Inspy Romance

Inspy Romance—Fall in Love With a Good Book

Getting to Know Us, Day 1

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Balloons

Welcome to InspyRomance!!!

This is it! Opening day!

(For those of you who stopped by earlier, comments are FIXED! YAY!)

I’m Carol Moncado, your hostess for the rest of the week. FYI, I tend to use lots of exclamation marks! You’ve been warned!

Here at InspyRomance, we have over two dozen authors: traditionally published with large publishers, small publishers, and everywhere in between; self-published; hybrid (those who do a bit of both); and yet-to-be-published (I fall into that last category, in case you were wondering ;)). You can find out who we are by visiting the Author tab on our website – or clicking here. We’re also on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest and we’d love a “follow” or a “like” on those, because…

Photo from freedigitalphotos.net by stockimages

Photo from freedigitalphotos.net by stockimages

We’re here to connect with you, our readers! We want to get to know you and talk about what it is we all love about contemporary inspirational romance. We have a lovely lakeside mountain resort (pictures to come) with all the amenities you could ever hope for or dream up (literally!), so make plans to join us as we explore the area.

I don’t know about you, but I’m cold! So, come on in, pull up a chair by the fire, grab a cup of hot cocoa (or coffee, we have a fully stocked café), and sit a spell! The snow is falling gently outside, but we’re snug inside, and having an old fashioned “get to know you” session!

Photo from freedigitalphotos.net by artur84

Photo from freedigitalphotos.net by artur84

For the next three days, we’ll be answering questions about ourselves, as people, as authors, and as readers. And the next for days you can be entered to win… wait for it. You guessed it! BOOKS! Check out the Rafflecopter at the end of the post for how to enter – you can get up to 19 total entries!

Winners will be announced in the Sunday post, same as we’ll do each week.

So without further ado…

We asked all of our authors a dozen questions and picked a sampling of the answers. Some of the others will appear in those Sunday posts in coming weeks so be sure to check back!

Who is your favorite fictional hero – regardless of genre?

Though Beth Vogt may have said it best (How do you pick a favorite fictional hero?), we gave it our best shot! Here’s some of the answers our ladies came up with:

JoAnn Durgin:  Hands down, Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Strong, great father, decisive, articulate, intelligent, handsome (and love those glasses!)

Redeeming Love 20thKrista Phillips: Michael Hosea from Redeeming Love. Love that guy. Not only did he have to do something completely crazy by marrying a prostitute… He also had to deny himself his own marital rights in order to show her that she was worthy to be loved for more than just physical pleasure. He showed her how real love can be.

Incidentally, Stacy Monson and Jennifer Slattery chose Michael Hosea as well.

Elizabeth Maddrey: Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings

Cathy Bryant: I have lots, but Gilbert from the Anne of Green Gables stories and Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre come to mind. (And who doesn’t love the Hardy Boys and Kermit the Frog?) :)

Are you a city girl or a country girl? Does this reflect in your stories?

Photo from freedigitalphotos.net, by franky242

Photo from freedigitalphotos.net, by franky242

Kristen Ethridge: I was raised in the suburbs of Houston, Texas. I’m more of a suburban girl. My husband is from a dot on the map where there are more cows than people, though. Yes, I think this does reflect more in my stories—although I definitely would write a country story if the right one came to me.

Lynette Sowell: I’m a town girl, mostly. I do love the city and its energy and the diversity of people; I also love the back roads, the ones less traveled, and the quiet of the country. I’ve written stories in a wide range of settings, from New York City to rural Tennessee.

Photo from freedigitalphotos.net, by Damian Brandon

Photo from freedigitalphotos.net, by Damian Brandon

Valerie Comer: Country girl, through and through. I write farm settings.

Narelle Atkins: I’m a city girl, born and raised in Sydney, Australia. I explore the differences between city and country living in a couple of my stories   including my debut book, Falling for the Farmer. Kate is a city girl and runaway bride who ends up living and working on an apple farm with Jack, the hero in the story. I draw on my real life experiences from visiting apple orchards owned by my husband’s family.

We’re all here because we love contemporary inspirational romance, but if you could live anywhere, anytime, where would it be?

photo from freedigitalphotos.net, by adamr

photo from freedigitalphotos.net, by adamr

Jennifer Slattery: Now, for sure! I love reading historicals but I love my microwave, my automobile, and modern medicine! And my kindle, of course.

Lorraine Beatty:  I think I’d like to live in the early 1900s. My grandmother grew up during that time and she told me often about the rapid changes the culture went through.  I also love the slow elegant look of the period. Think, Pollyanna. So peaceful and pretty.

FlapperMelissa Tagg: Have to say, I love life right here and now. But if I could spend time in a different time period, I think it’d be sweet to go back to the 1920s. Being a woman at that time in history would be so interesting–finally getting to vote, new career or life opportunities opening up, flapper dresses. :)

Carol Moncado: Part of me would like to go back to live in one of Mary Connealy’s books. The rest of me reminds that part I can read them. That part also likes air conditioning and central heating. And cars. And electricity. And internet. And cell phones. And spell-check. And… Well, you get the .jpg. [And when jpegs are a thing.]

What’s the worst predicament you’ve ever put a hero or heroine in (published or unpublished)?

Police CarCathy Bryant: Grace Soldano in The Way of Grace gets arrested for breaking and entering.

Lisa Jordan: In my second novel, Lakeside Family, my heroine’s daughter was dying from leukemia and needed a stem cell transplant in order to live. Josie (my heroine) had to face the one man she never wanted to see again–her daughter’s father who broke her heart, but didn’t realize he had a child.

Pepper Basham: A sinking ocean liner and a baby dying. Both equally heartwrenching

Photo from freedigitalphotos.net, by think4photop

Photo from freedigitalphotos.net, by think4photop

Lynette Sowell: Tied up in a burning house! That one kind of surprised me. But she did survive, of course. :)

Kristen Ethridge: I made my heroine in Gorilla Dating (releasing later this year) go on my worst date ever. It’s a literal retelling of this date. Everything that happens to Kate happened to me. I honestly thought about jumping out of the car on Mopac (a freeway in Austin, Texas) because I thought the guy was insane and I just wanted to get out of there.

What about you?! How would you answer those questions? Remember, up to four comments a day gets you entered in the drawing for BOOKS!!! Be sure to fill out the Rafflecopter to enter!

Come back tomorrow to see what questions go with the following answers – and who said them!

  • I am completely sidestepping this one – I love them all.
  • Yanni
  • You’re about two seconds shy of getting your backside loaded with buckshot

Thank you for stopping by! We’d love to see you again!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Carol Moncado (154 Posts)

When she's not writing about her imaginary friends, Carol Moncado is hanging out with her husband and four kids in the big yard of their southwest Missouri home, teaching American Government at a community college, reading, or watching NCIS. She's a member of ACFW and RWA, President and founding member for the MozArks ACFW group, and a category coordinator for ACFW's First Impressions.


Comments

  1. Testing?! So sorry comments were turned off, everyone! Not sure how that happened, but it looks like we got it fixed! Oy!!! We’d love to hear from you!

  2. All right! Now that that’s fixed… I’d planned to hang out with y’all all day but… Turns out I’m teaching kindergarten instead ;). I’ll be in and out – but I can’t wait to hear YOUR answers to those questions!

  3. Okay, so I’m trying this our, Carol! Great post, btw. It’s SO hard to pick a favorite hero. But I’m totally with Lorraine of time period living! Early 1900s. Yep.

  5. It looks like moderation is on and well have to wait for val to turn it off. Back to color time!!

  10. Grew up City girl, married a country bumpkin and lived in country for 30 years and now I am enjoying city life again. Fun to read your blog!

  11. Well this blog already has a bunch of my favorite writing peeps so I know it will be fantastic. Enjoyed reading all your answers for favorite hero.

  19. Had to laugh when I ready your comment, Holly. I’m the exact opposite as the country bumpkin married to a city boy. I managed to keep him in the country for around thirty years, now we’re back in his home city (at least for his work; I did manage to convince him to live in the country outside the city)! :)

  22. I’m a city girl even though I grew up in the country. I enjoy inspy romance books and pretty much ALL other books to be from a different time period than this because I like to be swept away to a different place. Somewhere that I’m not going to see just going to walmart everyday lol. I think my favorite heroes are Harry Potter (I love that series so much!) & Elizabeth (known as Bess) from Liz Curtis Higgs “Here Burns My Candle” and “Mine is the Night” :) Cute article & giveaway! Thanks!

  23. Yay for the site going live today! I loved reading everyone’s answers. I must say some of the perilous situations some of you writers have put your characters in…ouch!!

  24. Look forward to seeing what the blog has coming up. I am a suburbs girl and my hero is Dinah from “Love Amid The Ashes” by Mesu Andrews.

  26. Yay! Excited to see our first post on the blog! Carol, I’ll skip sitting by the cosy fire because we’re in the middle of a heat wave. The temp will drop below 100 next Tuesday, just in time for my kids to go back to school after the long summer break :)

  31. I’m not sure I could live without my computer. So I would definitely choose to stay in current times. But I would love to take a trip back into the 50s and 60s.

  32. My favorite hero would be Mr. Darcy from Pride & Prejudice. Part of that may be because he was my first fictional hero. But I’m all grown up now and still enjoy him, so. . . =)

  33. Since I’m a reader I haven’t every put a fictional character into a predicament, but I tend to be a klutz, both physically and verbally. So if I ever wrote a book I might use some things from my own experiences.

  34. Nice post. to answer a couple of questions, I read a book by Lori Wick one of the California series. I fell in love with Marshall Grigg I so identified with him and after over 20 years more like 25 I still always go back to him when I think of a hero in a book.
    I am a country girl. I dont want to live on a farm but would much rather live in a country town. mine has around 5,000 people. The city is fine to visit but would never want to live there.

  35. Congratulations to you all for this new enterprise. Enjoyed reading the responses to those questions. One day my Mum and Dad said they were buying a house in the city and working our farm while living there. I remember my three siblings and I crying out “we don’t want to be city-slickers.” Well, we found there was very much to commend it. I could live at home when nursing at the hospital. We could be involved with everything on at a church, visit the cinema and many other benefits. I wouldn’t like to live on that old black soil farm again, even married a Sydney city-slicker. However, I still love that country and enjoy visiting family out there still. And where did I set my first inspirational romance books? Why, on those black soil plains of the Darling Downs in Queensland of course!

  37. Glad I’m getting in on the ground floor of your new endeavor. Looking forward to continuing following.

    Enjoyed today’s questions and answers. I guess I’m basically a small town girl — have lived in Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, and Sacramento , but don’t think any of them really qualify for BIG city. Many of the places we’ve lived could almost be rural — but still in towns, not out in the country.
    Don’t know that I have a favorite fictional hero — generally it’s whoever I’m reading about at the time.
    I like my modern conveniences so don’t think I’d want to live too much in the past. I used to say I wanted to live when and where long dresses were worn – i.e. 1800’s, west US – but not so much anymore — too hard!

  38. Faithful Acres Homestead, I’ve only read a two Amish fiction novels, but I enjoyed them. Do you have a favorite? I’m not hugely surprised you’re a country girl, considering your name. :) Do you live on acreage? When I was a girl, we had six acres in the country, uncut. I loved hiking to the top of property. We had dairy farms bordering two sides of the property, so it felt like you could see forever.

  39. Cathy and Holly, that’s too funny! Holly, do you have a preference? We live in an in-between, small enough to feel quant and homey but close enough to the city to get enjoy the zoo. :)

  40. I’m ashamed to say, I’ve never read a Liz Curtis Higgs’ book! And I say I’m ashamed to say that because I’ve heard her speak, and wowzers, that woman is amazing and has such a beautiful heart for God! Thinking I’m past due for an Amazon visit. :)

  43. A time machine would be fun, wouldn’t it? We could pop back in time long enough to go to a ball or dance then come back home when we wanted air conditioning or to check our emails. :)

  49. Holy cow, what a site! I love it!!! So impressed, you go girls! :) And my fav hero ever… its a toss up. Love Levi Grant from TO WIN HER HEART and Drew from A BRIDE MOST BEGRUDGING. *swoon* But seriously, when I really think about it there are too many good ones to really narrow it down. Hugs all around! :)

  50. Congratulations! What a great start, girls. :) ‘Getting To Know You Day’ was loads of fun!

    I’m with Narelle. Too hot for a fire. Feels like the sun is knocking on our door here in Australia. We’re in the middle of heatwave #2 with more promised.

    Favourite hero…? Can’t get my current WIP’s hero, Shadrach Jones, out of my head. Anyone know the actor Daniel McPherson? Looks a little like him. :)

  51. Jenny, wow, I haven’t read the Lori Wick book you mentioned but Marshall Grigg must be a great hero because you remember him, and his full name, years later :)

  55. Its the story of Job – very well done – it gave me such a rich mental picture of what Jobs life must have been like. I find her writing style on par with Francine Rivers! Hope you enjoy.

  56. Great blog, y’all!

    I’m a small town girl. I’d love to live in Montana, near or on the mountains, someday. I tend to write small town stories, but I wouldn’t be afraid to write something set in the big city. I’d just have to do tons of research to get my facts straight.

    Best wishes for your blog!
    Andrea

  57. Loved it! Thanks for inviting me JoAnn. Look forward to following you all. Lot great authors here in one spot. I’m a country girl and i love it. Love books. :)

  58. I am a country girl also. I married city boy. We tried that he loved the country life better so we are there. Love the peace and the quiet.

  59. Who is your favorite fictional hero – regardless of genre?
    I have several…too many to give specific names. Basically, tall, great looking, “good guys”, great sense of humor, knows how to treat a woman…You get the idea.

  60. Are you a city girl or a country girl? Does this reflect in your stories?
    I was raised in the city, but since my Dad was a country boy, I feel a bit like both.

  61. We’re all here because we love contemporary inspirational romance, but if you could live anywhere, anytime, where would it be?
    Tough call, as many times have great history, but all of them have their downfalls. I think I would chicken out, and stay put, right in my current reality.

  62. What’s the worst predicament you’ve ever put a hero or heroine in (published or unpublished)?
    Currently working on a story where my heroine is caught at the mercy of someone with the ability to auction her off to the highest bidder.

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