A few years ago I went to a Christian Fiction Readers Retreat. It was blast meeting some avid readers and being able to get to know the other authors there. Authors are alone with their keyboards or notebooks for many hours a day for weeks and months, maybe years, as they come up with new stories. Well, maybe they aren’t completely alone. They have characters dancing all around them as they imagine what next while they are writing.
Here I am with a couple of the other writers, Rachel McMillan and Shelley Shepard Gray, who were at the Retreat.
Before the retreat, the organizers had the writers answer some questions. They thought it would be fun for those planning to attend to know some random things about the authors before the event. I came across that list while searching for an idea for a post and decided it might be fun to look over it and embellish my answers a little. So here goes.
~Favorite book quote from a classic? This isn’t exactly a quote from the story, but rather an author’s advice before the story starts. It makes me smile. “Persons attempting to find a motive in this narrative will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot.”~Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
~Favorite book when you were young? Black Beauty (I cried a bucketful of tears reading this.)
~Favorite name of a character in your books? Sister Sophrena – I met a woman at a book event whose name was Sophrenia and I told her then I was going to use her name in a book. It was a few years later that I introduced Sister Sophrena as a Shaker journalist in The Gifted. Then I told more of her story in Christmas at Harmony Hill. She is the only character in my Shaker books to make a major reappearance in a Shaker novel.
~Favorite book cover of one of your books? Angel Sister –Love this cover because of how perfectly the girl on the cover looks the way I imagined Lorena in the story.
~Favorite title of one of your books? I said Scent of Lilacs when I first answered this question, but now When the Meadow Blooms may be my new favorite because of how that meadow blooming is such a strong story point.
~Favorite Bible verse? John 21:25 -Love this verse, the last in the Gospel of John. And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen. (NKJV)
~One item in your purse that defines you? Sharpie pen – Got to be ready to sign a book for a reader. 🙂
~Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate
~Coffee or Tea? Tea – Love my tea. Always have a cup of black tea – no sugar – on the cup warmer on my desk.
~Sugar or honey? Sugar – Strangely enough, in spite of my sweet tooth, I don’t like honey.
~Left or Right? Right handed and not ambidextrous. Thank goodness when I broke my finger once, it was my ring finger on my left hand! I did struggle getting my wedding ring off my finger but managed it mere seconds before the nurse brought in the ring cutter. Whew!
~Cotton or wool? Cotton – I said cotton then, but I do love my wool socks in the wintertime.
~Plan or Wing it? Wing it – At least when I’m writing a story, but the plan is there somewhere under those wings.
~Print or Digital? Print – I said print then and I still love holding that book when I’m reading, but I do read digital now too.
~Cowboys or Gentlemen? Can’t a cowboy be a gentleman?
~Horse or dog? Dog – You all could have answered that one for me, couldn’t you?
~Skittles or M&Ms? M&Ms – if they are peanut M&Ms.
~Prince or frog? I didn’t answer this one those years ago. Don’t have an answer now either. Maybe it’s according to whether I have to kiss them. 🙂
~Hats or scarves? Neither. Don’t like bonnets either and I’m always making my characters not like wearing them either although Adrianne does have on a beautiful hat on the cover of Words Spoken True. I also had her friends with a milliner and had Rose in When the Meadow Blooms also a milliner.
~Favorite song? “The Rose” I love the words to this song.
Did anything I answered surprise you?
Why don’t you pick one or more than one of the questions to answer? I’d love to read your answers.
Comments 18
-Favorite books when I was young: Little House on the Prairie series
-Favorite Bible verse: “…My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”…2 Corinthians 12:9
-Chocolate
-Sugar or honey: Both!
-Right handed but love having a left handed son
-Print will always be my favorite but I started reading digital during the pandemic and I appreciate the convenience of always having reading options at my fingertips.
-Favorite song: In Christ Alone
Author
Thanks for sharing your answers, Dana. Love that Bible verse too. It’s hard sometimes to pick a very favorite. I too like having the option of having a book at ready wherever I am as long as I have my phone with me.
Wish we could get together and enjoy some chocolate. 🙂
Print only. M&M’s, neither hats or scarves, neither horse or dog, coffee first thing and iced tea later.
Author
More and more readers are loving to read print only, Lucy. I think that’s partly because so many people have to work on computers. They are ready for a “real” book when they are reading for enjoyment. I see we agree about that hats. I did wear scarves when I was a little girl but no more. So, are you a cat lover?
Hello Love reading the post! I Love Coffee in the morning, Pepsi in the afternoon, I love chocolate ice cream, And I always Love reading print books and I love eating just about anything lol My favorite book growing up was Little House on The Prairie Books! Blessings To You!
Author
So glad you enjoyed the Q & A post, Sarah. You had me smiling with your answer about liking to eat just about anything. If it’s sweet or salty, I’m there with you. I know a lot of people who loved those Little House books, but I don’t think I’ve ever read any of them. Guess they came along after I was older.
Favorite cover of one of your books, “These Healing Hills.” Favorite title: “Appalachian Summer.” Item in purse that defines me. I think it would be my running grocery list, adding items everyday until going to the store. Much better having that list so I don’t forget half of it. Chocolate, tea, sugar or I use Splenda a lot now. Right, cotton, plan or wing it, I do both. I used to read print books only, but I have Kindle on my PC now and read a lot on it. I have many print books with no place to put them. Cowboys, but would also want him to be a gentleman. Dog, M&M Peanuts, neither prince or frog, neither hat or scarf, favorite song “Take Me Home Country Roads.”
Author
Love your answers, Connie. Interesting that you picked These Healing Hills as a favorite cover and An Appalachian Summer as the favorite title. Guess the Frontier Nurses win our with you. I do love my print books too, but sometimes it’s easier to carry around a few dozen with you on a Kindle. I don’t read on my PC though. I used to read on my iPad but my daughter gave me a paperwhite Kindle last Christmas. And I even read on my phone now. Something I thought I would never do. Both on my sons read almost exclusively on their phones these days and both are big readers. Gentlemen cowboys definitely win out. Welcome to the dog lover club. What should be name it? And I love that song too.
I love seeing hats on other ladies but I never wear one myself unless attending one of my mom’s tea parties she occasionally hosts.
Author
A tea party sounds fun, Lucretia. I have worn a hat a few times. When I was a teen, I wore some of those net like things that passed for a hat just because you were supposed to wear a hat to church back then. Then I wore a hat to a Derby party once. Even won a prize for my hat. Well, it was really my mother’s hat.
I loved “When the Meadow Blooms” and also loved the name “Calla”. I have several calla lilies in my yard and they are beautiful and come in such vibrant colors! I am not a fan of hot tea but love my coffee in the mornings with Cinnabon coffee creamer in it. I also like print, love holding the book and turning pages as well as the smell. Love dogs but horses come in second. Enjoy your Monday!
Author
For Christmas last year my daughter gave me a pot with Calla lillies that you were supposed to get to bloom inside. She didn’t even know I had named one of my characters Calla, but she has a way of knowing things without being told. Anyway, I made an monumental failure with those bulbs, Pamela. The plant looked like something in a Dr. Seuss book. LOL. But my sister had some beautiful calla lillies in her flower garden. I was able to enjoy those. I’m glad you liked the name and the story. I appreciate you letting me know that.
Those print books do feel more like actually reading a book, don’t they? And glad to welcome you to the doglover club. My granddaughter is a dog and horse lover. Nothing wrong with liking both.
It must be a Kentucky thing, because my answers are very much the same as yours.
For the “frog or prince” question, I once saw a cartoon of a princess holding a frog. The frog says, “kiss me and I’ll turn into a handsome prince.” The princess replies with, “I’d rather have a talking frog.” 🙂
Have a great day, Ann!
Author
Glad to have an internet “Kentucky sister,” Lavon. I guess we just know what works in our old Kentucky home.
I like your frog or prince story. A talking frog might be something pretty remarkable. 🙂
Your answers and mine are very similar. I love plain hot tea with nothing added, although I also like decaf coffee with creamer and some kind of sweetener. I don’t like anything on my head unless the weather is freezing, which it usually is not in Houston, TX. I love dogs and chocolate, preferably with peanuts. I prefer print books and love your books!
Author
So fun to read your answers, Suzanne. I think we may be internet “sisters.” Well, of course, sisters can have wildly different likes as far as that goes. But loving dogs and eating peanut M&M’s while reading some print books – all that sounds good. Thank you so much that mine are some of those print books you read.
I enjoyed reading your answers. Now for some of mine.. I’ll just give the answers without repeating questions. Vanilla, although hard to choose. Tea in the morning, coffee in the evening. Wing it.. I’ve always hated schedules and appointments. That’s why I was happy to retire. My son is a cowboy and he’s also a gentleman. M&Ms dark chocolate peanuts. Print. I love turning the pages of an actual book. Sugar, I’ve never cared for the taste of honey.
Author
I’m loving reading everyone’s answers. Thank you, Lee, for joining in wit the fun. Sounds as though we do have a lot of similar likes except for choosing the vanilla and drinking coffee. LOL. Fun to know I was right about a cowboy also being a gentleman.
Hope you continue enjoying winging it in your retirement.