Needing to finish her thesis in order to keep her job working with youth in a residential treatment center, Shana Arnold sequesters herself on Creighton Rice’s Nebraska ranch. She expects the secluded hideaway to provide a peaceful environment. What she doesn't expect is to become the victim of identity theft and a crazed home invader.
Creighton Rice has been content to live alone with his God--until he meets Shana. He's drawn to her, but must fight the attraction. Getting close makes him face a lifetime's accumulation of scars. Plus, Shana doesn’t share his faith. But when Shana's life is threatened, Creighton must protect her--even if it means letting her in.
Will Shana discover that even when a woman loses everything, she can regain courage and strength through faith in God, and can Creighton allow God to heal scars and open the door to a lifetime with Shana?
Welcome to Romancing the Writer, LoRee. I’d love to hear a little bit about your journey to publication.
It’s been a long road. Ups and downs and curves and road blocks. Redirected routes and blessings.
How long have you been submitting your work to editors and/or agents?
The first embarrassing endeavors were twenty years ago. I had so much to learn and should have never sent a thing. Looking back, of course, it was all part of my learning curve.
How many years have you been writing?
Around thirty. I started with journals and a few classes and it took some time to find my niche is romance.
Which, so far, is your favorite character from one of your own books?
During the creative process my favorite has to be the heroine whose story I’m working on. I see the world through “her” eyes. There is something special about each one as she faces and overcomes the obstacles before her. One name did pop into my head when I read the question and that’s Geneva Carson from Rain on My Parade. I often giggled over her discoveries.
Do you have any advice for authors as yet unpublished?
Write. Write. And write some more. Read everything that catches your interest. Learn your craft. Study your favorite authors’ works. And don’t forget to pray.
What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
Never give up if you believe in what you’re doing.
As long as you love it, keep at it.
What does your typical writing day look like?
It depends on what stage of the writing and what day it is. I’m fortunate to have one unbroken day a week with no appointments or obligations. My dream day would be (and it worked this way for six months after I retired): I wake up with coffee and a devotion or Bible study lesson. I walk. I write from 10 am to 2 pm (my peak productive hours of the day)
If you had to do it over again, what would you do differently, if anything?
I honestly couldn’t come up with an answer for this. God’s timing is what I cling to. We each grow at specific rates designed for us as individuals. I believe the struggles and the rewards come when He wants them to, and they are all part of what we face and what we learn from.
What are you working on now?
Oh, I’m excited to say I’ve just submitted a time travel story that is so different from anything I’ve ever written. I mentioned a learning curve, this story is the first I ever wrote without editing until I typed The End. I’m looking forward to complete the brainstorming and plan to write another rough, unedited draft during the month of September. No details because I am reluctant to talk much about any WIP.
Thank you for being here today, LoRee. Here's where you can find Loree:
