Q & A with Julie Arduini and giveaway!!!

Julie has graciously offered a copy of Entangled -- print or ebook (USA only) for one commenter.  Be sure to leave contact information. 

 Did you have to travel much for research for Entangled?

It was my choice to make another trip to the Adirondacks. Now that I live in Ohio, it is a 12 hour trip for me, but I decided to visit my family in Upstate NY and split the trip up. I had a couple questions because Carla’s cosmetology school wasn’t in Speculator Falls (based on real life Speculator,) so I wanted to see other towns for myself. Most of what I did was fictionalized anyway, but I can’t pass a fun trip to the mountains.

What was it like coming back to the characters from Entrusted for the 2^nd novel in the series? Do you foresee any more stories for this family of characters?

            It felt like home, especially anytime I had Carla visit with Jenna and help her with wedding plans. I also introduced new characters that are part of the cosmetology school, so that was a nice balance, mixing known characters with new. I will revisit the gang from Speculator Falls in Engaged, Trish’s story. I confess, I have thought about the new characters, wondering if there is a series to write for them.

Who was your favorite character in Entangled?

I really enjoyed Noah, Carla’s teen son. He created a lot of conflict, but he’s a good kid.

Was there anything in Entangled that you did not enjoy writing about?

It was very hard writing out Carla and her choices based on her inability to forgive herself for her past. I’ve seen it time and time again, so I knew it needed addressing with consequences, but it was hard. 

 Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad?

I have in order to create quotes for marketing purposes, but I generally give them little of my time, but for a personal God reason. Let me explain. Reviews are precious for authors. We need them, and I really appreciate the time people take. But, I can also fall into temptation of “needing” praise. I want my applause to come from the Lord, so I try not to become attached to them. I really struggled for decades worrying what others thought, and God completely healed me of that. I did read one review that was not rated high, but the person was kind and I understood their perspective. I laugh when I think about it, not at the person or what they said, but how God has taken care of me. They admitted they hit the button twice and bought two copies, so they were stuck with it. It wasn’t long ago that comment would have sent me to my bed for days. For those who struggle, I was given excellent advice. Have the heart of a dove and the skin of a rhino. That has really helped me with perspective when it comes to reviews.

What are you working on now? What is your next project?

Writing wise, I’m working on Trish’s story in Engaged. Trish Maxwell was the bad girl in Entrusted, and now she’s back in Speculator Falls with no job and egg on her face. She always fancied herself a big city girl and couldn’t wait to leave. She didn’t leave on good terms, so now she’s back needing to face the people she hurt and find her direction.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

All my writing has a surrender message that can give you freedom if you allow it. In my Surrendering Time series, Entangled is about surrendering the past. No matter what you’ve done, because of Christ’s work on the cross, redemption is available to you. Take it. Your Heavenly Father’s arms are outstretched and full of love for you.

Blurb for Entangled:  Carla’s been given her dream, to leave her job as sheriff and attend cosmetology school. The gift is so overwhelming that she struggles with feeling unworthy, especially since she still feels guilty for becoming a mom as a teenager. When Wayne Peterson reenters her and their son Noah’s life, Carla creates some tangles between her and her steadfast boyfriend, the flannel-wearing, truck driver Will Marshall. Can Carla release her past and create a future full of highlights, or, will she burn her options worse than a bad perm?

Bio:  Julie Arduini loves to encourage readers to surrender the good, the bad, and ---maybe one day---the chocolate. She’s the author of the upcoming re-release, ENTRUSTED: Surrendering the Present, as well as the sequel, ENTANGLED: Surrendering the Past, set for a spring release. She also shared her story in the infertility devotional, A WALK IN THE VALLEY. She blogs every other Wednesday for Christians Read. She resides in Ohio with her husband and two children. Learn more by visiting her at http://juliearduini.com, where she invites readers to subscribe to her monthly newsletter full of resources and giveaway opportunities at JULIE ARDUINI: SURRENDER ISSUES AND CHOCOLATE and the weekly e mail. SUNDAY’S SURRENDER AND CHOCOLATE.

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