Paula Marie: Thank you so much, JoAnn for taking time out of your oh so busy schedule to sit down with me and our readers for coffee!

JoAnn: Thanks so much for the invitation! I’m very grateful for the opportunity to get to know you and the readers of your blog. And over coffee? Even better!

Paula Marie: I am amazed at the amount of novels you have written over the years, several of which I have read and all of which I have enjoyed! I know you have held many “jobs”, Pastor’s wife, mother, paralegal, etc.! How did you ever find the time to write during those days?

Joann: You ask a good question, and it’s one I’ve often asked myself! I think the best answer is that I required very little sleep during the time I was drafting out my early books. When I started writing, I was a stay-at-home mother/youth pastor’s wife in Philadelphia, so I arranged my writing schedule around our three children and church activities. When we lived in the Boston area (my husband was a senior pastor), I put my writing—but not the passion for it—on the back burner.

A few years later, when we moved to my hometown in southern Indiana, I’d stay up writing until two a.m. during the week and then get up at seven (to be at work by nine). It also has much to do with motivation and determination! Being a little tired took the “edge” off my work, and I was able to keep calm and function well, thank the Lord! Believe it or not, I actually worked three jobs during that time when I was drafting the books that eventually became my “signature” Lewis Legacy Series. I primarily worked as an estate administration paralegal at a large law firm, but a few times each week, I’d literally cross the street at five o’clock to work at the Kentucky Center for the Arts as a floor manager. I supervised the volunteer ushers and made sure everyone got to their seats (and prayed no one fell, got in a fight, or had any issues). Then I’d sit outside the theater during the performance and work on my books. I also worked a four-hour shift on the weekends at a children’s clothing store (I’d started working at the same store chain in the Boston area to clothe my own kids well). So, you tell me, how did I have any energy left?! I couldn’t do it today, but I was blessed to quit my other jobs and step into full-time writing for God’s glory in mid-August of 2014! I haven’t looked back since.

Paula Marie: That is nothing short of amazing! I don’t think I have ever had that sort of energy, lol! I know we have a lot in common growing up in the same era, but tell me what was your favorite TV Show as a child and why?

JoAnn: The Friday night lineup on ABC was my favorite: The Brady Bunch (my favorite!), The Partridge Family, Room 222, and The Odd Couple. The Bradys embodied the so-called American Dream and they were so fun, cute, and relatable! I also liked Flipper, and my brother and I really enjoyed a short-lived show called Time Tunnel, a time travel/adventure show where the two male characters visited different time periods in history. I still remember the Titanic and Pearl Harbor episodes. Fascinating!

However, my absolute favorite TV program of all was only on once a year: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (taped live television musical) starring Lesley Ann Warren as Cinderella. The music! The costumes! The romance with a prince! I sent a letter to Lesley requesting an autographed photo, and I was so happy to receive one in the mail! I could tell she’d signed it personally, and I treasured that photo. Still do! Fun fact to know and tell: I even named my most recent heroine in Thee Will I Honor “Lesley Ann” in her honor.

Paula Marie: How sweet of you! I always liked Lesley Ann Warren’s acting as well, but never saw the program you mentioned, found this pic on Wikipedia from it though! Brady Bunch was high up on my list of favorites too! Where do you get your inspiration from for your characters? Especially your slight quirky ones?

JoAnn: I have quirky characters? Ha! Quirky is so much fun! All my characters are mostly created in my sometimes overly active imagination, but a number of them are based in part on people I’ve known. Like a lot of authors, I will freely tell you that anything you say is fair game to be used in a book one day! I’m also an avid people watcher/observer (airports, especially the international terminals, are terrific). I used to find inspiration in newspapers. The idea for mineralogist Seth Barnes (try repeating that word quickly three times straight!) in Heart’s Design came from a Philadelphia newspaper article about a region in Maine rich in gems and minerals. The basis for a pedicab owner/operator in Love So Amazing came from a pedicab ride in Indianapolis late one night when all the cabs were gone and a pedicab guy offered us a ride to our hotel. Now, I find more inspiration from internet articles, the line in the grocery store, radio segments, you name it! I’m telling you, with this gal, anything is likely to show up in a book sometime! A memorable little girl in Whisper to My Heart is based on a friend’s daughter from church who’s a little spitfire and says the cutest things.

Paula Marie: I’ll be sure to be careful what I say around you, hahaha! I find it fascinating how many different styles of writing authors have, what would define yours as?

JoAnn: Great question! I’d say my writing style is faithful (to the Lord’s teachings and intended to give Him glory and honor), entertaining, and sentimental…with a dash of humor added! I like to believe my books are easy to read yet intelligently written. I’m not “flowery” and prone to write a sentence where you need to back up and read it three times to try and figure out what I’m actually saying. In more of my later books, I deeply research various topics and most of my readers feel like they’ve actually learned something—NASA (I visited Johnson Space Center and Kennedy Space Center and asked a ton of questions), woodworking, airplane prototypes, being a member of the U.S. military, Colonel Sanders, Charles Dickens, to name a few. You never know where my books will take you!

Paula Marie I love being able to learn something while enjoying a novel! I can play trivia games and everyone asks how did you know that? I laugh and say i read it in a book!! Do you often find yourself with your characters running through your head before you have even had a chance to write them down?

JoAnn: Not really. I might differ from other authors in that regard, but in some ways, I’ve always been a rebel. I don’t do (or write) things because it’s what others say I “should” do (or not do). With one exception, I’ve only written one book at a time and focused solely on those characters. That way, they can run around all they want, and I’m right there (or “write” there) beside them!

Paula Marie: I know I sometimes feel like the people in my favorite stories become friends, and seeing as how you have a few different series and several standalone books…do you find it difficult to “say goodbye” to your characters from the stand alone novels once you have completed them?

JoAnn: No, and that’s mainly because I keep them alive with mentions or appearances in other books. I have said “good-bye” to a few characters, but I have a peace about them. Still, with me, you never know! There’s a definite method to my “madness.” I have a series coming up with the children of the Lewis Legacy characters. Who’s to say some of those previous characters from another book or series might not show up again? God’s world can be pretty small sometimes, you know. Stay tuned…

Paula Marie: Hahaha! I will definitely be staying tuned!! I love how you have the Bible Verse Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”, on all of your communications can you share another one or two verses that have special meaning to you?

JoAnn: That’s a difficult question because I have so many favorite verses! I have a theme verse of Scripture, and often a list of verses, in all my books. Below are a couple more verses (taken from the New American Standard Bible) that speak to me personally. They’ve also given me great encouragement and comfort in my writing journey:

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. ~Romans 8:28

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. ~Ephesians 2:8

Paula Marie: Romans 8:28 is certainly one of my mantras as well! I know you love spending time with your family, especially your new grandchild, and writing, but what are some of your favorite pastime activities when you aren’t doing something with the family or writing?

JoAnn: Is there life beyond family and writing? I adore traveling, and I’ve been blessed to take some fabulous trips and see many places in the world, especially B.C. (Before Children). I spent a semester abroad in college (we lived in London and then toured the European Continent for three weeks). I went back to Europe with my mother a couple of times, and she helped to foster and install an independent spirit and a love of traveling in me. Believe it or not, I used to be shy, but going places and meeting new people encouraged me to open my eyes and enjoy different cultures, customs, history, architecture, and experiences.

I like to cook, but I’ll admit we eat out more than we should. I love to decorate but don’t generally enjoy cleaning. I used to adore working counted cross-stitch pieces, but I was one of those weirdos who made the back of the canvas look as pretty as the front. Definitely a perfectionist, a mixed blessing.

Paula Marie: How can fans keep in touch with you and your upcoming books?

JoAnn: I’m the rare bird/writer in that I don’t have a newsletter. I know, I know. Try to cover your shock. As I said, I can also be a rebel. If I had a bumper sticker on my car, it’d read, “I’d Rather Be Writing.” The way I see it, readers are inundated with enough stuff. Plus, I’m an extrovert (also rare for an author, I’m finding), and I’m no stranger to social media. I’ve grown my author page on Facebook tremendously in the past year by posting memes with Scripture verses. The three main places to connect with me are the following:

Website: https://joanndurgin.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjoanndurgin

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Gr8tReads

Paula Marie: Finally – Coffee or tea? Cream? Sugar?

JoAnn: Oh, I definitely love a little coffee with my French vanilla creamer and Splenda, thank you so much! Just don’t ask how many packets of Splenda I add (depends on whether I’m making it myself or getting it elsewhere). I can’t go to the drive-thru at my local McDonald’s and order coffee or else they’d need to alert the nearby hospital to be on standby for a possible sugar overdose! I also adore hot apple cider in the fall and hot chocolate with marshmallows during the holiday season.

Paula Marie: Thank you again for sharing this time with me and my followers! It has truly been a pleasure getting to know you and becoming friends!

Now readers – JoAnn Durgin has GENEROUSLY offered to give away THREE ebooks to three different commenters here on this post! Winner gets their CHOICE of books, musty be in USA or have an USA Amazon account to receive the ebook! Choices are here: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B004FELQDC?_encoding=UTF8&node=618073011&offset=0&pageSize=12&sort=author-pages-popularity-rank&page=1#formatSelectorHeader

Please take a moment to to say thank you and enter to win any of JoAnn’s single ebook of your choice!

Contest will end Monday, August 13th at midnight!

Paula Marie: Janet, thank you so much for taking the time to sit down with me and answer a few questions so we can get to know you a little better!

Janet: It’s an honor to be here! I’m loving your blog!

Paula Marie: Oh, thank you, that means so much to me!

I feel lucky to say I have read every one of your books! From those books, it is obvious you have a love for the South, can you tell us more about where you are from?

Janet: I do love the South. Maybe because I’ve always lived here. I was born in 

Greenwood, Mississippi, in the flat, fertile Delta region of the state where there is a great deal of farming. At five-years-old, our family moved to Jackson, Mississippi, which Is the capital city. Though compared with other state capitals, it’s fairly small. But most of us think that’s just fine.

Our state is diverse in its landscape, but most is wooded and green, bordered by the Mississippi River in the west and the Gulf of Mexico in the south. The northeastern part of the state is heavily forested rolling hills. In that area, the quaint college town of Oxford is where I chose to set the first three novels. It’s such an adorable place with large oaks draping sidewalk and streets.

All regions of our state are hot much of the year. We have some cold winter weather here and there, but I remember some years wearing shorts on Christmas. You just never know!

I just had to attach a few pics for you!

Paula Marie: When did you first fell the writer’s pull?

Janet: I started writing in 2012 after my parents passed away. The story idea for Leaving Oxford had been churning for about six or seven years before that but I never sat down to write it. I wanted to write a story that removed some of the stigma that goes along with anxiety. I wanted it to be an encouragement because I’d also suffered from panic attacks. And once that story came out, more bubbled up. I hope to keep writing as long as God provides me material.

Paula Marie: Can you tell us a little bit about your writing process? Are you a plotter, out-liner, or more spontaneous when writing your novels?

Janet: I was a definite panster at first, but I’ve become more of a loose out-liner. It helps keep the story on track. I pray I allow the Lord to lead. I always say any of the good stuff is God, the messed up part is me!

Paula Marie: Your characters in the Southern Hearts series continue to show up in the subsequent novels, do you find that easier to incorporate them, or more of challenge to have to “revisit” them and bring their lives up to date with the current story line?

Janet: It seemed pretty easy at the time because I wrote them back to back. I did have to chart the characters, places, and timelines, though. I’ve thought about (and have been asked to write) another story for Bryan, Emma, and Grant. I think it will be much harder after being away from them for so long. I’ll be pulling those charts back out if I do!

Paula Marie: I love to know what authors do with their free time when not writing or spending time with family, what are your other passions?

Janet: Good question! I enjoy ladies Bible studies, going on walks with my neighbor/friends/family, and listening to music. Travel is something I love whenever possible, and I like to take lots of pictures. I walk around looking for beauty in creation every day. It helps me be thankful!

Paula Marie: I have loved your football characters and scenarios, due to my being a diehard football fan….is that a sport you enjoy as well?

Janet: My husband and son both played football in high school, and they watch SEC football, so I’ve learned a lot about the sport. I enjoy watching Mississippi State and Ole Miss with them. The research for Leaving Oxford and Tackling the Fields made the sport and mentality of the players even more interesting. Wow, those guys love it, breathe it, and miss it when they can’t play anymore.

Paula Marie: What is the one thing you would like for readers to take away with them after reading a novel of yours?

Kanet: God loves you more than you can ask or imagine, and there is no sin so bad that you can’t be forgiven if you turn your life over to Him.

Paula Marie: What were your favorite books to read as a young child, ones that you made sure your children read when they were the same age?

Janet: Oh, I loved books like Charlotte’s Web and Little House on the Prairie. I never read The Chronicles of Narnia as a child, but I read them all aloud to my kids. I adore them!

Paula Marie: How can readers keep up with your news and upcoming releases?

Paula Marie: Finally – Coffee or tea? Cream? Sugar?

Janet: Two cups of black coffee every morning, although in Ireland I enjoyed hot tea with cream!

Janet has sweetly offered to have a free ~*Giveaway*~ to one of our blog members!! Simply comment on this post to be entered to receive the ebook of Magnolia Storms! My review for this novel can be found here: 

http://fictionfulloffaith.com/magnolia-storms-by-janet-ferguson-review-of-grace-award-winner/

Giveaway is open for seven days from today and winner will be notified via email!

Thank you so much, Andrea, for taking time out of your day to sit down with me and our readers for coffee! I was very excited to find you when Irresistibly Yours first came out! I absolutely loved the entire story. Can you tell us a little bit about how you came up with Vivian and Bo?

The inspiration for Irresistibly Yours is a sad story with a happy ending. My husband was dying at the time. (Don’t worry, he lived!) When you are faced with future widowhood, a gamut of emotions floods your system and you end up thinking about things you wouldn’t imagine someone in that situation would think about. One of them was, “I never want to go through this again. I’m never getting married again.” I told this to a friend and for several nights after that Bo showed up in my dreams. Nothing romantic. I’d go to church in dreamland and there he was. Deep-sea fishing (Something I’ve always wanted to do!) in dreamland and he shows up. After that my imagination took over and Vivian and Bo’s story came to life.   

I love how Vivian is about the 1970 Plymouth GTX – a dream car of my husband’s, by the way, lol, how did you come up with such an inspiration?

It’s my dream car too! My aunt had one when I was a little girl and I believe that’s when I fell in love with muscle cars. I have a 1968 Barracuda convertible that I restored, and my husband has a 1974 Duster that he is redoing now. We also enjoy going to classic car shows together.

My husband would be so jealous, lol!!

I know you have some fantasy genre Christian books out as well as contemporary; do you have a preference for either genre when writing?

When you say fantasy, some readers are automatically shaking their heads, but honestly, mine are on the very mild side and read more like historicals. I love making up new worlds and the adventure, so yes, they are my favorite ones to write. Of the five books I have out right now, Restoring Dermot is my favorite.  

When is your favorite time of the day / night to write?

Early morning—right after coffee and Bible study. And I try to quit writing by 3pm. If I keep going after that, my brain feels fried. Besides, I still need time for reading!

When did you first know you were meant to be an author?

I don’t remember the exact date, but within the last five years. It still amazes me that I was called to write. I never would have aspired to it on my own. The ‘feed my sheep’ verses kept coming up from various directions. So I asked God, ‘Who are these sheep, and how do you want me to go about feeding them?’ Right after I got my answer, the inspiration for Securing Aisling came.  

Can you remember the first book you read that you fell in love with books?

Oh boy. Growing up, reading wasn’t encouraged at my house. If I read a book it was for school. In eight grade, a friend of mine got in trouble for reading a book during science class. I had to find out what was so interesting. She loaned me the book. I’m ashamed to say it was Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews, but it did ignite my hunger for reading.

Well, I must admit, I have read those books as well when I was much younger!

What would be your dream profession if you had not become an author?

I’ve never had one. My prayer from the age of nine was to have children and be a good mother. God answered that prayer and it wasn’t until the kids were grown that He gave me the desire to do anything else.

Being you are from the south – can you tell me what your favorite food to fry is?

Lol Surprisingly, I can’t remember the last time I fried anything other than an egg. I would say fried chicken, squash, and okra are my favorites, but I don’t have them that often.  

How can fans keep in touch with you and your upcoming books?

The best way is through my website- www.andreaboyd11.com You will find information on my books that you won’t see anywhere else, and there are links to everywhere else I can be found. 

Finally – Coffee or tea? Cream? Sugar?

Coffee! When I was a kid, I drank it black, but now I use flavored creamer. My daughter says I wake up every morning without a brain and find it at the bottom of my first cup. She may have a point.

Andrea Boyd has been so kind as to offer one lucky winner a free ebook version of Irresistibly Yours via Instafreebie! Just comment on this review and you will be entered to win! Contest will one week from today. Winner will be emailed with the link!