For today’s Sunday Dinner author interview, I invited Akaysha Mynes to talk about Her Rocky Mountain Soldier: A Christian Romance, a Contemporary Christian Romance.

Since she first learned to read, Akaysha Mynes has wanted to write and tell stories. Many years later, she finally took the plunge and published her first book. She loves to weave in parts of her life, heart, and soul into her stories. Now she enjoys bringing a smile to peoples faces as they read her sweet Christian romances and the happily ever afters that come with them.

Sunday Dinner is a traditional (noon) meal served after church on Sundays. Whole families, including extended family, would gather over a large meal to celebrate a day of rest. Multiple cultures enjoy this Sunday Dinner tradition. In my experience, I know it from both my Midwestern farm family as well as my Italian-American family. Now, I’d like to bring Sunday Dinner virtually to you. So, pull up a chair as we invite various guests to join us each week!

This or That Quick Takes

*Author’s choice is in bold.

Ten Questions

Tell us something interesting readers would enjoy learning about you.

I have always loved the outdoors and testing my physical abilities. When I was in high school I was a part of the orienteering and rifle teams in JROTC. I met my husband at my first rifle practice and we have basically been together ever since.

Can you tell us about your latest novel?

Widowed mom, Maria and her neighbor, Joseph are volunteered by their teenage sons to play Mary and Joseph in their church’s play. The two have been friends for years but now that they are spending extra time together, they begin to notice each other in a new light. Christmas lights to be exact. Wedding bells begin to play instead of jingle bells… A short story about finding love right next door.

In what city is your story set and why did you choose to set your novel there?

Rifle, CO. I chose Rifle because I grew up there and thought it would be the perfect place to set my Rocky Mountain Series.

Describe your setting. And, if it’s a real place, have you visited?

Rifle is a small Rocky Mountain town in Colorado. I grew up there and always enjoyed how close we were to outdoor adventures. We were always camping or fishing. My favorite place to go was Rifle Falls. Its such a beautiful place with the cascading water and bountiful foliage.

What research was required to set a book there?

I didn’t have to do much research for the setting other than make sure my memory of everything was correct to what is still there. The most research I had to do was about sheep ranching and herding sheep with dogs. I read a few articles on sheep in Colorado and watched videos about herding dogs.

What does a day in the life of one of your characters look like?

My fmc Susan spends her day by waking up early, packing a lunch, and getting her sheep out to the field for the day. She always wanted a ranch of her own and loves being out in the outdoors.

Were resources easy or difficult to find on these topics? Do you have a favorite resource?

I love Youtube for my research. I am a visual person so it’s helpful to have all the videos. There are videos on pretty much everything.

What is one piece of your research that you couldn’t include in the book, but wish readers could know?

I wish I would have been able to add the Rifle Falls into this book, but will hopefully add it to future books in the series.

Do you have another book in the works? What can you tell us about that book?

Yes, I am working on the second book in the series Her Rocky Mountain Dog Trainer. This story has Shelly Cartwright as the fmc and Levi Kendrick as the mmc. Levi helped get Travis to safety after the bomb went off that caused Travis’ injuries. He is now out of the Army starting a dog training facility in Rifle. Shelly first meets him at Travis and Susan’s wedding but after he vanishes without a trace, she wants nothing to do with him.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?

I like to write about some of the harder parts of life. Real life is filled with hard times. Everyone has a story of misfortune so I mold my characters with.

The Wrap-Up

The afternoon is slipping away, so we have to draw the stories to an end. Thank you for joining us today!

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If readers would like to purchase a copy of your book, where might they be able to do so?

Amazon

If readers would like to learn about you or your other books, how might they find you online?

Website | Amazon | BookBub

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Question for Readers

*Answer in the Comments!

Do you prefer to read series or stand alone books?

Over Sunday Dinner next week author Ann Fryer will be joining us. See you then!

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