Instead of interviewing another author today, I’m going to share a little bit about myself and the inspiration behind Angelica’s Christmas Wish.

I grew up on a farm in Michigan with four siblings. I have a huge extended family. My dad was one of twelve children. There are around 300 descendants among them. We were close to the families of both my parents and spent a lot of time with them.

My parents were faithful servants of the Lord and took us to church every time the doors were opened. I became a Christian at youth camp when I was 10 years old.

I wrote stories in high school and let my friends and teachers read them. I was encouraged to keep writing. When I went away to college, though, I left my days of fiction-writing behind.

I attended a small Christian college and studied journalism and Spanish. I spent some time studying in Mexico. When I returned home, I had enough knowledge of the language to get a job as receptionist to a bilingual attorney. That led into a career as a legal secretary.

In 1989, I met the man of my dreams and had my fairy tale wedding in 1990. I settled into life with my husband in a small village 5 miles from where I grew up. After our children were born, I started fiction writing again. Through the years, I wrote several novels and attempted to get them published.

Last June, I read a twitter post from Anaiah Press that said they were accepting submissions for Christmas novellas. If I submitted it before the end of June, they would give feedback. I had one started, so I finished it and sent it in.

I was looking forward to getting some feedback. I was shocked when the editor asked to see the whole manuscript, and thrilled when they sent me a contract. Getting published has been a dream of mine for a lot of years, and I am excited to be working with Anaiah Press.

The following are some of the questions I’ve been asked. I hope my answers will give you an inside look at my novella as well as who I am.

What is the inspiration behind Angelica’s Christmas Wish?

I kept envisioning a scene where a child was in danger and a woman sprinted in front of the car and pushed the child out of the way. The woman ended up in the hospital and no one knew who she was. It took me some time to figure out how that could happen in the age of social media. Once I came up with the solution, the story came quite easily.

Were there any surprises that came up as you wrote your story?

The mother-in-law, Geneva, became more important than I had originally intended. Her personality quirks made her a fun character to write.

Are you a plotter or a panster?

Definitely a panster. When I have a story in mind, I sit down and write whatever comes out of my head. When I am a few chapters in, I do make up a timeline to keep track of everything. So maybe I’m a bit of a plotter, too.

Are you a night owl or a morning person?

I used to be a night owl. I would stay up after everyone else was asleep and write until the early hours of the morning. In the past few years, I’ve become a morning person. That started because of my pets, who think 4:00 a.m. is a good feeding time. Now I like my early mornings.

Do you have a favorite author or book?

Lauraine Snelling is my favorite Christian author. I love her Red River of the North series, and have read it over and over. I’m also a Grace Livingston Hill fan. I started reading her books from my mom’s bookshelf when I was a a teenager. I now have one hundred GLH books in my own collection. I have most of them memorized from reading them so much.

What book or author has inspired you the most?

A Lantern in her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich. It’s fiction, but the details are so authentic that it feels like you are reading history.

Who was the first person you allowed to read Angelica’s Christmas Wish?

Since the time frame was short, I sent the completed story directly to my editor, Kara Leigh Miller, before anyone else read it.

Do you reward yourself when a book is finished? If so, what is your favorite treat?

I used to reward myself with cake. Now I buy a package of my favorite coffee, fresh ground at the coffee shop.

How has God used your gift to help you grow?

My husband passed away unexpectedly in 2010. Keeping my faith in God and his goodness has been hard at times. In Angelica’s Christmas Wish, the hero is widowed and has let his faith slip away. Helping Mark find his way back to the Lord was cathartic for me.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

I would travel to Arizona to visit my mom’s relatives there. I’ve never met them, but they’ve become special to me and supportive of my writing. I’d like to meet them face-to-face someday.

What’s next for you as an author?

I have a contemporary Christian romance, The Reluctant Billionaire, coming out in November. I also have a couple of other stories that I am working on.

Angelica’s Christmas Wish is free on Amazon TODAY.

My novella, Angelica’s Christmas Wish, is free on Amazon 5/8-5/12.

On Saturday, May 9, I will be hosting the Anaiah Press Spring Fling on the Friends of Anaiah Press Facebook Group. Since my novella is a Christmas story, I thought it would be a great time to host a Virtual Christmas Party. I know it’s only May, but what a great way to bust through the boredom and stress of the past few weeks!

You can follow this link and join the group. That will give you access to all the posts from myself and other authors in the coming weeks. https://www.facebook.com/groups/AnaiahPressNews/

Join me today, Saturday May 9. We’ll share Christmas memories and talk about my novella. There will be prizes!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

My novella, Angelica’s Christmas Wish, is free today through Tuesday 5/12. I invite you to join me for a Virtual Christmas Party on the Friends of Anaiah Press Facebook page tomorrow, May 9. I’ll be talking about my book, sharing childhood memories and giving away prizes.

To join the party, follow this link to the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AnaiahPressNews/

The party is from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hope to see you there!

Here is the link to Amazon for the free novella:

Today my guest is Penelope Powell, author of The Glen Oak Series. She is here to talk about the third book in her series, Together for Good.

Penelope, I’ve read the first two books in your series, and I’ve found your characters to be very authentic in their struggles. I’m looking forward to learning more about the third book and the inspiration behind it.

Let’s start by telling us a little bit about yourself.

I was born and raised in Tennessee, but moved away as a young adult, and I lived in different states and countries. I count that opportunity as a great experience. I was a closet writer until about a decade ago when I opened a partially written book on my computer and finished it. The title of that book was A Furrow So Deep.

What is your book about?

Together for Good is about God bringing good out of difficult events and trials. From the time tragedy touched Laney Spence’s life as a girl, she’s harbored a crush on her big brother’s best friend, Matthew. Years later, they come together under similar circumstances, but is it enough to keep them together for good?  

What is the inspiration behind your story?

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Romans 8:28. I think one of the hardest prayers and testing of trust comes when we are in the midst of difficult circumstances and we must choose to cling to the promise that God will work through it for our good.

What book do you wish you would have written?

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers based on the book of Hosea. It was inspiring from the standpoint of showing unconditional love. I would love to write a similar book that portrays the love God has for Israel though the people often fell into sin.

Were there any surprises that came up as you wrote your story?

One disconcerting surprise was how long it took to finish this story. I just couldn’t seem to pull it together. I spent more time self-editing what I’d already written rather than writing new chapters.

Who was your favorite character to create?

So far my favorite has been Dean Anderson in A Furrow so Deep. He feels real in that his flaws are the most common. I know people like Dean. In many ways, I am Dean: emotional, sometimes selfish, and insecure. What I love most about his character is the pivotal moment with God, and surrendering to Him. I still cry when I read it.

Are you part of a writing group?

I haven’t done this yet, but I know I need to, because I know I would learn a lot from others. It’s absolutely on my list.

Who was the first person you allowed to read your completed book?

For Together for Good, a good friend read the first draft. She’s the only one outside of Anaiah Press to read it. The first draft of the first manuscript I completed was read by my mother. She is the one who encouraged me to seek out a publisher.

Share your favorite excerpt from Together for Good:

This is one of my favorite parts. It’s taken from Laney and Matthew’s first conversation after many years:

“That’s it!” Matthew snapped his fingers then pointed at her. “That’s what’s different. You’ve cut off all your hair.”

“I didn’t cut it all off.” Laney touched the back of it and frowned, as if he’d insulted her. “It’s just short.”

Actually thinking the style was complimentary, he tugged on the strands she’d been trying to tuck away. “Very short.”

Laughing, she knocked his hand away. “Stop.”

Scanning down to her heeled feet again, he shook his head. “You look…so different.”

A small tuck formed between her brows. “Thanks?”

He averted his gaze to the people coming and going around them. “I meant it as a compliment,” he admitted, swinging his attention back to her. “I think you’ve forgotten your nickname.” He leaned forward. “Button.” Matthew was smart enough to not mention the knobby knees and skinny arms he remembered.

“That’s because of what your mom said.”

“I remember my mom shaking her head, saying you were cute as a button because of something you’d say or do.” He also remembered she was funny and energetic, and the main reason Matthew had high-jacked his mom’s observation into a nickname. “The nickname suited you.”

Laney cocked a brow, giving him a saucy smirk. “So, you thought I was cute?”

Finding her response mildly fascinating, he laughed. “Out of everything I said, that’s the only thing you heard?”

Where can readers find you online?

My website is www.penelopepowell.com   Anyone can follow me on Facebook, and Twitter, and I have profile pages on Amazon, Bookbub, goodreads, and Pinterest.

Together for Good will be released on November 10, 2020.

You can find the first two books in the series, as well as Penelope’s Christmas novella, on Amazon.

My novella, Angelica’s Christmas Wish, is free on Amazon Kindle 5/8-5/12. To celebrate the occasion, I will be hosting the Anaiah Press Spring Fling on Saturday, May 9. I invite you to join me that day for a Virtual Christmas party.

Doesn’t sound right, does it? A Christmas party in the Spring? But what a great way to beat the boredom and stress of the past few weeks!

We’ll be talking about my book, sharing Christmas memories and playing games. There will be prizes!

So this coming Saturday, tune out the world news, grab a cup of your favorite coffee or tea, and a plate of cookies. Pick up your phone or sit down at your computer and join me beginning at 9 a.m. for a Virtual Christmas party.

Follow this link to join the Friends of Anaiah Press Facebook group and participate: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AnaiahPressNews/

You’ll want to pick up a copy of Angelica’s Christmas Wish while it’s free!