Interview with Kristen Terrette and #giveaway!

Today we welcome Kristen Terrette to my blog.  Kristen is very graciously giving away an ebook copy of her book to one commenter. Be sure to leave contact information. 

Welcome, Kristen. Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

Everyone I come across is a possible inspiration for a character. I can witness a precious moment between a father and toddler daughter, and think- Awe…I’m going to recreate that scene one day. So really, everyone gives me inspiration, but most of my characters are a mixture of someone near and dear, someone from my past, or someone with an interesting job or career. The hero in the third book of the Moanna Island series is a coast guard rescue swimmer- the ones who jump out of helicopters into the ocean to save people- so I’ve had a lot of fun figuring out what his day-to-day life would be like.

What's your key environment that helps you get to writing? Do you have a writer’s nook, corner, getaway? Where do you do your most productive writing?

I’m boring! I almost always write at my desk which is located in the sitting area of my bedroom. However, when the weather permits, I love to sit on my screened porch. The outdoors calls my name, but can also leave me a bit distracted.

 What are you saying in your book(s) that will encourage Christians today?

This is such a great question. Thank you for asking. My personal life and being on staff at my church has allowed me opportunities to witness many hurting people. But I have also witnessed numerous transformations in people which could only have taken place because of Jesus’ intervention. He is the ultimate restorer and the inventor of love, so He is the only one we can turn to when life leaves us in broken pieces. I hope and pray God is using my words, which are really His, to weave these characters and stories in a way that shows others how this can happen to them too…they can be healed, restored, and are already loved.

How do you pick names for your characters?

Ugh, this is so hard for me! In my Moanna series, every character’s name has a specific meaning (according to all the baby name charts) and is mentioned some way in the story, so I have been very picky about names. The crazy thing is God has shown me over and over He already has the name “dilemma” worked out.

I chose the name Thad for the hero in Safe Harbor. Thad means heart, which was perfect for him, but not my favorite name amongst all the millions of names for males. But in the last few pages, God fed me a line which is really special to the story and could have only worked with the name Thad…so while choosing names is very hard for me, God has proven He always has it under control.

How important are reviews to you?

This is my first published novel, so I’m very new to this, but I’ve been told reviews are very important to the overall success of an author. So I’m going to say they are very important. I do want honest reviews, but I know this means developing thick skin, so I’m going to need to be working on that now! But truly, any review is a step in the right direction, so I will be grateful to my readers who take the extra step.

Who are some of your favorite authors? What genre is your favorite? What books have you enjoyed lately?

Susan May Warren and Becky Wade are amazing. They made me fall in love with Christian/Inspirational Contemporary Romance. I also love Dani Pettrey, Lisa Wingate, Katie Ganshert, and Francine Rivers. One of my favorite recent reads was Dani Pettrey’s Alaskan Courage Series. It was terrific.

I love most of those authors, too. 

BLURB:

Eva Elliott is left with a jaded heart after the death of her boyfriend while she was pregnant. She pushed away the idea of God and love, focusing solely on her daughter, Willow. She accepts an offer from her mom to move to Moanna Island, off the coast of Georgia. She hopes the move will help her tuck away the guilt for the role she thinks she played in her boyfriend’s death.

Thad Smith is the local youth mentor and football coach, who’s finally recovered from his fall from grace when his NFL career ended. The day Eva arrives, Thad saves her daughter from drowning in the ocean the day, instantly connecting the pair. Eva stubbornly fights the stirring in her heart the moment Thad smiles, but since Thad coaches the football team where Eva teaches, and lives down the street, God continues to intertwine their lives. Eva will not agree to a date, so Thad uses his adventurous spirit to his advantage.

She doesn’t expect Thad’s ex to throw a kink in the fragile plan, nor for Thad’s relationship with God to convict her own shame and brokenness. Just when she opens the door to God, finally ready to make things right, an accident occurs that could leave Willow an orphan and Thad all alone again.

BIO:

Kristen Terrette has been an avid reader since childhood, a self-confessed book nerd, and always had characters running through her mind- ones she made up. She went back to school years ago to obtain a Master's degree in Theological Studies because she felt God's tug towards ministry, but she didn't know then what God had in mind. After five years on staff at her church, she followed God's leading to a different kind of ministry- one with words, love, pain, and real-to-life characters. She now stays at home during the day while the house is quiet writing stories she hopes will bring readers to a stronger understanding of how God works and His love for sinners like us. She always has contemporary romance characters and plots running through her mind and considers romance her first love...but she has a few amazing literary fiction novels up her sleeve as well. Both genres fight for time occupying her mind.

Amazon Link to Safe Harbor: https://www.amazon.com/Safe-Harbor-Moanna-Island-Book-ebook/dp/B01NANUJAW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483323715&sr=8-1&keywords=safe+harbor+Moanna+Island

My website: www.kristenterrette.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkristenterrette/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KTerrette
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kterrette/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kterrette2/
(I am okay with you not listing all the social media handles, by the way. If it is excessive, just my website and maybe my Facebook Author page link is fine!)