Southern-Style Meet & Greet with Gina Holmes Plus Giveaway

Well, while things may be on the slow side for me when it comes to blogging lately, I'm still thrilled to bring y'all some great authors every Monday to meet and greet with.  :o)  Thanks for stopping by for another fun interview this week with up-and-coming author Gina Holmes.

Last week's giveaway winner of There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones is...

Nicole (nziegler122@...)
____________________________________________

When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

I always knew I could write fairly well. I was perplexed in highschool when my classmates would groan finding out there was an essay on a test. I thought that was super easy. It shocked me that it didn’t come natural for most. In college, I wrote an essay on elevator music (aka musak) and I happened to get to watch the face of my professor reading my essay. He didn’t know I was watching and the smile on his face and surprise told me I had a gift. It wasn’t until I was a stay at home mom trying to earning extra cash that it dawned on me I could make a living. I started writing everything from greeting cards to articles and earned a whole lot of form rejection letters.

What genre do you most like to write?

I started out writing suspense because I grew up reading Stephen King. I wrote several books in this genre that came close to publishing but it wasn’t until my personal reading taste changed and therefore my writing taste that I earned my first book contract. I write relational dramas now and it’s what I seem to do best.

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

My prayer is always that my words will point to God’s truths. That’s always the prayer. God, truth and grace.

What is your latest book release?

My sophomore novel, Dry as Rain, is now out. I’m a terrible pitchman, always have been, so I’ll just give you the back-of-the-book copy:

From the bestselling author of Crossing Oceans comes a powerfully moving story that tests the limits of love’s forgiveness. Like many marriages, Eric and Kyra Yoshida’s has fallen apart slowly, one lost dream and misunderstanding at a time, until the ultimate betrayal finally pushes them beyond reconciliation. Just when it looks like forgive and forget is no longer an option, a car accident gives Eric the second chance of a lifetime. A concussion causes his wife to forget details of her life, including the chasm between them. No one knows when—or if—Kyra’s memory will return, but Eric seizes the opportunity to win back the woman he’s never stopped loving.

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

Yes, I’m knee deep in a novel about an abused wife who finds strength in friendship and mother love. I’m madly in love with this story at this point. That could change tomorrow of course.

What was the last Christian Fiction book that you read that you couldn’t put down?

I just finished Dale Cramer’s “Levi’s Will”. A fabulous book that I was surprised to learn was based on his father’s life. My first Amish fiction. It was so beautiful!

Where can readers find you on the web?

www.ginaholmes.com
www.inspireafire.com
www.novelrocket.com

What is your most favorite thing about the South?

I’m a Jersey girl but have lived in Southern Virginia for fourteen years now and I am a southern girl at heart. It just appeals to me on so many levels. I love the slower pace, the hospitality, the kindness, and even the ability to not say everything that comes to mind like we do in the North. My husband is about as southern as you can get and I adore his accent and his very southern family. I can’t imagine ever moving away from the south, in fact, we’d eventually like to move further south.

Iced Tea—sweet or un-sweet?

Just like I’m half northern, half southern, so is my taste in tea. Half and half baby!

BBQ Pork or BBQ Beef?

North Carolina vinegar based bbq!

Dolly Parton or Elvis Presley?

Um… haha Elvis. Sorry, Dolly.

Historical House—Plantation or Log Cabin?

My husband would be plantation, but I’m a log cabin girl for sure!

Country gal or city gal?

I’m a city girl who loves the country. I’ve never lived in the country but the older I get, the more it appeals to me. We want to retire to the country, on a body
of water.

You, you all, or y’all?

I grew up saying “Yooz” in typical Jersey style, but I’ve succumbed to y’all a long long time ago. My family thinks it’s hysterical whenever I say y’all, yonder, kin and other southern sayings. They make fun of me mercilessly. I find less and less humor in this. They should hear themselves the way I do, they wouldn’t be laughing at me! :)
_____________________________________

Thanks to Gina's generosity, there's a copy of her newest book, Dry as Rain, up for grabs this week! Please fill out the following form to be entered in the contest, and use the comments section on the blog post below for any other thoughts. All entries must be received by Sunday, November 13, and a winner will be chosen on next week's Meet & Greet. US residents only.