Interview with Teresa Tysinger

About the Author

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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The Interview

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.   

Giveaway

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!)