Interview and Giveaway with Author Rose McCauley

It's a great pleasure to welcome back my dear friend (and debut author!) Rose McCauley.

Q:  What was your inspiration for Christmas Belles of Georgia?
A:  Jeanie Smith Cash came up with the idea and graciously asked me to join her and Debra Ullrick and Jeri Odell.

Q:  Have you always wanted to be a writer?
A:  Yes, I have written since a young child, but only started pursuing publication about 10 years ago.

Q:  How do you come up with your story ideas?
A:  Many different ways—something I see or hear or read about, or sometimes I come up a character first and then write a story about them.

Q:  How does your faith impact your writing?
A:  Like life, I think our faith should impact everything we do. I like to put my characters in situations that cause them to reach out to God for help or insight.

Q:  How long does it take you to complete a novel?
A:  Since this was a novella (20,000 words) I was able to write it in a month. How many drafts do you go through? After the initial writing, I sent it to 3 crit partners who gave me some suggestions, then I sent it to the other three authors in the collection for their suggestions, then made a few more and sent it in, so this book went through 4 minor drafts. I have a longer novel (over 80,000 words) that has gone through several drafts!)

Q:  Do you plot out your story ahead of time, or do you think it up as you go?
A:  Since Barbour requires a complete synopsis of the whole book, this story was well plotted out before I started, making the writing go faster, but there were still minor changes as I went. The first story I wrote I just started with my characters and took them on a journey, but that story took much longer to write and is not published! One of the things I learned from that experience is to have more structure before I start, but to still allow myself and my characters to change direction if needed to make it a more compelling story.

Q:  After becoming a published author, what surprised you the most?
A:  How much hard work still remained to market the book.

Q:  What’s the most important piece of advice you would give to a fledgling writer? 
A:  Keep studying the craft of writing, keep reading and keep writing.

Q:  If you weren’t a writer, what would you be doing?
A:  Since I already had a career of 27 years of teaching, I am enjoying writing as my second career!

Q:  What does your family think about your crazy career?
A:  They are all very proud and supportive, and my husband has washed a lot of dishes in the past few years!

Q:  There’s been a lot said about the future of publishing and the possible death of the print book. What’s your take on eBooks, self-publishing, and such?
A:  I do not have a kindle, but my daughter and granddaughter do and love them. I have downloaded several books to my computer kindle but have not completed one yet! I still love to hold a book in my hands and I love to share my books with others, so will keep buying printed books.

Scenario: You’re about to be dropped off on a deserted island. You can take along one survival item, one book, and one person (living or dead… but they’ll be alive on the island). What and who do you take?
A:  I am very practical. I would take a blow-up mattress, a Bible, and my hubby. He is the McGyver-type, so he could build anything we needed!

Thanks for hosting me, Jen. This was a fun interview!

And thanks for joining us, Rose. I'm so happy for your success!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rose McCauley
Rose has been writing for over ten years and has been published in several non-fiction anthologies and devotionals. She is happy for this to be her first fiction anthology because Christmas books are her favorites. A retired schoolteacher who has been happily married to her college sweetheart for 41 years, she is also mother to three grown children and their spouses and grandmother to three lovely, lively kids! You can reach her through her website http://www.rosemccauley.com/ or blogsite at http://www.rosemccauley.blogspot.com/

ABOUT THE BOOK: Nick’s Christmas Carol in Christmas Belles of Georgia

“God sets the lonely in families…” Psalm 68:6

Nick Powers worked hard to earn his college degree and his dream job. He doesn’t know what to expect when he finds out new owners will be taking over Bellingham Plantation soon. When Carol Wells comes to town, she and Nick get off to a rocky start, but soon combine forces to make Christmas a happier time for others. Can they find their own Christmas happiness?

WIN THE BOOK
If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Christmas Belles of Georgia, just leave a comment on this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on Friday, October 14th. (NOTE: This time round, US addresses only. Thanks.) Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!