Your most recent releases, Her Mother’s Hope and Her Daughter’s Dream, are both pretty heavy in messages toward parents. Did writing these books affect or change your own parenting/grandparenting style (even though your kids are grown now and have their own kids)?
I can only hope to be like my parents. They had strong faith and always encouraged me and my brother to work hard and pursue our dreams. They believed anyone could do anything if they set goals and worked hard enough to achieve them. I would amend that and say anyone can accomplish anything God has planned for them. Too often, we think we know what we’re supposed to do, and we make our own plans. Then we wonder why our lives become unfulfilled and unmanageable. We’re living out of the will of God. When we pursue God, He lights the path He wants us to take. The spiritual gifts come when we accept Him as Savior and Lord. We learn to use the talents and abilities God gave us for His good purpose. Even with Christ at the helm, sailing the seas of this life is never easy. Every day can be a challenge. But walking with Jesus is more exciting and fulfilling than living any other way. I don’t want to merely talk about these things with my children and grandchildren but have them see these things in the way I live.
What has God been teaching you as you’ve journeyed through writing these books?
God showed me how important “backstories” are in helping us understand one another. It was difficult for my grandmother to talk about her childhood or to say she loved anyone. I’ve learned from others that this was common among members of her generation. It took me a long time to convince her to write about her life, and when she did, she summarized eight decades in a few pages. I could see how she glossed over major events in her life: being taken out of school, the death of her sister, the struggles of her family, the decision to set off on her own in her early teens because she wanted a better life. It’s important to share these things with family members. This information is part of our heritage. We may also find common ground and see patterns in the way we think and act.
It’s important to tell your children how much you love them and offer them a blessing. My grandmother wanted the best for her children, but my mom longed to hear the words “I love you.” She told me she knew she was loved, but I could see how much the words would have meant to her. To say “I love you” is a blessing bestowed on our children. Sharing feelings can be risky, but not sharing them leaves us with regrets.
What would you like people to walk away with from these books?
Put fear aside and tell family members you love them. Without casting blame, share the experiences that shaped your life. If you were to lose a loved one today, what would you wish you had said? Don’t wait. Say “I love you” without expectations. Don’t let fear keep you from reaching out to one another. If there are broken relationships in your family, pray, forgive, and work at building bridges. It can be hard to listen and not want to interrupt with your point of view, but practice active listening. We waste so much time wishing or playing the “if only” or “what if” game. Please, please offer a blessing, even to those who have hurt you most. Love others the way Jesus loves each of us. It’s not easy, but it brings peace and a closer, more intimate relationship with Jesus.
You’ve been interviewed many, many times through the course of your brilliant writing career. Have you ever been completely stumped by a question from an interviewer? (If so, what was it?) If not, what’s the strangest comment/question that you’ve ever been asked?
I think this is the first question that has completely stumped me. 
With so many profound accomplishments under your belt as a writer, is there anything new that you’d like to try? (Screenwriting? Different genre? Something that might surprise people?)
The story that is playing in my mind now will stretch me as a writer. I’m not sure where to begin or how to proceed, and it doesn’t fit any genre. Fantasy? Allegory? I don’t know. The characters are already alive to me, and I dream scenes. Right now, I will continue to read and study the Bible, write down ideas, and see where all this will lead.
When you need downtime, what do you do? Read? Watch a movie? Go for a walk? Long hot bath?
All of the above. I am always reading something, alternating between fiction and nonfiction, general market as well as Christian. I love movies but prefer renting rather than going to a theater. If there’s a scene I don’t want to watch, I can press the fast-forward button. Sometimes I’ll have a movie marathon. For example, I’ll watch all three Lord of the Rings movies back-to-back or go through my collection of Jane Austen stories. My husband, Rick, and I also love to travel and do as much as we can when time permits. While writing Her Mother’s Hope and Her Daughter’s Dream, we visited Switzerland and Italy. When I finished the project, we went to France and the Netherlands. We have a long “bucket list” of places we would like to see. It seems to be getting longer rather than shorter.
