowers!! I love seeing the sprouts and once the flowers are out I’m in heaven. Currently I live in Virginia and the array of colors in spring is breathtaking. If I could have vases filled with flowers all over my home I would. Tulips are my favorite.
 
4. What inspired the idea for your story in this collection?
When my publisher asked me to write a spring wedding story, I wanted to think outside the box. I wanted there to be a wedding, but not a real one for the characters. That’s how A Proxy Wedding was born.
 
5. What do you want readers to take away from reading your story in this collection?
That love is a risk worth taking. Too often we let our past experiences color our present circumstances, ignoring the beauty of the opportunity before us. Accepting God’s love is just as transforming and why romance stories are so popular. We’re able to model Jesus and the bride over and over, showing something new each time.

Jen Turano, author of nine books and two novellas, is a graduate of the University of Akron with a degree in clothing and textiles. She is a member of ACFW and lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado. Visit her website at www.jenturano.com.

1. What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you personally?Amusing things happen to me all the time, but I think my favorite was back in college when I was a lifeguard. You see, there’s a lifeguard code – You will be cool at all times, especially when you’re sitting in a lifeguard chair, twirling your whistle exactly so, and, you know…looking cool. So, there I was, in my black lifeguard bathing suit – swinging my whistle. It was an unusually hot day, so I’d angled my umbrella exactly right as I watched the diving-board section. Now, I know this might come as a surprise, but being a lifeguard at the neighborhood pool isn’t exactly thrilling. It’s rare that anything exciting happens, and that particular day was no exception…until a large gust of wind came out of nowhere and the umbrella took it upon itself to close – right over me. And because it was now really gusty, the umbrella then lifted up, taking me with it right off the chair and into the depths of the deep end of the pool. From all accounts, it was quite the sight. First, there I was, swinging my whistle and looking groovy. Then all you could see were my legs flailing about as the umbrella covered the rest of me, and then…I was plummeting toward the pool, hit the water with the umbrella over me, and promptly sank. Obviously I managed to get out of the umbrella, but in the process, part of my bathing suit came off, and…well, that’s a story for another day.

2. What is your favorite book from your childhood?
“Andrew Henry’s Meadow.” It was actually my little brother’s book, gotten from one of those book of the month clubs, but I loved it. I recently found a copy on an e-site and ordered it, and it’s just as delightful today as it was back in my childhood.
3. Who does the cooking and cleaning in your house when you are on a deadline?

I don’t actually cook much even when I’m not on deadline, so that’s not really an issue. Al and I do a lot of salads or throw some chicken on the grill. We also have a lot of grocery stores that have wonderful deli and gourmet foods, so we get a lot of things there. As for cleaning, I’m one of those neurotic people who can’t work without everything being in place, so I do a lot of tidying up before I go to bed. And, because I do some of my best thinking when I clean, I’ve been known to abandon my writing when I get stuck and pick up a mop or cleaning rag, which means my house is rarely a disaster since I need to get unstuck a lot.
4. Where is your favorite place to write?
I do the majority of my writing in my office, although I will occasionally take a pad of paper and a pen outside to handwrite when I get bored of my office or it’s a really nice day and I don’t feel like being trapped inside. It’s not that my office is my favorite place to write, it’s more that my writing is my job and I’m more focused on that writing when I approach it as such.

5. What is your favorite part of the writing process?
​I really like when characters and new story ideas begin to fester. That normally happens when I’m in the midst of another series. By the time I’m done with whatever series I’m working on, the next series is pretty firmly set in my mind, which means I can jump right in as I wait for edits on recently completed work. My absolute favorite part of writing, though, is when I turn in the very final edit on a book and don’t see it again until it comes out in print. Although, I must admit, I’ve never, not once, read one of my books after it has gone to print. Seems rather pointless since I do always know how the book is going to end.

6. Why did you choose the timeframe or setting this book is written in?
I’ve been wanting to set a book during Alva Vanderbilt’s famous costume ball of March, 1883, for years. Since I decided to slowly travel through the Gilded Age, I just reached 1883 on my plot timeline, so knew I was finally going to get to throw some characters into the very midst of Alva’s ball. It was a blast to write, loved going back to all my books on this particular ball and seeing the pictures, and only wish the Vanderbilt house at 660 Fifth Avenue was still standing so I could visit it in person to visualize the splendors located inside a little more clearly.

7. What inspires you?
​I think like most writers, I simply get inspired by the world around me. I love to people watch, and I love to imagine all sorts of outlandish scenarios as I do that watching. I also get inspired by reading the headlines of the daily papers, and by the research books I read. I also love to look through old photographs of the Gilded Age, and became intrigued with Alva Vanderbilt’s ball when I saw a picture of a young lady, Miss Kate Strong, with a stuffed cat on her head and wearing a choker necklace with the name Puss engraved on it. That was all it took for me to investigate the Vanderbilt ball further, delighted to discover it truly was a ball that only comes along every blue moon.