What is something interesting readers would enjoy learning about you?

Something few of my readers know is that I truly enjoy DIY projects. In an early season of life, I refinished a different piece of furniture about every month. In the last two years, I sanded, stained, and finished all the new woodwork in our house. Right now, I just settle for making my own laundry soap and dryer sheets, my own vinegar from our apples, my own faux-Thieves cleaner, and try to keep up with canning. I do a LOT of canning (and dehydrating)!

What was the inspiration behind your story?

My brand is “Heart of History” which leads me to places and times in America that are not general knowledge.

I am a former high school history teacher, so, of course, I love history. And I am pretty sure I was born 100 years too late! My favorite Christian Historical novels always seemed to be set during the Civil War. I knew I wanted to write a Civil War story, so months of research took me to the most contested piece of real-estate during that time—western Virginia. Once I found the where, a story line developed from my research.

I have always wondered what it would be like to be a normal farm family caught right smack dab in the middle of that conflict. There were many families who experienced just that, thus When the Mountains Wept became a seedling. The pieces fell quickly into place for the West Virginia: Born of Rebellion’s Storm series because history itself wrote much of my story. Actual events inspired practically every chapter, and my mind filled in the rest.

What encouragement do you hope readers will take away from your story?

Each of my books has a definite theme or two. In When the Mountains Wept, I hope readers will discover two things: Without forgiving others, we are bitter, and it is impossible to yield to what God wants for our lives.

Secondly—a lesson I struggle with myself—God has great plans for our lives, but they may not be exactly what we expect. We do not have God figured out, but He has us figured out and knows precisely what is best for us—and He wants the best for us. Always.

Book two, When Heaven Thunders, is about the struggles we face to “fight the good fight” even when there is no right choice available. This book is also about not assuming the worst or giving up on your dreams, regardless of how dark everything appears. I hope readers will relate to the struggles in all my novels on a personal level. And I hope those struggles will lead to meaningful conversations with God among the learning, laughter, and tears throughout the story.

No matter what we face, we can take heart, for Jesus has overcome the world!