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1. What top 5 books do you currently have sitting on your TBR pile?
Hmmm, fabulous question! Currently, I have: The Accidental Guardian, by Mary Connealy, The Heart Between Us, by Lindsay Harrel, The View From Rainshadow Bay, by Colleen Coble, The Mayflower Bride, by Kimberley Woodhouse, The Melody of the Soul, by Liz Tolsma
 
2. When you are not writing, what other "hats" do you wear?
I used to say “too many!” But I’ve dwindled them down to my day job and being a wife and a mom. I don’t commit to much more than that, and my favorite of all three (including writing), is being a wife and a mom!
 
3. What type of research did you do for The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond?
I had a ton of help from my pastor who’s also a history-nerd. (And a far better researcher than I am!) I read old newspaper articles, studied how the Victorians wrote obituaries, played for hours on Ancestry.com (i know, tough right? :)), and other types of research not limited to how to break glass windows on a car.
 
4. What inspired the idea for The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond?
My overactive imagination. LOL! It started with the idea of what would happen if someone submitted an obituary for someone else before they died. Then it evolved into a story of a town with hidden secrets, two heroines with secrets of their own, ill-timed obituaries, and I figured we’d plop some tent revivalists in for good measure. :)
 
5. What did you as an author take away from writing The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond?
My Grampa used to sing an old hymn: “grace, grace, God’s grace, grace that will pardon and cleanse within”... TRAGP is all about grace. Because we can dissect our past choices into little bits and find nothing but the need for grace. How freeing is it when we can bring those secrets into the light and be washed clean?

6. What is your current WIP?  What can you tell us about this project?
My current project is final edits on The Curse of Misty Wayfair, which is releasing early 2019! I’m super excited about it. I can tell you it is probably the most personal novel I’ve written yet, focusing on identity, anxiety, and the struggle to find our purpose. Oh, and there are many haunting elements like an old asylum, a legend of a ghost, (don’t worry, this isn’t a paranormal story), and a hero who shoots bow and arrow. 

Sarah Monzon is a Navy chaplain’s wife and a stay at home mom to the two cutest littles in the world. Playing pretend all day with them isn’t enough, she spends the evenings after their heads hit the pillow to create her own imaginary characters. When she isn’t in the world of make believe, she can be found in the pine forests of western Washington taking care of her family, fostering friendships, and enjoying all the adventures each day brings. Her debut novel, The Isaac Project, skyrocketed to Amazon bestseller status while her Sophomore book, Finders Keepers, won the 2017 SELAH award for contemporary romance.

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​1. If you could travel anywhere in the world for book research (expense covered for you by an anonymous donor), where would you go and why?
Is a trip around the world cheating? If yes, then I’d have to say either South America or Italy/France as I have story ideas for both of those locations.

2. What genre(s) do you write?  Why do you choose to write in this genre?
Haha. I laugh because I was just talking to a friend that I have no brand and that readers don’t know what to expect when they pick up my books. I have written rural, urban, international; straight contemporary, dual-timeline, romcom/chicklit; first person POV and third person. What can I say? I love a good story no matter how or where it’s told, and I have to be true to the characters and how the story comes to me. That being said, I’d say I write in the Contemporary Christian Romance genre overall with some fun variations. *wink*
 
3. What top 5 books are currently on your TBR pile?
1) No One Ever Asked by Katie Ganshert
2) Fawkes by Nadine Brandes
3) Thirst of Steel by Ronie Kendig
4) The Heart Between Us by Lindsey Harrell
5) Olivia Twist by Lorie Langdon
 
4. What inspired your idea for Bookishly Ever After?
I just wanted to have fun and write something that might make people chuckle.
 
5. What do you want readers to take away from reading Bookishly Ever After?
I hope readers come away with a smile, if nothing else. I know that may sound trite, but I hope that the story will let readers escape for a few hours, laugh, and relax from the stresses of life.


6. What is your current WIP?  What can you tell us about this project?
I’m currently finishing up the third book in my Carrington Family series. This is a dual-timeline book set in present day Florida and spanning the first and second Seminole War. It’s a story about finding freedom and answering God’s calling in your life.

​Pre-order the collection HERE.

OR pre-order Bookishly Ever After HERE (link not yet available).

Basham is an award-winning author who writes historical and contemporary romance novels with grace, humor, and culture clashes. She’s a Blue Ridge Mountain native and an anglophile who enjoys combining her two loves to create memorable stories of hope. ​

1. If you could travel anywhere in the world for book research (expense covered for you by an anonymous donor), where would you go and why?
I think everyone is going to know my answer to this - TOP CHOICE - UK! Pretty much anywhere in the UK. I'd love to visit northern Scotland and Ireland. (Spain is on my wishlist too ;-)

2. What genre(s) do you write?  Why do you choose to write in this genre?
I write both historical and contemporary romance - Romance is my FAVORITE genre, so no matter where I place the story, timewise, I enjoy getting to sprinkle (or lather) romance throughout. This answer might sound paltry, but stories come to me in different time periods in my mind, so that's another reason why I write in both historical and contemporary settings. I love both - and it means I can travel to different eras as well as different places :-) Ah, the fashion!!

3. What top 5 books are currently on your TBR pile?
1)The Lacemaker by Laura Frantz
2) Love in Three Quarter Time by Rachel McMillan
3) The Impossible Saints by Clarissa Harwood
4) A Name Unknown by Roseanna M. White
5) Lady Jayne Disappears by Joanna Poulitano

4. What  inspired your idea for  Façade?  
It's a really funny story, actually. My agent, at the time, was working on a proposal for several authors to write a novella collection that spanned generations in the same family. I'd told her I'd write the WW1 era novella (my era) but on the proposal she'd mistakenly put WW2. So...well, I started writing a WW2 novella. In starting the research, I knew I wanted something with an espionage theme because I was a die-hard Agent Carter fan at the time (and still am!! #PeggyCarterisawesome)

5. What do you want readers to take away from reading  Façade?
That our ultimate value is in God - regardless of  how others may perceive us.

6. What is your current WIP?  What can you tell us about this project?
Well, I just finished my upcoming novel for Barbour entitled My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge. Oh my goodness, it's such a fun story and a little new for me because the romance is a lovely, slow, crock-pot kind of development between two new friends. It's set in 1918 Appalachia and gives off a little bit of a Catherine Marshall Christy vibe. 

​Pre-order the collection HERE.

OR pre-order a copy of Façade HERE.

1. If you could travel anywhere in the world for book research (expense covered for you by an anonymous donor), where would you go and why?
I would go spend a week traveling in the 3 state area of South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. I've already visited South Dakota many times, but since I write stories mostly in those three states, that's where I'd love to spend my "real" time.

2. What genre(s) do you write?  Why do you choose to write in this genre?
I write mostly Historical and all of them are at least sweet, but most of them are also Christian romance. I don't want my readers to pick up a book by Kari Trumbo and have to wonder what they're getting. I've also written a few Christian contemporary romances.

3. What top 5 books are currently on your TBR pile?
1) The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep
2) More Than Meets the Eye by Karen Witemeyer
3) The Raveling by Tamara Leigh
4) Just the Way You Are by Pepper Basham
5) The Sea Before Us by Sarah Sundin

4. What  inspired your idea for Teach Me to Love?
Teach Me To Love was actually inspired by a reader. After I wrote Sparks in Spearfish, one of my readers sent me an email and she felt Izzy needed her own redemptive love story. She made a good case and I actually saw a lot of potential in Izzy. She turned out to be a wonderful, though wounded more than I ever expected, heroine. I put her in Belle Fourche because the history of ranching and strong cowboys is really strong there.

5. What do you want readers to take away from reading Teach Me to Love?
Forgiveness is there, we don't have to live in our hurt. It's okay to feel our pain, to work through it, but when we are ready to move on, the Lord has better plans for us.

6. What is your current WIP?  What can you tell us about this project?
I'm working on the second and third story in the Belle Fourche series (Teach Me to Love is book 1 of the series). I'm diligently working with my editor on What the Heart Holds and writing Deep Longing of the Soul. 

​Pre-order the collection HERE.

OR pre-order Teach Me to Love HERE.

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1. If you could travel anywhere in the world for book research (expense covered for you by an anonymous donor), where would you go and why?
England. I don’t think I’d be able to help writing a true regency romance if I ever went there and was able to take it all in in person. 
 
2. What genre(s) do you write?  Why do you choose to write in this genre?
I write historical romance from first person point of view (heroine’s inner perspective) set in New England during the 1890s. 
 
3. What top 5 books are currently on your TBR pile?
I don’t have much time to read right now (I have two little ones!), so I feel like this pile hasn’t changed in a really long time! 
 
Lady and the Lionheart by Joanne Bischof
Edenbrook by Julianna Donaldson
Blackmore by Julianna Donaldson
Mistress of Tall Acre by Laura Frantz
The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep
 
4. What  inspired your idea for Enchanting Nicholette?
When there’s a side character from a previous book that just needs the best, most romantic second chance at a happy ending—I just have to write one for them! 
 
5. What do you want readers to take away from reading Enchanting Nicholette?
That God works all things together for those who love Him. 
 
6. What is your current WIP?  What can you tell us about this project?
I haven’t started my next project (little kids!), but I’m outlining a few different plots to send proposals out for—there are two book ideas related to The Everstone Chronicles series, but which will be stand alone novels because they’re so far removed from the rest of the stories. One is about Roxy Blakeley and the other about Mabel Hawthorne. And then I have a completely unrelated book idea set during the same era, but based out of Cleveland, Ohio (which was a very prominent town in the late 1800s!) and the Great Lakes region. And I also have a Contemporary Romance... all of which will be written from first person POV.  

​​​Pre-order the collection HERE.

OR pre-0rder a copy of Enchanting Nicholette HERE.

1-If you could travel anywhere in the world for book research (expense covered for you by an anonymous donor), where would you go and why?
If this was an option, I would start writing an Irish castle story post-haste! I have always wanted to see the Emerald Isle and to step foot in a real castle. I’m sure there are stories galore I could fathom there.
 
2-What genre(s) do you write?  Why do you choose to write in this genre?
I write Christian historical fiction/romance. I enjoy the historical time period because I like being transported to a different era. And I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a research nerd. I love finding fascinating things in history and using them to spark story ideas.
3-What top 5 books are currently on your TBR pile?
Uh…how about here are the last five I purchased….like last week? Ha! Otherwise I have to start making some choices on my kindle and that big stack that hasn’t even made it to my bookshelf yet.
The Vexing, Tamera Leigh
The Mayflower Bride, Kimberly Woodhouse
The Isaac Project, Sarah Monzon
Rekindled, Tamera Alexander
A Refuge Assured, Jocelyn Green
 
4-What inspired your idea for The Heart of Home?
The premise is part of a true story. My mother read an article about a family’s passed-down tale of how their many-greats-grandfather was dying during the Civil War and asked these people if he could die on their porch instead of alone in a field. The family took him in and nursed him back to health. He fell in love with one of the daughters, and they married and had many children. Unfortunately, my mother could not remember where she read it, but it sparked an interesting idea for the story. Additionally, I really liked Opal Martin, the neighbor and friend from In His Eyes, and wanted to give her a love story of her own.
 
5-What do you want readers to take away from reading The Heart of Home?
Hope. Even when circumstances seem dire, God is with us. Even in the darkest times, there is hope and purpose for all of those who are called by His name.
6-What is your current WIP?  What can you tell us about this project?
Well, I have three going at the moment. First, I am finishing the last scene of a time travel novella (Her Place in Time) that ties to the plantation house in my Liberator Series. I’m excited about it, because it gave me the chance to see what a modern woman would think about being sent back in time to the era I am always writing about. Second, I just sent off a new Civil War spy novel to my editor, and third, I am working on Missing Mercy, the third book in my Ironwood Plantation series.

​​Pre-order the collection HERE.

OR pre-order a copy of A Heart of Home HERE.

​1. If you could travel anywhere in the world for book research (expense covered for you by an anonymous donor), where would you go and why?
Ooh, fun question! I would visit the Rockies again! Both in Montana and up into Canada. I LOVE the mountains, and most of my books are set in the Rocky Mountain wilderness. This Freedom Journey takes place in the Canadian Rockies, just over the border between Montana and Alberta.
 
2. What genre(s) do you write?  Why do you choose to write in this genre?
I write Christian historical romance, and tend to be a bit of a sentimentalist, so this genre is perfect for me! My favorite period is between 1800 - 1880, when the western mountains were still an unsettled wilderness. I love the simpler life, where there's no rat race. Just hard work, plenty of alone time (can you tell I'm an introvert?), and a strong family unit. God is the central element in my life, so I want my books to naturally reflect him.
 
3. What top 5 books are currently on your TBR pile?
My favorite stack these days! I just started Laura Frantz’s The Lacemaker (she’s one of my all-time favorite authors!). Next up will be A Dangerous Legacy by Elizabeth Camden, My Heart Belongs in Castle Gate, Utah by Angie Dicken, A Rose So Fair by Myra Johnson, and The Accidental Guardian by Mary Connealy.
 
4. What inspired your idea for This Freedom Journey?
Adrien and Mary in This Freedom Journey become the aunt and uncle of characters who star in the other books in the series, so I had already heard Mary tell bits of their story in those other books. I loved getting to imagine all the details, though, and learn about Mary and Adrien’s very different backgrounds. The more I learned, the more I realized what incredible people they were!
 
5. What do you want readers to take away from reading This Freedom Journey?
God’s overwhelming love that will find us wherever we are. No matter how many mountains and snowstorms we think separate us from the rest of the world, God’s love never stops seeking us.

6. What is your current WIP?  What can you tell us about this project?
​I’m writing the next book in this series, featuring Simeon’s sister, Noelle. That woman has spunk! She’s determined to make a name for herself as a newspaper correspondent, and plans to write articles about the wild mountain wilderness as she travels to visit Simeon and his new family in the Canadian Rockies. She doesn’t expect to fall in love with the wild beauty of the land they travel through, nor with the mountain man who leads their group through this treacherous country. I think readers will love it as much as I am!

​Pre-order the collection HERE.

Or pre-order a copy of This Freedom Journey HERE.

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1. What genre(s) do you write? Why do you choose to write in this genre?
I write Christian Romance (both historical and contemporary) & Women’s Fiction. 
 
I love romance. Relationships intrigue me. God’s workings in the lives of His people are enthralling. Best of all, I know they are real. That’s why I just have to write about them. I want to give others the same hope and encouragement that I’ve found in Jesus Christ.
 
2. What top 5 books are currently on your TBR pile?
I try to read my Bible daily. I’m earning my BA so that takes reading time. I also have a critique partner who is a professional author and I read most of her work—and love it. In addition, I try to read books in the genres which I write.
So here’s the list:
 1) At Your Request by Jen Turano
 2) The Red Siren (Charles Towne Belles series) by MaryLu Tyndall
 3) Washed Under the Waves by Gloria Clover
4) Forsaken Dreams (Escape to Paradise series) by MaryLu Tyndall
5) Against All Odds (Heroes of Quantico series) by Irene Hannon
 
3. What inspired your idea for Give Me Thine Heart?
This is actually quite hilarious. The PBS series “Poldark” was my inspiration—at first. Years ago, I pounded out a short synopsis and created a one-sheet which my agent was showing around, although it never went anywhere. When I was asked to be in the TIMELESS LOVE collection, I re-imagined my story and “Give Me Thine Heart” came to fruition.
 
4. What do you want readers to take away from reading Give Me Thine Heart?
My prayer is that readers won’t give up on their Prodigal Sons (or daughters or grandchildren). There’s always hope because God has ways of turning their worlds around for good.
 
5. What is your current WIP?  What can you tell us about this project?
​I’ve got several in the hopper. Next up is another novella, although shorter, called “Love’s Guiding Light.” After that it’s “A Captain for Christmas.” Next year will showcase two short contemporary novels and book 3 (historical) in my Shenandoah Valley Saga.

Pre-order the collection HERE.

​Or pre-order a copy of Give Me Thine Heart HERE.

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1. What does your work schedule look like when you are writing?
What is that funny word that starts with sch… and ends with … ule??? I’m kidding. Sorta. Apparently I work better with a deadline… I am not a morning person (AT ALL) and am a slow waker-upper. Add the RA to that and my mornings are not productive (AT ALL.) Once I have my breakfast (sometimes as late as 11:00 or noon!) I wade through my emails; I follow maybe 30 or 40 blogs, and while I don’t always read them or comment, I do share them to Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn. Then I focus on my blog, and send out reminders, interview questions, etc. Then I spend time on my WIP, usually later evening. And yes, I’m up til after midnight most nights. Hey, it’s my body clock—what can I say??? Oh, and I read after I’m in bed.

2. How long does it typically take you to write a book?
Wellll…. I winged it with my first one (Tessa) and started college not long after I started writing. Then after graduation and no grand career in my field, I went back to writing Tessa. That was September, and she was finished the following January. Without a deadline to work toward, the subsequent two books (Clara Bess and Cissy) took about a year each.

Then I jumped into Seasons—and wrote all four in a year and a half! I WILL NOT attempt that number in that short time frame again! Ever!!!

Looking forward, I anticipate 6 months to a year per book. I now have readers waiting for my stories (do not pinch me, I do not want to wake up!!) and will work diligently not to disappoint. And when I’m on point / in the zone I can write approx. 1000 words per hour, and I break every 1000-ish words, then I go back in.

3. Do you have an interesting writing quirk?
Not sure how much of a quirk it is, but I write my stories on my laptop. Period. I do not, nor do I want to, write on a tablet or dictate to my phone. *note: when inspiration strikes, and pen and paper are not handy, I will voice-text note, and email it to myself.

That said, if the story calls for letters or poems (there were plenty in Cissy) those I write by hand.

But for my stories, something about the tactile experience of typing feeds the flow of words. I’ve written numerous scenes while staring out the door, some even with my eyes closed—I really get into character when I’m writing!

4. What inspired the idea for The Whispering Winds of Spring?
This rather goes with the inspiration for the whole series, since it’s ONE | GIANT | STORY. The Whispering Winds of Spring is not only Simone’s story, but it is the conclusion of the series.

Honestly, I had a totally different story in mind when I set out to write this one. LOL The first book in this series, The Long Shadows of Summer, basically set the whole story line in place, and each book added layers (and twists! muwahahahah) to the overall story. I’m a pantzer so I learn much of the story as I go—not so different to how the reader learns as they read!

5. What did you as a writer take away from writing The Whispering Winds of Spring?
With every book I’ve written, my life as an author has become more cemented and solid. If I had to identify one thing from this book, it’s that I write Faith Fiction, and yes, I do believe I’ve coined a new genre. Any of you who have read my books knows that I cannot market as Christian Fiction, no matter how much my faith or the Gospel message shows up in the story.

Simply put, my takeaway is, as is true for each of my main characters, is my identity.

6. What is your current WIP?  What can you tell us about it?
Make that workS in progress!! I did include the opening scene to my next story, One for the Price of Two. It’s a story that has been hanging out in my imagination for a long while now, and will be my first attempt at romance. Meredith and Elizabeth are identical twins, so identical in fact that their parents can’t even tell them apart. They play the classic twin pranks, and in the end, they get pranked! It is the first book in a new series, FourSquare (I didn’t know until recently that it would be a series! Already it’s funny… ) Mostly, though, I’m taking a wee bit of a breather…

Meanwhile, I am embarking on kids stories! Some of the neighbor kids have asked me to write them a story, so that’s simmering, too.
Oh! And after FourSquare, another series that has been simmering, The Steppe House, brings back a small character from Seasons. Literally a small character. Agnes Townsend is all grown up and now she has a story to tell.

7, When you are not writing, what other “hats” do you wear?
My degree is Interior Design, so there’s that. Though I’m not employed, I can do concept work if opportunity happens to present itself. Meanwhile, I’ve designed my own dream house…
I love working in the yard when I can, and baking. I play the piano (just don’t have one to play right now… ) I sing, act—love to do my British and Irish accents—and am currently learning Irish. I love love love going for walks, and after my knee surgery later this month (and recovery! LOL) I’ll be able to get out and move around again.
​
​What I love most is spending time with my granddaughters. One lives across the street and I get to see her most every day. The other sweetie gal lives about 50 miles away and I don’t get to see her nearly often enough.