Don’t forget if you want to enter the drawing for Cecelia’s book, First Mates (Love Inspired) either email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com or leave a comment with your email address in it. The drawing ends Sunday evening.
1. What made you start writing?
I used to read during my lunch break. One day, I was bored, so I
started writing. I’ve been writing ever since. Before this lunch break,
I’d dreamed of writing a book for years, however, the task just seemed
so monumental that I didn’t think I had the talent and patience to
complete this feat.
2. How long have you been writing? I’ve been writing since 1994, so
about fourteen years.
When did you sell your first book? I sold my first book in late 2000
(about five and a half years after I’d started writing).
3. How do you handle rejections?
I try not to let them bother me. I do read them, and I file them away,
but then I’ll start thinking of other places where I can submit the
rejected manuscript. My sale to Love Inspired, and some of my sales to
Barbour were novels that had been rejected by other houses.
4. Why do you write? Because I have to! When a story comes to mind, it
brews for a bit, and I just feel like I have to get it out! Plus, I
love doing it! It’s work, but it’s fun work!
5. What would you be doing with your free time if you weren’t writing?
Spending more time with my husband and my young son. I also would spend
more time in the kitchen baking delicious desserts!
6. What are you working on right now?
I’m working on another novel for Barbour’s Heartsong Presents line
entitled Milk Money. The story is about a dairy farmer who hires a
bitter, unsaved, man as her accountant, and, of course, he gets saved
and they fall in love! 🙂
7. Do you put yourself into your books/characters?
I think most writers put a bit of themselves into all of their novels.
We tap into our interests and into some of our life experiences in
order to create stories that we’re passionate about.
8. Tell us about the book you have out right now.
John’s Quest will release in May 2008, by Barbour Heartsong Presents
John French, a science professor, is an agnostic–he’s unsure if God
exists. When he’s hired to tutor a blind seven-year-old child, Scotty,
he finds himself falling for the child’s beautiful aunt/guardian,
Monica Crawford. Monica’s life changes drastically when her
irresponsible younger sister abandons her handicapped son on her
doorstep. As John helps Monica to educate her nephew, he falls in love
with her. However, problems arise when Monica, a devout Christian,
finds herself drawn to Scotty’s handsome and intelligent tutor. Monica
finds herself in a bind because she knows it’s a sin to be unequally
yoked with a non-believer. How in the world can these two lovebirds
overcome the huge problems that stand in the way of their relationship?
9. Do you have any advice for other writers? Join a writers group such
as ACFW (American Christian Fiction Authors) and attend writers
conferences to learn about the craft.
10. How important is faith in your books? The faith element is
extremely important in all of my novels.
11. What themes do you like to write about? My books generally reflect
that we need to ALWAYS lean on God, during both good times and trying
times. Although we cannot always understand Him, we need to learn to
trust Him.
12. What is your favorite book you’ve written and why? I’ve thought
about this for awhile, but I can’t come up with an answer! I love all
three of the books that I’ve had published about equally.
13. What is your writing schedule like? Since I work full time, I
mostly write early in the morning and in the evenings and on weekends.
My son loves television, so that frees up some time for me to write,
especially when I’m on deadline!
