An award winning author, including the GOLD in Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards, Jen Geigle Johnson discovered her passion for England while kayaking on the Thames near London as a young teenager. 

She once greeted an ancient turtle under the water by grabbing her fin. She knows all about the sound a water-ski makes on glassy water and how to fall down steep moguls with grace. During a study break date in college, she sat on top of a jeep's roll bars up in the mountains and fell in love.  

Now, she loves to share bits of history that might otherwise be forgotten. Whether in Regency England, the French Revolution, or Colonial America, her romance novels are much like life is supposed to be: full of adventure. ​

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1. What inspired the idea for The Duke's Second Chance?
There is a duke associated with Arundel castle who had a really really hard time of it. And his story kind of got my mind spinning. This Duke lost his wife, then his second wife was committed to Bedlam but he was married to her.  But then as I started to write a story about a Duke's second chance at happiness, I fell in love with the story. I felt so sad for him that he lost his first wife, and when I realized how much this character loved and missed his wife, I wanted the readers to know that too. So that when he got his chance to love again, we could all appreciate how nice that was for him and his little boy. 

2. What did you as an author take away from writing The Duke's Second Chance?
My takeaway from the story is just how much the heart can love. Sometimes we view everything in life as a form of competition. But love just isn't like that. Loving one person doesn't take away love from another. The heart has an infinite capacity to love, and more love just makes it grow. 

3. What is your current WIP?  What can you share with us about it?
I am currently working on book 2 in the Lords for the Sisters of Sussex series. It is Morley's story and I introduce even more the family of sisters we meet for a moment in The Duke's Second Chance. I am also working on a SUPER fun idea for Covenant my publisher. I can't wait for you to see this one. 

4. What top 5 books do you currently have on your TBR pile?
1)My Fair Spinster by Rebecca Connolly
2)Deborah: Prophetess of God by H.B. Moore
3)Discovering Grace by Sally Britton
4)Wyatt by Sysan May Warren
5)Something by Kristi Ann Hunter.

5. What is your favorite part about fall?
My absolute favorite part of fall is the chilly weather that makes me want to curl up with a book. 

Winner of the 2012 RONE Best Inspirational Book of the year (2012) and author of six Historical novels, Stephenia H. McGee has a fascination with hoop skirts and ball gowns, Greek revival homes and horse-drawn carriages, quirky Southern sayings, and home-grown recipes. She currently lives in Mississippi with her husband and two boys, (accompanied by their two spoiled dogs and mischievous cat) where she writes stories of faith, redemption, and stories steeped in the South. 
 
Visit her website at www.StepheniaMcGee.com and be sure to sign up for the newsletter to get sneak peeks, behind the scenes fun, the occasional recipe, and special offers.
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1. What inspired the idea for Missing Mercy?
You’re going to hate this…but I don’t know. I wanted to write a story with Lydia and Ruth’s (the heroines from The Whistle Walk) daughters, but that meant stepping out of the Civil War era into something new. With no war in the backdrop to cause chaos, I had no idea what I wanted to do. This story probably has 35,000 words that ended up on the trash. It took a lot of time before I finally had the story right. But once I did (lots of prayer here!) I loved it. I think this one may be my best work.
 
2. What did you as an author take away from writing Missing Mercy?
God always uses these stories to first teach me something. This story ended up right in the middle of a big change for me. I felt lead to homeschool to help my youngest son through some struggles. I also still felt called to write, but I was having a really hard time balancing the two. I was used to working six hours a day when they were at school, and now that time was gone.

A lot of what you will see my characters struggle through are things I was struggling through. Mercy fights some inner battles with what to do when God’s plans are not what you expected (or maybe not even something you wanted) and dealing with the tension of trying to give your gifts back to Him while at the same time afraid to let them go. I’ll give you the quote from this story that pretty much sums up what I took from this book. “God had His plans. And any journey He invited her to go on would always be an adventure. Perhaps not the one she expected, but always the one that would be the best for her.”

3. What is your current WIP? What can you tell us about it?
I’m finishing up my first Christmas story. This one is a time travel back to Belmont Plantation (from In His Eyes). Time travels are so much fun, and I had a great time this summer writing this little novella. Here’s the blurb for it:
 
On the brink of aging out the foster system, the last thing Isla Laird wants is to spend Christmas in an old-fashioned plantation. What’s the point of bonding with her foster mom when it’s too late to ever be adopted? But when a mysterious painting suddenly thrusts her into the nineteenth century, Isla is forced to face hurts and memories she’s long tried to bury. With time running out and her heart in tatters, can God use an impossible miracle to bring Isla hope for a new future?

4. What top 5 books do you currently have on your TBR pile?
1) My Dearest Dietrich
2) all of Tamera Leigh’s Age of Conquest books (I’ve been waiting to binge read them)
3) Outlander
4) The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond
5) Flights of Fancy

5. What is your favorite fall activity?
We finally get a break from the humidity, so my favorite thing is to sit in the hammock and read. Pumpkin patches are nice, and leaves are pretty, but honestly, my favorite thing about fall is the pretty weather that gives me time to relax outside. In Mississippi, that only lasts about two weeks, so I take advantage of it! 

Enter the giveaway HERE.

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1. What inspired the idea for My Fair Spinster?
In writing a group of Spinsters, I wanted to make them all different in some way. Grace was the challenging one because she was supposedly perfect. So I thought about exploring that. Why is a perfect woman not married? Why indeed… It turned out to be a fantastic adventure for me as an author!

2. What did you as an author take away from writing My Fair Spinster?
I loved writing Grace, a woman who from the outside had everything, but struggled with wanting approval where none could be found. It spoke to me a lot about expectations and how we see ourselves. I loved helping Grace grow and found myself wanting to see myself differently.

3. What is your current WIP?  What can you tell us about it?
My current WIP is another installment of the Swoony Sports Romances with Sophia Summers and Heather B Moore called Northbrook Hockey Elite. It is a wild ride!
4. What advice would you give an aspiring author that you wish you would have known before you became a published author?
Don’t read reviews! It’s so hard because we want to know what people think, we want to know what they hate, we’re afraid of them hating it… Don’t read them. The bad ones will stick with you and you will forget all about the many good. No one will ever love your work as much as you do. If you love it, that’s good enough.
5. What is your favorite fall activity?
I am all about the sweaters and hot cocoa. I mean, I am always about hot cocoa, but I love being out on a beautiful clear day that is cool and I’m all bundled up and the leaves are glorious colors… I would love it to be fall all year round.

​1. Who or what inspired you to become an author?
I’ve always been a writer. It has just always been something I do. From my first short story at the age of 7, I’ve been writing stories. But it was my friend Kelly Blewett who convinced me I could be an author. We were co-workers about ten years ago, and one day I told her about this story idea I had. But then I said, “I’ll never finish it.” She said, “Yes, you will.” And so she proceeded to ask me every day if I’d written the night before. I got tired of telling her that I hadn’t, so I set up a calendar and set about writing my book. I finished that book in three months, and it became my first published novel, The Kidnapping of Kenzie Thorn, in 2009. I was so gratefully for Kelly’s support and help that I featured her puppy Henry in the book, and I’ll be forever grateful for her encouragement.

2. What top 5 books do you currently have on your TBR pile?
I want to read all the books! It’s so hard to narrow it down to only five, but the ones I’m most excited to pick up are:
1)The Story of With by Allen Arnold – A book about learning to create with the Creator
2)Sons of Blackbird Mountain by Joanne Bischoff – Because Joanne.
3)More Than Meets the Eye by Karen Witemeyer – Because I love her books. They’re so fun yet filled with deep truths.
4)Once Upon a Laugh – This might be cheating because there are 8 novellas in this contemporary rom com collection, but with so many great authors like Pepper Basham, Jessica Patch, and Betsy St. Amant, how could I not love it?
5)Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson – I’ve heard wonderful things about this general market contemporary romance novel, so I’m so excited to get to dive into it.

3. What inspired the idea for A Sparkle of Silver?
A trip to Hearst Castle with my dad in 2010. It was his idea to tour the grand estate, but when we got there, my writer brain ate it up. It was such a fascinating place, and I immediately dreamed up an idea about a woman who played one of the period actors at a similar house.

4. What did you as an author take away from writing A Sparkle of Silver?
Every book I write is a reminder to myself that God is with me. I’d never get through a whole book without Him lifting me up and carrying me through, and He is so faithful. If I ever doubt, I need only look back at my writing seasons and to see that He is with me.

5. What is your current WIP?  What can you tell us about it?
I just finished writing A Glitter of Gold, book two in the Georgia Coast Romance series. It’ll release sometime next summer—probably August—and involves a shipwreck, a two hundred and fifty year old journal, and a woman who gives pirate tours in Savannah for a living. I adored writing it, especially the journal sections set in 1759, and soon I’ll get to work on the editing phases.

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​1. What inspired the idea for Love Sidelined? How does this story tie into Love on Pointe and Love Unscripted?  
You’re probably going to laugh, but it was a combination of my own experiences as a cheerleader and a song I heard while running on the treadmill at the gym—“Beneath Your Beautiful”. As I listened to this song, Allie and Jason came to life in my mind. Their story was so clear that I couldn’t stop thinking about it all day. I was so moved that I had to write the story down. Allie was the first character I ever wrote. In fact, I only intended to write her point of view, but then Jason Jennings had a lot to say . . . and then so did all his siblings.
 
All three of the books that I have written are part of what I like to call a “stand-alone series.” This means that each book can stand alone, or rather be read and enjoyed on its own. This series follows the Jennings family siblings, so while each book has recurring characters in the background every book highlights a new characters’ love story. I recommend readers begin by reading Love on Pointe, but this is not required to enjoy each book.

2. What did you as an author take away from writing Love Sidelined?  
Writing Love Sidelined was an incredible experience for SO many reasons, and I took away so many life lessons. The first has to do with patience. When I first submitted my manuscript (fun fact: it was originally titled Catching 22) to Covenant for evaluation, it was “not rejected, but not accepted.” Unfortunately, they had something too similar that was about to be published and my book needed to wait for the right time. The good news is, Covenant asked me if I would be willing to submit something else to them for consideration, and luckily, I was almost ready to submit Love on Pointe, which ended up being my first novel published.
 
The second takeaway has more to do with the content of the book. Readers may or may not know this, but I love to explore deep themes (in addition to love and romance, of course) in my novels. Both Jason and Allie have been through some incredibly traumatic experiences and both are healing. Walking through the steps of that healing process with Allie was so hard, and it gave me so much compassion for survivors of abuse. My hope is that readers will develop greater empathy and understanding by walking in both Jason and Allie’s shoes.

3. What writing tips do you have for an aspiring author?  
Just do it! No seriously, jump right in and get those words down. My mentor, Melanie Jacobson, gave me the most perfect advice when I first began writing and I’m going to pass it on to your readers now, it was this: The best way to learn how to write a novel is to write a novel. My second bit of advice is to read. Read everything you can get your hands on and take note of what does and does not work for you as reader.

4. What is your favorite fall activity?  
Fall is my absolute favorite season! Unfortunately, we don’t get too much fall weather here in Southern California, but we sure like to pretend. One of my favorite activities is to rake all the pretty, fall-colored leaves into piles and jump and play in them with me kids. I also enjoy decorating with fall colors and scenting the house with pumpkin candles. I wish I could say that I enjoy baking, but unfortunately, I’m not a very good baker. I blame my oven, but it’s probably just me being impatient and not following directions very well. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I love writing so much—it’s okay to break the rules. ;)
 

5. What top books are currently on your TBR pile?  
I have so many great books in my TBR pile, but these five books are at the top:
1) Secrets and Suitors by Joanna Barker (I received an eBook ARC of this sweet regency romance from the publisher, and I am loving this one so far! It releases in October.)
2) E is for Engineer by Brenna Jacobs (it’s not out yet, but I’m getting excited!)
3) Roxy’s Song by Raneé Clark
4) Hope and Other Punch Lines by Julie Buxbaum

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1-What inspired the idea for The Witness Tree?
I enjoy writing historicals that take the reader to different locations and time periods in the history of my native Georgia. In looking for inspiration for a new story, I came across mention of the Moravian mission at Springplace, the school for children of Cherokee chiefs on the property of Chief James Vann. The Moravians in the early 1800s were a little-known sect of “plain people” born out of the resistance of Bohemian priest John Huss to the Catholic church. The focus that brought them to the New World was missions.  I had visited the Vann plantation as a child and even blogged about Moravian Christmas traditions, but I’d never realized the connection between the Moravians from Salem, North Carolina—like a cute, mini-Williamsburg—and the Vann house in Northwest Georgia. One of the things the Moravians wanted to do was to learn and record the Cherokee language. The Cherokees at this time were divided between embracing European ways and resisting change. Many opposed the writing down of their language. In this unusual intersection of cultures, I saw some great plot tension!

2-What did you as an author take away from writing The Witness Tree?
Haha, well, that ties into the last question, and the answer would probably be not to make it so hard on myself as a writer.  Properly and honorably depicting the two very different cultures, which could hardly communicate with one another at first contact, was extremely challenging. But to take that a step further, the story itself focuses on how we react when our dreams don’t flesh out as we’d hoped, and even when we fail. That’s something I’ve definitely walked through in my professional and personal life, but in the end, God always has a purpose and a redemption plan.

3-What top 5 books do you currently have on your TBR pile?
To be honest, I don’t actually have a physical TBR pile at the moment. I read a lot of books as I’m evaluating them for potential publication with Smitten Historical Romance and Heritage Beacon Historical Fiction, the imprints for which I serve as a managing editor. (Yes, The Witness Tree is releasing through Smitten, but it was actually contracted before I started as an ME. :)) I also read a number of novels for beta reading or author endorsements for my fellow writers. With four novels of my own releasing between now and March, plus a daughter becoming a high school senior and an older daughter getting married in December,  I don’t have much down time. But once I do, I have a whole list of Smitten back titles to choose from, as well as lots of novels by my dear author friends.

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1. What inspired the idea for Fall Flip?
At the time I wrote Fall Flip, my agent had encouraged me to write some contemporary romance since it’s often easier to place for publication. I guess she was right--because three of my modern stories will be hitting the shelves between now and March. I wanted to do something “Hallmark-y” that would also interest HGTV fans. However, I’m happy to say we’re having success with my historical novels as well, and I have several of those pending. 

2. What did you as an author take away from writing Fall Flip?
I’ve never been much of a strict formula writer, but Fall Flip does offer the anticipated doses of meet cutes, pumpkin spice, dogs and toddlers, surprises, and reverses. I guess I’m convinced now that writing with percentages and formulas in mind can add to a romance--even while originality is maintained. One of the things that make this story original is that Shelby isn’t the typical young widowed heroine. Her first marriage brought a lot of good things into her life, but it wasn’t perfect. In fact, some things were downright hurtful. Admitting what didn’t work and allowing herself to seek something different without guilt is part of her struggle in the story.

3. What writing tips do you have for a beginning author?
Start with educating yourself. Read books or attend workshops on self-editing and writing in deep point of view. Surround yourself with a group of talented individuals--beta readers or critique partners plus more established authors--who can help you in your journey. Despite my background training and a strong work ethic, all of my open doors and great opportunities have come because someone else has been gracious to me. Finally, don’t be afraid to start with a smaller publisher or by self-publishing, but either way, you have to be prepared in today’s industry to market yourself. You must have an established online presence and sales numbers for increasingly larger publishers to take note.

​Tanya Stowe is an author of Christian Fiction with an unexpected edge. She fills her stories with the unusual…mysteries and exotic adventures, even a murder or two. No matter where Tanya takes you…on a trip to foreign lands or a suspenseful journey filled with danger…be prepared for the extraordinary.

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1-What inspired the idea for Fatal Memories?
I’m a full time RV’er and spend the winter months in southern Arizona near Nogales. A report of drug tunnels beneath the city sparked the idea for the story but I also wanted to capture this unique climate and location. I think I fell in love with it! 
2-What did you as an author take away from writing Fatal Memories?
I come from a loving family and I have four children and many grandchildren. I’ve always thought how difficult life would be if my family was stripped from me. So I spent a lot of time exploring Joss and Dylan’s emotions as they dealt with the loss of their family and support system. What I came away with was a reinforcement of how important it is to treat your family as you would yourself.
3-What is your current WIP?  What can you tell us about it?
Well, the title of my current work in progress is set California’s central valley and is about a deadly pathogen that can kill the world’s crops. The heroine is searching for a cure but a terrorist group is trying to kidnap her. The hero must protect her and her baby. It’s called Killer Harvest.
4-What top 5 books are currently on your TBR pile?
Who had time to read? Just kidding. I always have books lined up but right now I’m only reading research books for my next WIP. But I have a Hannah Alexander book on my list when I finish.
5-What are some of your favorite summer activities?
Traveling. Since I live in an RV, we hit the road in the summer. I love staying in a location where we can dig into the history and the culture. I have some great story ideas from our traveling.

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1. What inspired the idea for Story Raider?
Writing sequels is hard in some ways, but in some ways, it's easier. For Story Raider, I needed to continue the threads I began in Story Peddler, carrying them out to their logical conclusions—and sometimes turning them upside down. I wanted to expand Tanwen's world, to get my characters in deeper and more serious trouble, and unmask the series villain I (sort of) introduced in the epilogue of Story Peddler. The plot grew out of these goals and desires.

2. What did you as an author take away from writing Story Raider?
The process of writing this book was really hard for me. I was under a severe time crunch, trying to launch Story Peddler (which was my debut novel, so I had little idea what to expect throughout that process), and I was going through a really difficult personal season. Some parts of writing Raider felt downright manic, and I was somewhat shocked to find that my draft was fairly cohesive when I finished. So I think I learned how important it is to persevere, even when it feels like it's impossible and it'll never come together. Raider is also the first piece of fiction where I explored some of the emotional turmoil caused by the sexual abuse I experienced in my childhood. That is part of what made it so difficult to write, but the process was also very healing.

3. What top 5 books are currently in your TBR pile?
My TBR is embarrassingly enormous. But I'm excited to try Circle of Shadows by Evelyn Skye and The Memory Thief by Lauren Mansy. I'm also due for a reread of The Chronicles of Narnia because it's been a few years. I love to read thrillers and creepy, but not too scary, atmospheric books during the fall season, so I'll have to go hunting through the massive TBR to find some that fit the bill soon. :)

4. What's up next?  What can you tell us about your current WIP?
My current WIP is the third book in The Weaver Trilogy, The Story Hunter. The draft is actually complete and with my editor right now, so I'm working on non-writing things while I wait for my edit to come back. It's hard to give details about Story Hunter without major series spoilers, but the tagline for the book is "Redeeming the past is a fatal quest."

5. What is your favorite summer activity?
Relaxing with my kids! It's tough because I feel like my work calendar gets extra busy the moment they're out of school, but I love that we're able to have more family movie nights and other weekday activities when they don't have schoolwork and homework pressure on them.

Courtney Walsh is a novelist, artist, theatre director, and playwright. Just Let Go will be her eighth inspirational romance novel. Her debut, A Sweethaven Summer, hit the New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller lists and was a Carol Award finalist in the debut author category. A creative at heart, Courtney has also written two craft books and several full-length musicals. She lives in Illinois with her husband and three children.

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1. ​What inspired the idea for Just One Kiss?
Truthfully, I was working out one morning and a Taylor Swift song ("Speak Now") came on. It's all about someone interrupting a wedding, and I started thinking that would be such a great way to start a romance. I was already about halfway into Just One Kiss, and there was no way an interrupted wedding would fit my story, but then I remembered how much I loved Carly and her son Jaden in Just Let Go, and how much she deserved a happily ever after. Josh wasn't the obvious choice for her, but I love second chance romance, so I set my manuscript aside and started a new one. In the end, there's no interrupted wedding in this novel either, but I suppose I have Taylor to thank for the shift in stories just the same!

2. What did you as an author take away from writing Just One Kiss?
Most of my novels are written during or after some sort of revelation God's given me. In this one, it mostly had to do with Jaden, who is diagnosed with a serious illness near the beginning of the story. My own daughter was diagnosed with cancer last year, so I think in some ways this was me processing some of that. But the takeaway is, as it often is, that God can take our pain and brokenness and turn it in to something beautiful. If we let him, he can use it, and no struggle is ever wasted. 

3. What is your current WIP?  What can you tell us about it?
I'm currently working on my next Nantucket book. It's about an officer in the Coast Guard and a private concierge. A tragic accident drove them apart--can a childhood pact bring them back together? (That's all I can share because I'm still working this one out!...but I LOVE being back on Nantucket and I LOVE learning more about the Coast Guard--they fascinate me!) 

4. What top 5 books are currently on your TBR pile?
1) In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins (I started the series just to read some general market romance and expand my horizons a little and got totally hooked, so now I'm on the 4th book and loving it!) 
2) Now and Then and Always by Melissa Tagg. (I read this for endorsement, but on my computer, and I think in order to properly enjoy a book I need to hold it in my hands! I'm so old school!) 
3) Sweet on You by Becky Wade
4) The Southern Side of Paradise by Kristy Woodson Harvey
5) Brunch at the Bittersweet Cafe by Carla Laureano

5. What are some of your favorite summer activities?
My summer is almost exclusively made up of two things: Writing and Directing shows. My husband and I own a performing arts studio and summer is our busiest season. Once our current show Newsies, opens, though, I'm planning to spend a lot of time reading on my back porch--this is my favorite summer pastime!