Author Interview & Book Giveaway/Laura Frantz/Courting Morrow Little

Courting Morrow Little is a super book. I loved it and so will you. Here is the link for the review I did of this great book. http://thelifeandtimesofwanda.blogspot.com/2010/07/courting-morrow-little-by-laura-frantz.html

Here is my interview with Laura Frantz. She's a very special lady. Drop by her blog site and leave her a message.



How long did you write before you were published?
40 years. I began at age 7 so it was a very long journey. I never set out to be published – I just wrote for the sheer joy of writing. In fact, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be published even when my current editor contacted me. But I’m so glad my books are out there now as I’m hearing from readers (and reviewers like you) and that blesses me so much!

Tell us about Courting Morrow Little, the featured book.
Morrow is a young woman on the 18th-century Kentucky frontier who struggles with the trauma of her past – an Indian raid – and must come to terms with forgiveness, all the while being pursued by several suitors and nearly missing the love of a lifetime.

Is there any person who has been a strong influence in your writing journey?
My granny was such a huge part of my life - she passed away shortly before my first book, The Frontiersman’s Daughter, was published. I dedicated the book to her. She was almost 100 years old and had come from Virginia to Kentucky as a young woman. She always felt I had a writing gift and needed to use it. My brother (a missionary in Spain) and my parents have been so supportive, too. Everyone needs people who believes in them and prays for them. It makes all the difference!

What message(s) do you want to be clear to your readers?
That God loves them just as they are and has a plan for their life. Also, that the valleys of our lives are for our good and He will bring blessings from them. Like Morrow, the darkness and difficulties we encounter holds untold blessings in the end if we walk through them with Him.

What are some of your likes and dislikes? Your hobbies, interests? Where do you like to vacation?
Oh, great questions! I love to cook and garden, take walks and read. Writing letters is also a favorite pastime. As for vacations, I love historical places in any country – from Virginia’s Colonial Williamsburg to the Russian royal palaces in St. Petersburg, etc. Kentucky, of course, has such a rich history and I never tire of being there.

Tell us a little-known fact about yourself that readers may not know.
I traveled quite a bit in my younger days. I attended college in a British castle and turned 21 in Russia where I saw the Bolshoi Ballet perform Swan Lake. Now I’m a homebody living and writing in a little house in the big woods!
How very interesting!

How do you spend your writing days? Do you set goals to reach a certain number of words per day? Can you give us a general idea of how long it takes you to write a novel?
I really have to pray about the use of my time – it’s such a gift. And writers have many distractions such as marketing and blogging, twittering and Facebook if they choose to go that route and connect with readers, etc. I don’t ever keep a word count as that’s too much like counting calories to me. I tend to be a very s…l…o…w writer. The Frontiersman’s Daughter took 5 years to write and Courting Morrow Little took 2 years. But I seem to be getting faster as I go.

What are you currently reading?
Delia Parr’s Hearts Awakening. In my mailbox this week I received Ransome’s Crossing by Kaye Dacus and She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell. Never enough time to read all the good books I’d like to!
I just read two of those books. Really great authors also.

Do you grow flowers or vegetables? What are your favorite flowers?
I grow both though my husband is the master gardener since my writing kicked inJ. My very favorite flower is the Cecile Bruner climbing rose that is overtaking our little greenhouse wall. The fragrance is so sweet and the tiny buds so beautiful! I also love Lily of the Valley and lavender.

What are you writing now?
I’m on deadline now for my third Kentucky novel, tentatively titled, The Colonel’s Lady, due out next summer. It involves a Revolutionary War hero and a spinster. I’ve enjoyed the story so much and almost hate to finish and turn it in!
We can't wait to read your next book!

How do readers find you on the internet?
I love to hear from readers at my combined blog/website: http://laurafrantz.net
I’m also on Facebook and Twitter which you can link to from my website/blog.
Bless you for such a fun interview! I am so appreciative of the chance to meet new readers and give away one of my books!

Thank you so very much Laura. It was very special to have you join us.
Many blessings and great success in your writing!





All you have to do to win this book is be/become a follower and leave a comment, also leave an email address to enter!
This giveaway is for U.S. residents only. The deadline for entry is August 10, 2010. A winner will be chosen via the Random Number Generator and the winner will be notified by email.