Interview & Book Giveaway with Author Trish Perry

A big welcome to a dear lady and great author, Trish Perry!

Q:  What was your inspiration for Unforgettable?

A:  When Summerside Press indicated an interest in working with me for their When I Fall in Love line, they gave me several song titles to choose from (each book’s title is the title of a popular song). I chose Unforgettable, because I’ve always loved Nat King Cole’s rendition. Of course, I’m a little sick of it now, after hearing it in my head every day for several months. But that’s an occupational hazard I can live with. The books in the When I Fall in Love line all focus on the time frame during which each song was released. I was born in the Fifties, so I was too young to truly experience the era, but history shows there was so much going on in that decade—especially in the early Fifties, not long after the war, when much was changing and building in our country and in the lives of young men and women. And ballroom dance was just starting to become nationally competitive, so I saw a fun romance possibility there.

Q:  Have you always wanted to be a writer?

A:  No! Or, rather, I didn’t think of myself that way until I was an adult. I dabbled here and there with silly little short stories when I was young, and I’ve always been a huge fan of fiction and film. It wasn’t until I went back to college as an adult that I realized how much I loved writing stories. It’s never too late if it’s something the Lord has planned for you!

Q:  How does your faith impact your writing?

A:  I wouldn’t be a writer if it weren’t for my faith. I know the Lord directed me to return to school in my adult years, and He was the one who lit the fire in me to switch my plans away from becoming a psychological counselor in order to write novels. I learned so much about creative writing in college, and then at classes and conferences elsewhere. Now I don’t even try to write a story before going to Him first. I honestly have a hard time answering that question, “Where do your ideas come from?” because half the time I can’t remember their beginnings. I think that’s because He puts the ideas in my mind while I’m not even trying. Not only does He bless me that way, but also He blesses me by allowing me to play a role in the lives of some of my readers. I don’t wrestle with the “message” of my stories, because I know He’s using whatever falls out of my imagination to touch a reader who needs to know how much He loves them. And He touches them in a way I couldn’t possibly plan.

Q:  Do you plot out your story ahead of time, or do you think it up as you go?
A:  I do quite a bit of character design before plotting, and then I get my basic plot planned. Then I write the first several chapters before filling in more of my plot. So my specific chapters are only plotted out about four chapters ahead of what I’m writing. I’m always on my way to a major plot point, but how I get to each one isn’t always set in stone before I start writing the book. I’ve always loved planning more than doing, so I have to write this way to keep from procrastinating with the actual writing. Otherwise, I’d plan until the Second Coming.

Q:  Do you treat yourself to something special when a project is completed?
A:  No, I treat myself to something special the entire time I’m working on a project! I spoil myself rotten. I mean, I spoil myself in little ways. Like, dinner is my reward for reaching my daily word count—otherwise, I’d break for dinner and find a reason not to come back and finish. I’m the proverbial donkey with a carrot in front of herself—that keeps me seated here at the computer, making progress. But I don’t set something special out there, like a new pair of shoes or a night at the movies with friends or a trip to Europe, which I’ll give myself when I finish a novel. Just finishing the project is a huge thrill and relief for me. I must admit, though, that a trip to Europe would probably be a bigger thrill—maybe I should rework my methods.

Q:  What’s the most important piece of advice you would give to a fledgling writer?
A:  I’m like a broken record with this, but it’s so important. If you feel led by God to write, start every day by going to Him and dedicating your writing efforts to Him. Then just do your best with the day you’re given. Write what you can, attempt what you can to find publication, and accept rejection as a part of the process. As long as you’re writing to honor Him, He will bless what you do. He won’t use rejection to tell you to give up. We all get turned down at some point in this business. But pay attention to your drive—do you feel joy in writing? Or is there something else that draws you more? If you feel drawn elsewhere, He’s probably guiding you there. If you feel joy in writing, He’s guiding you there. So write. Give it to Him. Be patient.

Q:  What do you think about writing contests? Have you participated in any? What’s the benefit to an unpublished writer?
A:  I’m a believer in the merits of writing contests. I still enter a few each year. I found my wonderful agent as a result of a writing contest, so, indirectly, I’m published because of a writing contest. And I know I’m not alone in that. For the unpublished writer, the best thing about entering contests is getting your writing in front of agents and editors who will read something of yours they might not have read otherwise. Once you’re published, it’s still a good idea, because it gets your book in front of more readers and might even lead to an accolade you can list on your book page. Every bit of promotion helps!

Q:  What does your family think about your crazy career?
A:  They’ve been wonderfully supportive and always express a lot of pride in my efforts. My daughter was already an adult by the time I started publishing, but my son has grown up around my writing, and I think our conversations influenced his choice to go into filmmaking in college. We talk a lot about story and character when we watch anything together.

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 don’t like the idea of print books becoming a thing of the past, ever. I love books—love to have them around, to hold them as part of the reading experience, and to share them with friends. But I think there are some rather exciting developments taking place in the industry because of e-books and the increasing availability of e-publishing. As someone who generally publishes romantic comedy, I like the idea that I might be able to e-publish something a little different, perhaps in an entirely different genre.

The drawback to self-publishing remains what it’s always been. Anyone with sufficient funds can self-publish anything, whether through print or e-book, whether well written or abysmally bad. And self-publishing an e-book is far less pricey than self-publishing a print book. So there will be much more junk out there. But I think the market will adjust to that. Both professional and everyday reader reviews will gain more value. Word-of-mouth will play a larger role in a book’s success. And untrained, mediocre authors who slapdash something together and e-publish it will get bad reputations quickly.

I do hope the publishing industry will make whatever adjustments they can to remain solvent. I love my personal library, and holding an electronic device with a file containing one’s labor of love? Just not the same.

Thanks for stopping by, Trish. It's always a pleasure!

If you'd like to read what Trish has to say about writing with humor, visit her guest post at Seekerville.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Award-winning novelist Trish Perry has published eight inspirational romances as well as two devotionals. Before her novels, Perry published numerous short stories, essays, devotions, and poetry in Christian and general market media. She has served as a columnist and as a newsletter editor over the years, as well as a 1980s stockbroker and a board member of the Capital Christian Writers organization in Washington, D.C. She serves on the Board of Directors of CCW and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. She holds a degree in Psychology.

Trish’s nostalgic romance novel, Unforgettable (Summerside Press), released in March and Tea for Two, Book Two in her Millicent’s Tea Shop series (Harvest House), released in April. She invites you to visit her at http://www.trishperry.com/

ABOUT THE BOOK
Rachel Stanhope tries to see the good in everyone. But even her good graces are challenged when she meets Josh Reegan outside her Arlington, Virginia dance studio on a brisk fall morning in 1951. Admittedly, he’s attractive, but she finds his cynicism and cockiness hard to tolerate.
A hard-news journalist and former World War II Air Force pilot, Josh considers distractions like ballroom dancing frivolous wastes of time. He has yet to shed his wartime drive to defend good against evil whenever he can. Yes, Rachel’s confident nature is a refreshing challenge, but he wouldn’t tangle with her if his newspaper hadn’t roped him into covering one of her studio’s competitions in New York City.

Between Arlington and New York, between the melodrama of ballroom antics and the real drama of political corruption, between family involvement and romantic entanglement, Rachel and Josh have their hands full. The last thing either of them expects is mutual need and support. But once they stop dancing around the truth, the results are unforgettable.


WIN THE BOOK
If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Unforgettable, just leave a comment on this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on Tuesday, July 12th. (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!

Meet Trish Perry - Interview & Book Giveaway

It’s my great pleasure to present author Trish Perry. I met Trish last year at the ACFW conference in Dallas when we were in the shuttle bus on the way back to the airport. So, we just barely met, but she made a great impression on me. You can be sure this year I’m going to hunt her down before it’s time to go home!



THE BIO

The author of Beach Dreams (2008), Trish Perry lives in Northern Virginia with her hilarious teenaged son. She discovered her love of writing while earning a degree in Psychology. She switched career paths in 1997 and never looked back. Her debut novel, The Guy I'm Not Dating, placed second in the 2007 FHL Inspirational Readers’ Choice Contest, and her second novel, Too Good to Be True, is a current finalist in the 2008 FHL IRCC. To learn more about Trish and her novels, visit her web site: www.trishperry.com

THE INTERVIEW

JA: Your latest book is Beach Dreams. Please tell us about it.
TP: Beach Dreams involves two of the characters from my past novels. Tiffany LeBoeuf was the bad girl up until the end of the second book (Too Good to Be True), and even then, she just squeaked by—barely accepted The Truth before The End! Jeremy Beckett is a delightfully charming hunk from England who constantly seeks Ms. Right in all the wrong places. I just love the guy, and I get comments from plenty of women who want to come to Northern Virginia and find him, LOL! Circumstances throw these unlikely romantic leads together in Beach Dreams, and it’s fun watching their relationship grow from dislike to friendship to romance. Complicating matters are both of their fathers and Jeremy’s dishonest girlfriend, each of whom have secrets that are revealed at the beach house.

JA: Your heroine, Tiffany, has gone through a lot of upheaval in her life. What’s the hardest, or easiest, thing about putting your characters in heart-wrenching situations?
TP: There’s that balance you want to achieve in a Christian character, between the sinner she will always be and the believer who has given her life to the Lord. With a new Christian like Tiffany, it’s not quite as difficult, because she can get away with being truly rough around the spiritual edges without turning the reader off. But some readers want their Christian characters perfect, while other readers feel Christian characters aren’t imperfect enough. The opinion is very subjective, and the best we writers can hope for is to write the characters the way we feel the Lord leads us to. What I always liked about writing Tiffany was that it didn’t take much to show why she turned out as she did, prior to her acceptance of Christ. I’d like to write unlikeable characters more often (or what readers might consider unlikeable). I find them interesting.

JA: Originally, you intended for this book to be set in Northern Virginia. How did the location switch to San Diego?
TP: The crux of the story was that it had to involve Tiffany and Jeremy. Because my first two books took place in Northern Virginia, I was going to keep Tiff and Jeremy’s story there, and that’s how I started writing it. But when Harvest House asked if I would write the book under The Beach House Series—which always takes place at the same beach house in San Diego—I needed to get our hero and heroine to the other side of the country! Since they weren’t even friends, let alone married, I certainly couldn’t have them staying together at the beach house. So the entire plot changed, and I really loved what happened with it.

JA: What do you hope people take away after reading Beach Dreams?
TP: First off, I hope they’re entertained. I try to work the way the Lord wants me to, but I think he likes us to be entertained on occasion. Why else would he have created dogs to chase their tails or babies to giggle over absolutely nothing?

That said, as I told the story, I found my characters learning a few things along the way. Situations aren’t always as they appear, for one, and we can be fooled or we can misjudge others if we don’t constantly seek God’s wisdom and guidance. And sometimes we can miss out on His blessings if we fail to see situations as He means us to.

Another thing I felt from the characters is how difficult it can be when a believer is drawn romantically to a nonbeliever. I’ve touched on the subject before, but in Beach Dreams, the nonbeliever is someone who feels almost real to me (and many readers) at this point. I feel a renewed empathy for Christians in these circumstances. Again, God’s guidance and strength are so important.

JA: What’s next for you in the writing arena?
TP: This isn’t definite yet, but there’s a chance I’ll write the next book in The Beach House series. If I do, it will involve an entirely new set of characters. They’re already in my head, bulking up for the adventure. I’m eager to hang out with them!

JA: You have a degree in Psychology. Have you found that helpful when it comes to writing fiction?
TP: Really helpful. With only a bachelors, I’m certainly not qualified to do anything but armchair analyzing, which is as proficient as armchair anything. But I’ve definitely been molded to look beneath the surface of one’s behaviors and choices. And I can often anticipate how a person’s behaviors or words might play upon another person over the years. So, my degree has been excellent training in character development.

JA: Is there something people would be surprised to know about you?
TP: Hmm. I have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, how about that? It’s been several years since I’ve practiced the sport (or anything all that physically taxing, to be frank), but I used to know how to break a man’s neck with my bare hands. At least that’s what they told me—I never actually tried it. Honest.

JA: If money and time were non-issues, what’s your idea of the perfect vacation?
TP: I’d love to slowly travel Europe. If you’ve read Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, you know the first third of her memoir involves her living in Italy, virtually eating her way through the country. I’d like to do that through all of Europe. Now, will you just take a look at the difference between this answer and the one directly above it? The difference between these two frames of mind is SO evident in my waistline. You said money and time were non-issues, and I guess I’d also like weight gain to also be a non-issue, as long as we’re fantasizing.

JA: Here, here! I hereby decree weight gain a non-issue! (If only it were that easy.) Last but not least, how can people keep up with your latest publishing news?
TP: I’ll make a point of posting about such things on my blog, which is on the first page of my web site (www.trishperry.com) I love visitors! I’ve started interviewing other authors and hosting book giveaways each week, too.

Thanks for the interview, Jennifer! It’s been fun.

Thanks for spending some time with us, Trish. Now that I know about your Tae Kwon Do training, I’ll be sure not to sneak up on you in Minneapolis. May God continue to bless your writing journey!

JEN’S REVIEW

With a title like Beach Dreams you’d expect this to be the perfect book to take with you for a day of lounging in the sun. And it is. But really, it’s perfect to read anytime. Full of wonderfully flawed, real characters, Beach Dreams is as satisfying as a hunk of watermelon on a scorching summer day… or a cup of cocoa during a snow storm.

One of my favorite things about this book is how the people relate to each other in completely believable ways. There’s a time-honored tradition in romantic fiction of using misunderstandings and miscommunication to keep the hero and heroine apart. Problem is, it’s used so often it usually comes off as an old and tired contrivance. Three cheers for Trish Perry for not taking the easy way out! Yes, a misunderstanding is what brings our eclectic cast of character together at the beach house, and it’s set up beautifully. But as the story progresses and opportunities for misunderstandings arise, the characters do something amazing; they talk to each other! Rather than jump to conclusions, they think things through. What a refreshing concept!

As for romantic male leads, you’d be hard pressed to find one more appealing than Jeremy Beckett. Suave, sweet and self-effacing, I found him sounding like Hugh Grant in my head, especially during a scene at a boardwalk amusement area.

If you’re looking for a fun love story with a strong moral center and a hunky leading man, check out Beach Dreams. You won’t be sorry!

WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Beach Dreams just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on August 4th. 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!