Brenda Anderson is joining me today for Coffee with Paula! Thank you, Brenda, I am so pleased to have you join me!
Thank you for welcoming me! I’m thrilled to be on your fabulous book blog!
PM: Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to let me and our readers get to know you better! I see you grew up on a dairy farm, and I find that fascinating. I grew up a city girl, well, a small town really, just outside of New York City, so anything to do with farm life is foreign to me! Can you tell me what you loved most about farm life?
BA: I don’t know that I can narrow it down to one thing as the benefits of growing up on a farm were many! We learned the value and love of family, friends, and faith. We learned how to work hard and play hard. It’s the playing hard part my kids are jealous of. We had a sledding hill right across the road from our house. We had a pond that was perfect for ice skating and hockey. We had miles of roads for biking. And abundance of lakes for swimming. The hay loft was a perfect place for family games and making forts and giving concerts. And there was so much more! I’m sad that my own children didn’t get that same experience.
PM: Do you write stories more from your own experiences, or do you spend a lot time doing research on the type of characters your creating?
BA: All of my stories have pieces of my own experiences, but most require a good amount of research. My latest release, Place Called Home, was about a young woman who’d lived in an emotional abusive situation. Not having experienced that first hand, I had to do a lot of digging to learn what that looked like, especially on an emotional level.
PM: I enjoy hearing how different authors plan out their books, do you have the entire plot of the story ahead of time, or do you simply sit down in front of the keyboard and let the characters take over and lead you in the direction they are going?
BA: I’m a complete seat-of-the-pantser, though I’ve tried plotting. It never works for me, though it should as I’m an organizer who doesn’t like surprises in my non-fiction life. But being a pantser, I have to tune in to God more. Many days I’ll sit in front of the computer with no clue where I’m going to. I’ll often have a conversation with God, telling him I have no clue what I’m doing, so I need His help, then once I start writing, the story just seems to flow. Once I type The End, the story requires a lot of editing and fattening up, which I enjoy doing.
PM: Out of all your books which would you say was the hardest so far to write, in your opinion and why?
BA: The hardest to write was definitely Planting Hope. That’s the final book in my Where the Heart Is contemporary romance series. Writing romance is not a natural gift—I only wrote the first books because that’s what the market was demanding at that time, and the first in the series, Risking Love, was the first of my books to capture publishing industry attention. Over the span of two – three years, I had several stops and starts on Planting Hope. It was only when I had an opportunity to go on a week-long, writing-only retreat that I was able to push my way through the story. I ended up really liking the book, but it certainly didn’t come easy!
Now I’m back to writing the family drama / women’s fiction stories I have a passion for telling.
PM: I love to know what authors do with their free time when not writing or spending time with family, what are your favorite things to do when not writing or reading?
BA: I love going to movies (Marvel movies are my favorite!) with my family. I love roller coasters and baseball games and hiking along Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior. I love theater and concerts and singing and am blessed to have a gifted daughter who seems to go from one musical production to the next. It’s so much fun watching our children use the gifts God gave them!
PM: As a full-time writer, do you lock yourself away in an office and hang out a “Do not Disturb” sign during your scheduled writing time? Do you prefer total silence, or like to have background music playing while writing?
BA: You nailed it. I lock myself in my office, and I actually have a warning sign on my door. (Not that it helps!) With the exception of nature singing outside my office window, I need silence. No music. No people interruptions.
PM: At my full-time job when we are interviewing for a new employee I always ask them what the last fictional novel is that they have read….so now I will ask you the same thing!
BA: The last one I read was No Less Days by Amanda Stevens. It was a story that really twisted the mind and made you think. Now I’ve just begun Julie Klassen’s latest, The Ladies of Ivy Cottage.
PM: If you could go anywhere in the world you have never been to spend an entire week, where would that be?
BA: I’ve always wanted to go to Israel. Our church has a group that goes every other year, and every time I ask God, “Can I go now?” but so far His answer has been “Wait.” Someday!
PM: How can readers keep up with you and your new releases?
BA: A couple of ways:
They can check out my website at BrendaAndersonBooks.com or they can Subscribe to my newsletter which typically goes out once per month: http://brendaandersonbooks.com/subscribe/. For subscribing, they can download a FREE copy of my Coming Home Series short story, Coming Home.
PM: Finally – Coffee or tea? Cream? Sugar?
BA: None of the above! My parents were coffee drinkers, but I never acquired the taste. I don’t care for tea either. But if you serve hot cocoa in the winter or fruit slushies in the summer, I’m perfectly happy.
Brenda has been so kind as to offer one commenter a free ebook of her latest in The Potter’s House series – Place Called Home!
I loved this story. Another great one, Brenda! Thanks so much for sharing.
Thank you, Mary! So glad you enjoyed Place Called Home! <3
Thank you, Mary! I have a great time getting to know all you wonderful authors!
Thank you, Paula Marie, for welcoming me! I love your blog, and I look forward to chatting with your readers.
Thank you, Brenda! It is an honor to get to know you!
I already have a copy of the book.
I am stopping by to show my support to Paula and Brenda.
Great interview.
Thank you, Linda! I’m so very grateful for your support!
You are so kind and supportive, Linda! I always smile when I see your name!!
I would love to spend a week in Ireland. I grew up thinking I was mostly German and about 15 years ago discovered I was mostly Irish! Two of my kids have already been there, so it would be interesting. Love to read romances but other books catch my attention if the “sneak peak” is capturing.
Thank you for stopping by, Carol! Ireland sounds delightful! Just curious, did you do the DNA testing to find that out? My grandparents all came over from Italy, but I have always been curious to try that test anyway, lol!
Oh, I’d LOVE to visit Ireland! I’ve heard it’s indescribably beautiful! Hope you have the opportunity to go there someday.
Thank you for stopping by today!
Thank you, Paula Marie, and thank you, Brenda! I’d like to spend a week in Montenegro with my daughter and son-in-law.
Hi, Shirley! So sweet to see you here again (lol, shouldn’t you be sleeping now though, hahaha)! I am sure any place you get to spend with your family is wonderful for you!
Wouldn’t that be fun?! Have you visited them before? I hope you have the chance to go. 🙂
Thank you for chatting with us today!
Love all of your books that I have read. I especially like this one.
Hard to believe but I would like a week at home with gift cards to eat at some of the really expensive restaurants where I have never eaten before then go home and read a book and sleep in my own bed.
What a neat idea, Virginia!! I love being able to sleep in my own bed too!
That sounds like it would be so much fun!
Thank you, Virginia, for your support of all The Potter’s House authors!!! You are a blessing!
I love the idea of stay-cationing and visiting restaurants close to home! And nothing’s better than relaxing at home with a book. 🙂
Hi ladies. Just stopping by to say that, in addition to her writing talents, Brenda has an absolutely beautiful singing voice! 🙂 She truly humbled me at earlier ACFW conferences when we both sang in the choir. Glad to know her daughter has inherited that musical talent. If I could spend a week anywhere, my first choice would always be anywhere along the Italian Riviera. Currently, though, I’d love to spend a week back at the beach house in Murrell’s Inlet in South Carolina (we had to evacuate in advance of Hurricane Florence). Just heard yesterday that the beach house did not flood, praise the Lord! I don’t have Brenda’s book, and I’d love to be entered in the giveaway. Blessings and thanks for the interview and the opportunity!
Hi, JoAnn! I am so glad you made a safe evacuation, we all were praying for those in the area!
You are so sweet to visit with us today, and of course you are entered in the drawing!
Hopefully you will get the opportunity to go to both places!!
I’ve been blessed to visit Italy more than once, and it’s my favorite destination. I’m praying for all those affected by Hurricane Florence, as well. It’s going to take a long time to recover from its devastation. Thanks for entering me in the drawing.
You are so sweet, JoAnn! I loved singing next to you! The choir was always one of my favorite parts of the ACFW Conferences. I hope we have the opportunity to sing side by side again someday! ♫♪
You must be relieved that your home didn’t flood. Nothing is more devastating than flood waters.
My son got to experience his first hurricane when Irma hit Tampa–or should I say–he slept through it, because by the time Irma reached Tampa, she’d calmed down to a little roar.
Thanks for stopping in today, JoAnn!
Just popping in to say hi! I love these blog posts but don’t always comment, I think I should put that on my to-do list. If I could go anywhere for a week, I think I would go to Montana. I’ve wanted to go there for as long as I can remember. Another excellent post. God bless.
Hi, Tabitha! Thank you so much for your kind words!! I so appreciate you! Montana sounds like a wonderful idea!
I’ve heard Montana’s beautiful! I’ve been close, having driven to mid-western North Dakota, but haven’t crossed the border yet. Someday!
Thanks for chiming in, Tabitha!
I would like to take my daughter to spend a week in China so she can see the beautiful country where she was born.
That would be fabulous, Kim! I hope you have the opportunity to travel to China some day.
My brother and his wife adopted several children from Korea – a few years back they took the family to Korea . It really had a positive impact on the children.
That is awesome! I love that idea! My friends adopted a young girl from Russia and they plan to do the same thing!
I would love to go Alaska for a week. Honestly, I have always wanted to live there but if I could get my family to go a week with me I would be lucky. My husband says it is way to cold for him.
I love the cold! Alaska is a place I would love to visit and think it would be awesome to live there too!!
I’ve heard Alaska is so beautiful! So many people I know have taken Alaskan cruises, and have loved it. Someday… 🙂
I would like to spend a week in Punta Cana where it is warm. It is chilly here Western NY and I like to feel the warm sun and walk in the sand.
Hello, Carol! I admit, I needed to Google Punta Cana…what a beautiful place!
Personally, I’d like to be in Western NY in the cold!! ❤️
Punta Cana would be a wonderful place come January when we want to escape Minnesota’s cold!
Like BSA, I’d love to go to the Holy Land, Israel!
My hubs went to Israel when he was in the Navy, said it was beautiful!
Someday we’ll go!
Hi! I would love to spend a week visiting my brother and family in Paraguay, South America, where he is a Christian missionary with the Ache’ tribe. . . (where I grew up). Back to reality, would really like to win a print book by Autumn, and by Brenda! They both look like great authors and are new to me:) Thanks, again, for a wonderful opportunity to enter a giveaway!
Blessings to your son! I will keep him in my prayers, Lual!
Lual, you will both authors. Their books are so good.
Agree with Virginia 100% !!
I’m always in awe of missionaries–now they truly live a sacrificial life!
May God bless your son’s time there, and what a blessing he must be to you!