Tina's latest Desert Breeze release is "Touched by Mercy." We've got Tina here today (and the rest of the week!) to share her thoughts on her latest and writing. Welcome, Tina?
STEPH: I don't know much about Touched by Mercy. What's it about?
TINA: Touched by Mercy tells the story of one woman's journey to grace. Samantha Northam comes from a background of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, having been molested as a child, I identify with Samantha.
The story was pretty much my rite of passage. Coming to a point where I believed God could find me lovely. I made it a bit harder on Samantha than myself, but I wanted to show the beauty of God's grace on us, his arms around the brokenhearted. Samantha hadn't done anything wrong, as far as the molestation went, but she spent years believing she had, and spent long years hating and being afraid to love. When her daughter, Angelina, is taken from her, she believes that it happened because she's not good enough. She sets out to find Angelina, which leads her to the Orphanages of New York. She doesn't find Angelina, but she is introduced to several needy children and some Nuns who begin to teach her about God's love. Because of her wounds, Samantha doesn't quite believe the Nuns, she still thinks she has to prove her worth to God. So Samantha sets out to ease the pain that the children of the orphanage suffer. When word comes that Angelina might have been found in Kansas, Samantha heads west, with plans to get her daughter and open a boardinghouse for stops on the Orphan Train. The west seems to hold all the answers to her dreams, but time and circumstances cause her to wonder if it has taken her far enough away from her past and her nightmares.
And if she'll ever be good enough in God's eyes to become his child.
Touched By Mercy is a story about God's plan for our lives, and how he can use and loves us even though we feel inadequate. It also tells shows how God places people in our lives to Touch us with his Mercy.
STEPH: Where did you find the inspiration for the story?
TINA: Some of the inspiration comes from my own journey through trying to find acceptance. And through writing down some of the journey, (which I made the abuse and conflict harder for Samantha) I hope to give others who might find themselves in that place of despair, hope.
STEPH: What attracts to writing Historicals?
TINA: Okay, so don't laugh, but truthfully, I like historical because I've wondered what it would have been like to live during some of those times. And doing the research and writing the story allows me a glimpse, if only a little one, into the world as it was back when. I can see myself riding across the range, with my six-gun on my hip, and so on goes the dream, then I return to reality. It's all good. Unless, of course, I throw in some conflict, then it could get a bit dicey.
STEPH: Are you a plotter or a panster?
TINA: I write whatever comes to mind, by the seat of my pants, but I sometimes jot down outlines once I get going. So, maybe I'm a bit of both.
STEPH: How long did it take you to write Touched by Mercy?
TINA: I would say it took me about seven months to write Touched By Mercy and many years to edit. You may wonder why it took years to edit. Because they went and changed some of the writing rules on me and I had to change the layout to meet those rules. UGH.
STEPH: Do you cast the characters? If so, who are the leads?
TINA: Some of the leads for Touched By Mercy, well as close as I can get them to the vision in my mind's eye, are Paul Walker for Allan Pratt. Rachel Nichols for Samantha, and Josh Turner for Reverend Preston Trent.
STEPH: Can you tell us a little about the state you live in?
TINA: I live in Western Colorado in Grand Junction, in a area called the Grand Valley. Colorado is well-known for its mountains, Denver the Mile High and skiing, of course. The world's biggest flattop, Grand Mesa, rises from the valley floor to our East. Mount Garfield and the Bookcliffs set as sentinels to our north. Colorado National Monument cuts the skyline to our West and another smaller line of wee mountains anchors the south. Because we live in a valley, we can stay warmer through the winter. We have world-renown wineries, peaches, lots of orchard with fruits and vegetables. Grand Junction is a good-sized city.
STEPH: What was the last book you read?
TINA: I read two books pretty much around the same time. Under a Viking Moon, by Tami Dee and Doctor in Petticoats, by Mary Connealy. I read a few others; In All Things and Orphaned Hearts by Shawna Williams and Behind the Scenes, by Michelle Levigne because I was doing some light editing on them.
STEPH: Do you have an ebook reader? If so, which one
TINA: I have a Kindle. Which is nice for taking on trips so I don't have to carry a lot of books. And it's close to the size of a book. I just wished it had a backlight for reading in the dark. But I have a clip on light so it works. I took it camping and was able to download a book while at the campsite.
STEPH: FUN QUESTION: Renoir, Monet, or Picasso?
TINA: Picasso's art is a wee bit disjointed for me. Although he does have a few that are okay. But picking between Monet and Renoir would be hard. I like the scenery paintings form Monet, but I also like the paintings of people from Renoir. Maybe I could say I like Renoir just a tad more, but…
You can find Tina at:
My website -- http://www.tinapinson.com/
Twitter:@Tina_Pinson
Facebook-- http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=754617103
Purchase my books at:
Desert Breeze Bookstore.
Touched By Mercy http://tiny.cc/0rgkm
In the Manor of the Ghost http://tiny.cc/we4ul
Amazon:
Touched By Mercy http://tiny.cc/k5tgw
In the Manor of the Ghost http://tiny.cc/doc8w
Barnes & Noble
Touched By Mercy—available soon
In the Manor of the Ghost http://tiny.cc/oh767
Christian Books Distributors
Touched By Mercy – available soon
In the Manor of the Ghost http://tiny.cc/4u5h9
In honor of the release of Touched By Mercy I am running a contest, Win a Nook… Touch Mercy for the month of Dec. 2010. Check out my blog under the Touched BY Mercy Contest page for the particulars.
http://tinapinson.blogspot.com/
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment