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!

I retired in 2016 and began writing Christian fiction books. I have several books for adults, but I have recently gravitated toward writing middle-grade Christian fiction. With a background in education, the exciting part of writing for me is research! For example, in writing The Underground Book Readers series, I have been researching world history, Bible history, and Bible stories. The teens learn about farming, harvesting, canning, and cooking in the series. Part of my research included traveling to the Blue Ridge Mountains and touring the underground caverns.

Contemporary or Historical

Lots of Romance or No Romance

Lots of Danger or No Danger

Stand Alone or Series

Short Books or Long Books

What is something interesting readers would enjoy learning about you?

I enjoy taking photographs of nature and pairing those with Scripture and devotionals on my social media and blog posts.

Can you tell us about your latest novel?

In book six, Defiance Passage, The Underground Book Readers continue their quest to the free land. Traveling through the thick woods of the mountains in Virginia, they follow the rivers running through the valleys below. Stormy skies and cooler weather challenge their travel. Each day they risk being discovered by World Force soldiers and others lurking in the forest. Along the way, they discover mysterious people and new places they didn’t expect to visit. Did Kahn, Leena, and the group make a wrong turn? Are they lost? Will they escape the World Force and find the free land? Follow the adventures of The Underground Book Readers, who are determined to find a territory free of the control of the World Force.

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

The futuristic Orwellian middle-grade book series begins in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and the caverns there.

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

The series is set in the caverns of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and I visited the mountains, caverns, and small towns as part of my research.

What research was required to set a book there?

It was necessary to study the natural caverns, forests, valleys, vistas, hike through the area, and tour the towns. I used the resources available for each of the parks I visited.

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

Leena, one of the young main characters, finds other young teens and hides within the caverns where forbidden books are kept. She travels from her hidden mountain home to the food rations line in town and then to the cavern to meet with her friends and study and read. She must watch for drones and soldiers of the World Force military that has taken over most of the United States.

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

I use a cultural Bible study book, an archeology Bible study book, Jon Courson’s commentary, and some of the contemporary and classic books such as Diary of Anne Frank and the Left Behind series.

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

I interviewed several local community and school librarians about the current movement to allow books that are inappropriate for young children and Christian and conservative books that are being banned in many libraries. These librarians inspired the series.

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

Book seven of the series is my next book and will be the final book of the series. I have just begun working on this book. The teens travel through Tennessee and will reach their destination of the free land.

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

Middle-grade readers are wonderful for teaching children about history and the Bible through action-adventures. I am preparing a teacher’s guide and student exercises to accompany The Underground Book Readers series. It will be great for parents, homeschoolers, and church schools to add to their curriculum. This series reinforces the ideas of freedom of religion and freedom to learn important skills and knowledge.