A Pacific Northwest native, Amber Lynn Perry lives in Washington state with her husband and two daughters. She studied humanities at Portland State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree focused on art history. As a homeschooling mom, Amber spends much of her time teaching everything from Shakespeare to science.
When she isn’t crafting with her kids, making dinner or driving to dance classes, Amber is either reading or writing about her favorite time in American history. The Revolutionary era has captured her imagination from the time she was in middle school. Through her books, Amber hopes to not only give readers a glimpse into the past, but to instill in them a lasting love of liberty.

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​1. Who or what inspired you to become an author?
Oh! That’s a great question! It was Deeanne Gist who first told me I should write. I’m not even sure if she remembers mentioning anything to me, but after she said it I thought, “Hey! Why not??”

2. When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?  Did becoming an author ever cross your mind?
Actually, being an author never really came to mind, though I did first start writing—just for fun—in middle school. That was when the idea for So Fair a Lady began!

3. Who are some of your favorite authors?  Do these authors inspire your own writing?
Some of my favorite authors are Laura Frantz, and Tamara Leigh. Their stories, their prose, the depth of their characters—everything about their writing inspires me to be better.

4. What inspired the idea for the Daughters in His Kingdom Series? What inspired the idea for So Pure a Heart?
I first got the idea for the series when I was young—I’ve been obsessed with the American Revolution since middle school, and I thought how exciting it would be to bring the era to life. I hope that readers will be inspired by the courage and perseverance of the early Americans. Before writing So Pure a Heart, I did a lot of studying on spying during the Revolution and was so astonished and awed-inspired by the incredible things that regular citizens did for the cause that I just knew I needed to write about them…while including a good bit of romance, too, of course. ;)

5. What do you want readers to take away from reading So Pure a Heart?
Oh, my…well, I know that every reader reads a book a little differently, even though they are reading the same words—but overall, I do hope people will (like I mentioned before) be inspired by the sacrifices people made for freedom.

6. When you are not writing, what other “caps” do you wear and what hobbies do you enjoy?
Fun!! I love talking about writing, but I love this question, too—life is full of exciting things! I love to teach—I do homeschool with my girls and I also teach songs to the children in my church group. 

Janice Mineer was born in the state of Washington. She graduated from Brigham Young University and later taught English, allowing her to spend quality time with something she loves-the written word. A hopeless romantic, Janice has played harp for weddings, even for one that took place on the edge of a cliff over a river. Because of her first husband’s long illness, Janice and her family spent extended time away from home to be near the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. When her husband passed away, Janice dedicated herself to work with the Ronald McDonald House to provide a home away from home for families who need medical care for their children. Janice is the author of a children’s book, Gingerbread from the Heart. Secret Heart of the Bitterroot is her first novel.
Janice lives in the Bitterroot valley of Montana with her husband, Randy. Between them they have five children and 11 beautiful grandchildren.

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1. Who or what inspired you to become an author?
I have always been fascinated by words: glorious, colorful, poignant words. I love their sounds and the many shades of meaning they convey. I love to read but what better way to immerse yourself and feel the power of words than to write?
 
2. What does your writing process look like?
Chaotic, I’m afraid. It’s kind of like throwing paint on a canvass, but once I see what I have I can go back and sort through everything better. That being said, I love the map of a good outline once I get rolling on a story.
 
 
3. Who are some of your favorite authors?  Do these authors inspire your own writing?
I love the women’s issues and the rich stories in Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Little Women left an indelible impression on my heart.
 
4. What inspired the idea for Heartbeat of the Bitterroot?
I have seen many people come from a horrible family and turn around and make a healthy family filled with love. How do they do that? I wanted to illustrate that with a story, a love story and a tale of courage and hope.

5. What do you want readers to take away from reading Heartbeat of the Bitterroot?
I want them to know they can be an agent for change—in their own lives and in the lives of those around them. I also want them to feel the importance of family and that family is essential—it is the center of a good, rich life. It is worth fighting for.

6. When you are not writing what hobbies do you enjoy?
I play the harp for weddings (I love weddings!) and I also play for Hospice. I wait with baited breath for the warm days of summer when I can paddle my yellow kayak around Montana lakes. 

Stephenia McGee is a wife, mother of two very active little boys, author, and lover of all things historical. Stephenia currently lives in Mississippi with her husband and sons where she writes stories of faith, redemption and life steeped in southern culture.

1. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?  Did becoming an author ever cross your mind?
I actually wanted to be a veterinarian. I worked in vet clinics growing up, and received a pre-vet bachelor’s degree in Animal and Dairy Sciences from Mississippi State University. But when we would drive down to my husband’s hometown from college on the weekends I would tell him my story ideas. One day he stopped at a gas station and bought me a black spiral notebook and told me to start writing those things down. I’d always loved to read, and I wrote my first story from a first grade spelling list, but I didn’t think I could really do anything with my love of words.
Thankfully, my husband saw a passion for writing in me that he didn’t see for the job I thought I wanted. He encouraged me to pursue that passion, so I began to spend time learning the craft and turned my focus to writing. Now I do it full time. In addition to writing my own novels, I own a small publishing company and I teach fiction two hours a day to high school students. I love what I do and I can’t imagine doing anything else.

2. What does your writing process look like?
I am a hybrid plotter / seat of the pants writer. I start out with a concept of who my characters are and what the first roughly 1/3 of the story will be about. Once that part of the novel is written and I get to know my characters and the challenges they will face, I start writing out scenes on notecards. I shuffle those around until I like the way they look, and use that to finish writing the story. Sometimes the characters make changes and I need to add or delete a card, but it helps me stay on track without keeping my free-spirited writing style too confined.

3. What authors do you enjoy?  Do these authors inspire your own writing?
Oh, boy. That’s a hard one! I read a lot of things in a lot of genres. I find that each author has exceptional qualities that inspire me in my own writing. Tamara Leigh weaves love, adventure, and intrigue into compelling plots, and the literary flair of Brandy Vallence’s Beneath the Veil is a true testament to the art of wordsmithing. Andrea Boeshaar’s books are deeply grounded in history, and Jen Turano can craft a tale of mishap that can make strangers look at you funny when you randomly start laughing out loud while reading in public. These and many, many other authors all have something to offer. I also jump outside of my normal realm and read fantasy by Brandon Sanderson because his ability to create the most unique and compelling worlds is fascinating. These days I read not only for my own enjoyment but also to take note of craft elements, all of which I think plays a part in my own continued development as a writer. As authors, we never stop learning and honing our craft, and can always learn something from one another.

4. What inspired your idea for In His Eyes?
I think this is a story I will never get tired of telling. In His Eyes is very special to me, and it came about in an interesting fashion. After finishing a trilogy and putting it out in ten months (during which time I had two back surgeries) I was worn out. I took some time off from writing and spent a lot of time praying over what to write next. They way God answered that still fascinates me. At one of the classes I attended during the ACFW conference last year the teacher handed out notebooks. He had prayed diligently over each of them and God led him to write a “from God” note in each one. He prayed over them again and then handed them out to the attendees. Mine said, “Use your stories to give others a glimpse of the not yet. This is a season where we will go into new lands and dream new dreams.”
Not too long before that, I’d had a dream where the colors were unreal and the place was stunning. I must have reread that note a hundred times, it so stirred me. The more I thought about what the themes would be for my next book, the more those words came back to me, as did my dream of that place of color and light. I didn’t do the things Ella does during her dreams in the book, but the place I saw in my own dream really stuck with me and inspired the story.

5. What do you want readers to take away from reading In His Eyes?
I think we all struggle with feelings of inadequacy at times. Sometimes we forget who we are and whose we are, and it can lead to all manner of insecurities. In In His Eyes, Ella struggles with these things as well. Writing this book was a journey for me, one where God gently led me to discover some important truths along with Ella, and He encouraged me to never forget that no matter what else goes on in life—good or bad—my identity is always grounded in Him. It’s my hope that there is a reader out there somewhere that He has the same message for and that this story can help point them toward Him.
6-When you are not writing, what hobbies do you enjoy?
When I am not writing, I spend a lot of time following my little boys around to their hobbies (drums, guitar, golf, and baseball right now) but whenever I find some spare time, I really enjoy painting. I have several paintings in my house that I have done over the years. 

Teresa Tysinger is a wife and mother transplanted from North Carolina to North Texas. When not working as the Director of Communications for a large downtown church, she writes charming southern romances inspired by grace. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Religious Communicators’ Council, and the Association for Women in Communications, Teresa has spent over a decade committed to telling stories of faith through written word. She loves coffee, caramel, and stories with happy endings.

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1. What or whom inspired you to become an author?
I truly don’t remember when I started writing—I wrote my first story, “The Bunny Family,” in second grade. However, I do distinctly recall the moment I decided to author my first book. A little shy of four years ago, a colleague and friend, Indi, told me about National Novel Writer’s Month (NaNoWriMo) and encouraged me to participate. For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, NaNoWriMo is a challenge to write a 50,000-word novel during the thirty days of November—crazy, right? Well, Indi wouldn’t hear any of my excuses! She told me I could do it—so I did! More than three years of more writing, rewriting, and editing, and the book is now published!
 
2. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?  Did becoming an author ever cross your mind?
Yes, and no. I didn’t specifically know I wanted to write and sell fiction books, but I knew I wanted to write. I wrote for a student section of my city’s newspaper, was editor of my high school newspaper, and studied English in both undergrad and graduate school. Though my Master’s degree is in publishing, with a concentration in book design, God led me to a career in church communications. I love that work, and feel doubly blessed to have the opportunity to also now write for fun telling fictional stories of grace and love. I believe he created me to be a storyteller, whether real or made-up stories. I’m living my dream!
 
3. What authors/books do you enjoy?  Does this inspire your own writing?
Oh my gracious, I’m inspired by so many wonderful authors out there today! Melissa Tagg is probably my favorite at the moment. Her book, Like Never Before, left me swooning for weeks. In fact, I still smile at the story of Amelia and Logan. She is such a master at what I like to call silent storytelling, an author voice that seamlessly melts into the background as you are immersed into the story. It doesn’t hurt that the characters are charming and a few twists keep you guessing. I also really love Pepper Basham’s A Twist of Faith. Both of our novels offer the Blue Ridge Mountains as a secondary character. Pepper is brilliant at weaving in the charming personality of the region, being a great example to me. She, like Melissa, is also generous with memorable characters that make me swoon hard! If my writing can deliver some of the same reactions as these two writers, I’ll consider myself successful!
 
4. What inspired the idea for Someplace Familiar?
Two things inspired this story. First, like I mentioned above, the Blue Ridge Mountains play a big role in Someplace Familiar. I attended college in the mountains of North Carolina after growing up in Central Florida. I became enamored with the place and knew I had to write a story set in the quaint and charming towns I fell in love with. Second, Someplace Familiar centers around the restoration of Livy’s grandmother’s cottage. The home is inspired by my own great-grandmother’s home I remember so fondly from my childhood. The fanciful gardens, tree swings, all the way down to the billowy window curtains. The rest of the story formed around these two inspirations!
 
5. What do you want readers to take away from reading Someplace Familiar?
I hope that within Jack and Livy’s story, readers are reminded that our pasts don’t have to dictate our futures and that God’s grace can truly change the hearts of those who love him and turn to him. Just like Gram’s cottage is restored, God can rebuild us to fulfill his promises to us. That’s at least my prayer—but, I know that God could also use this story to say any number of things. It’s all in his timing and plan!
 
6. When you are not writing, what hobbies do you enjoy?
Gosh, I can hardly remember what not-writing-time feels like. Ha! Kidding aside, I really love movies. If there’s no time to head to the theatre for a new release, I enjoy flipping around the television until I find an old movie. My favorites are An Affair to Remember, Splendor in the Grass, My Fair Lady, and just about any MGM musical with huge dance production numbers and colorful costumes.   

ENTER HERE to win a signed paperback copy of Someplace Familiar, a custom 8x8” canvas painting by artist Cyndi Browning (in honor of the book’s heroine, Livy, who is an artist), and $10 Amazon Gift Card. Winner will be announced on Teresa’s website on June 18 once the tour wraps up. (Open to continental US residents only; sorry international readers!)

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OVERCOMING WITH GOD | COLONIAL QUILLS

​1. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?  Did becoming an author ever cross your mind?
Yes, I did want to be an author. I loved reading.  I STILL cannot really believe I’m an author. I hope to eventually write children’s books, too. I did work on some while I was a psychologist.
 
2. How many books have you written and in what genres?
I believe my next contracted book, Backwoods Brides, will be my sixteenth published romance. But I was also a contributor in two nonfiction books. My doctoral dissertation, although not published per se, is considered a seminal work in adolescents and stepfamilies, with a look at how faith impacts perceptiosn of shared stress. And right now, pending approval of new title, we are waiting on another possible contract. All of my stories are in Christian historical romance.
 
3. How important are the names of the characters in your novels?  How do you choose names for your characters?
I like to have a name that fits the era and also may capture the essence of the character. I choose names normally from friends, family, ancestors, readers, sometimes from historical documents, and sometimes I have to search online for old records of names that were frequent in that time period.
 
4. What writing project are you currently working on?  What can you tell us about it?
My next novella is called “His Anchor” and is part of the First Loves Collection from Barbour. This story is about Sadie, my heroine from My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island’s best friend. I love Sadie. She’s a very special character. I’m so looking forward to giving her a happy ever after with the ship captain who has loved her a long time – or will I not be able to??? You’ll have to read that story in April 2018 to find out!  The deadline for me is August 1, 2017, but the readers don’t see the end product until next year.