Southern-Style Meet & Greet with Trish Perry

I'm pleased as punch to introduce y'all to another wonderful author this week.  Trish Perry graciously agreed to let me get to know her a little better, and I'm so excited to introduce her to all of you.  Stay tuned to the very end for a very special surprise!
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When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve come across old, terrible short stories I wrote in my youth. But I hardly remember writing them. I know I didn’t have a bug to pursue writing wholeheartedly back then. But when I returned to school as an adult, I realized how much I loved the writing I had to do for my professors. That was when the bug hit me, and it changed the direction of my life.

If you were not a writer, what would your dream job be and why? (This is, of course, assuming that writing IS your dream job!) :o)

This goes along with the question above. I went back to school to get my degree(s) in Psychology, because I decided I wanted to be a therapist. But then that crazy writing bug bit me, and I was writing my first novel by the time I got my B.A. I took time off before going to grad school and the writing stuck. I never went back to the Psychology. But I loved Psychology (still do) and would like to be able to help people cope with their difficulties in life.

What genre do you most like to write?

I always end up putting humor in my novels, and I love romance. So romantic comedy works for me. I love reading and watching almost any genre (except horror), but when I just want to relax and enjoy, I often go for romantic comedy.

I love romantic comedies, both for movies and books!  :o)

Do your own personal experiences, or those of family and friends, ever find their way into one your stories?

Only to a small degree. I don’t base my characters on real people, and I don’t use the lives of my family and friends for my plotlines. But on occasion something really interesting or funny will happen, and if I remember to make note of it, I tuck it away in my Ideas file. Some of those show up in my stories.

What do you hope readers “take away” with them after they read one of your books?

Of course I want them to have enjoyed the read. But I always hope God will touch someone out there when they read one of my books. I never try to incorporate a message into my stories, but a theme typically emerges, and it usually has to do with our need for God and His guidance. Often I’ll hear from a reader who got something out of one of my books that never occurred to me. Those times, in particular, are when I see God’s purpose in inspiring me.

What is your latest book release?

I had two novels release at once this year, so I’ll tell you about one of those.  Unforgettable (Summerside Press) released in March. Here’s a quick summary:

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.


Are you currently working on another novel, and if so, can you give us a snippet about it?

My other releases this year are Tea for Two (Harvest House), which is Book Two in the Tea with Millicent series, and my novella, ‘Tis the Season, which will be bound with Debby Mayne’s Deck the Halls in Summerside’s September release of Love Finds You on Christmas Morning. Here’s a snippet about ‘Tis the Season:

When Nikki Tronnier accepted an offer, nearly a year ago, to serve as personal chef to aged billionaire Harvey Fennicle, it meant moving back home to Cary, North Carolina. It also meant she would soon reach a lifelong goal to buy back the Tronnier family home built by her great-grandfather, William, for his lovely bride, Lillian. Nikki hopes to return to the tradition of hosting the kind of gatherings her family used to enjoy. But before she is able to make an offer, someone else buys the house. In her disappointment, she's ready to put up a fight about that.


But when she discovers the buyer is none other than Drew Cornell, the handsome young man she has just met, she keeps mum and helps him restore the home to its historic beauty. She can't help but want to have some influence over how the home of her childhood memories ends up looking, even if it isn't for her. 

Drew learns of the house's history at the perfect time--when he's decided to ask Nikki to be his wife. On Christmas morning he reveals his knowledge to Nikki and goes down on one knee, just as William did for Lillian 85 years ago.

(Debby’s novella comes before mine, and it’s the story of Will and Lillian Tronnier, my gal’s great-grandparents.)

Both books sound great, and will be showing up on my wish list, for sure!

Where can readers find you on the web?

My website is http://www.trishperry.com.  My blog is on the site, as well, and I introduce my followers to current inspirational authors and their releases, which they give away to my readers, usually twice a week.

And I’m on Facebook as Trish Hawley Perry and on Twitter as TrishPerryWrtr

I’m always eager for subscribers and FB and Twitter friends!

If you could visit anywhere down South, where would it be and why?

I’ve never been to New Orleans, and I love the look of it when I’ve seen it on film or the news. I’m honestly not all that interested in the mania of Mardi Gras, but the architecture, food, and music down there beckon me! I hope to visit someday.

I've been to New Orleans twice--once on a choir tour and once for an overnight visit on my honeymoon.  The one recommendation I can make (if you get a chance to visit) is don't book your hotel in the middle of the French Quarter.  Hubby and I made that mistake, and didn't get a lick of sleep for all the police and ambulance sirens all through the night!

Iced Tea—sweet or un-sweet?

Never sweetened! Just cold with a little lemon.


BBQ Pork or BBQ Beef?

Anything but chicken. That’s just not right.

Potluck dinner or restaurant dinner?

Oh, goodness, you’re going to make me choose between two opportunities to eat without having to clean up afterwards? I suppose if I have to choose, it will be restaurant dinner. I like the atmosphere of a potluck, but there are often too many . . . fillers in a lot of those dishes. My waistline doesn’t like those as much as my mouth does.

Man, I’m getting hungry.  

Sorry about that!

Summer or Winter? (There are only two seasons down here…really.)

Definitely summer. I can’t stand to be cold. It makes my body all tense and I feel very sorry for myself.

Country gal or city gal?

Hmm. Now that I’m of a certain age, I’d say I’m probably more country than city. But I’d love to visit Manhattan again. Haven’t been there in years, and I really love the atmosphere of the older parts of the city and the availability of everything there.

You, you all, or y’all?

Y’all, for sure. I just don’t see the point of you all. I mean, really. Why bother?

I agree completely!  Y'all always sounds best! 

Trish, thank you so much for coming by, and sharing a little about yourself and your books!  Too bad we can't just all pile up in a car, and go get ourselves some good vittles somewhere...but I'll have to have my tea sweet, there's just no way around it.  :o)

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Folks, Trish has a great treat for us, too!  She's offered to give away a signed copy of one of her books, but it's a surprise as to which one it is!  If you'd like to be entered to win, simply leave a comment on this post with your email address disguised something like this:  southernsassythings at gmail dot com.  Sorry, she can only offer it to a US resident.  Be sure to get your entry in before Sunday, July 17th.  The winner will be announced on next Monday's Meet & Greet.

Git to it, now!  We don't stand on no ceremony here.  :o)