Two Purloined Pillows by Allie Pleiter: Spotlighting a Friend

Some books arrive at exactly the right moment.

I've known Allie Pleiter for years through ACFW and our writing journeys. Last time we chatted, I think we counted at least 20 years! If you've spent any time in the Christian fiction community, you probably know her too — or at least you know her work. She's the kind of author who brings genuine warmth and wit to everything she writes, and her newest release is no exception.

Two Purloined Pillows is Book 2 in the Nimble Needle Mystery series, and I'm excited to help spread the word on release day.

About the Book

Shelby Phillips never planned to stay in her small hometown outside Asheville, North Carolina. She came back to manage her mother's needlepoint shop temporarily, after an office romance and career implosion sent her life in an unexpected direction. More than a year later, she's still there — and still finding herself tangled up in things that go far beyond needlepoint.

This time, Shelby is overseeing two well-known designers participating in the town's first arts festival. Both have created one-of-a-kind pillows set to headline the festival auction. Both pillows disappear amid a string of shoplifting incidents. And the two designers couldn't be more different — one wound tight with anxiety, the other an egomaniac who's convinced his rival has been stealing his customers for years.

When one of them collapses and dies at the auction dinner, what started as a festival headache becomes something far more serious.

If you haven't started this series yet, you should begin with Book 1: One Sharp Stitch. But if you're already a Shelby Phillips fan, you already know what you're getting into, and you're definitely going to want this one.

Why I'm Recommending It

Allie has a gift for building small-town worlds that feel genuinely lived-in, populating them with characters who are funny and flawed and deeply human, and layering in just enough mystery to keep you turning pages well past when you intended to stop.

For book 2, we return to the unique setting of the Nimble Needle and the small southern town near Asheville, NC, where Shelby is managing the shop. Once again, she gathers her ragtag team of family and friends with a little more of that romance from book 1 thrown in. And in addition to the reader-favorite cozy mystery tropes, there's some unique twists you won't see coming.

The clues — and even a few red herrings — are plentiful, but the variety of quirky characters like the NYAGs provide most of the entertainment. I'm not going to spoil anything for you, though. You have to read the book yourself to find out more.

A needlepoint shop. A pillow that disappeared. An arts festival gone sideways. Poison. A needlepoint rivalry. A killer still unaccounted for. This is another fantastic Allie Pleiter story, and that's why you should pick up this book today!

Where to Find It

You can find Two Purloined Pillows at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, as well as wherever books are sold, and you can learn more about Allie and her work at alliepleiter.com. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

If you pick it up, come back and tell me what you thought. And if you've already read Book 1, I'd love to hear how you think the series is shaping up.

Have you read anything by Allie Pleiter before? Are you a fan of cozy mysteries set in small towns with a little heart woven in? Tell me your favorites in the comments. I'm always looking for the next great read.

Book Review: Rescue on the Farm

I've lost count of the number of times I've intended to come back here and start posting again, only for life to take me on a different course. When I finally clicked on the blog and saw my previous posts, I'm a little embarrassed to see 12 years have passed. I'm not sure that 1 lone post in 2019 announcing an anthology release actually counts. :) If it does, though, I have only been gone for a little over 5 years, and that sounds a wee bit better. *g*

Anyway, if you've missed me or been wondering, yes, I am still writing. However, following a medical diagnosis for my daughter along with the time and emotional demands that came with it, a shift had to happen. The energy it takes to get my stories from my head to the page no longer existed.

Try as I might, I simply had nothing creative left to pour into stories. And for the next 10 years, that reality defined my career. So, my writing had to shift from crafting fictional stories to working in the copywriting and copyediting side of the industry. A bit more technical and demanding less brain power that was fully devoted to being present with my children.

Thankfully, I kept in touch with my colleagues and writing friends, and I've been chipping away at my next novel. It's just taking me far longer than expected.

In the meantime, I have a review on a book by a longtime friend of mine, Ms. Allie Pleiter, also known as The Chunky Method Gal. :)

I thoroughly enjoyed RESCUE ON THE FARM. Allie Pleiter's brilliant storytelling blends themes of forgiveness and hope through the delightful interactions between Grant, Meg, and those endearing little rescue puppies. She creates a compelling read that resonates with fans of inspirational romance and showcases the transformative power of love and community.

Aren't the puppies on that cover just adorable? If you're looking for a feel-good story that celebrates new beginnings and the joy animals bring into our lives, pick up this book. The heartfelt moments and charming characters will leave a lasting impression.

Have you read this book? Or any other by Allie? How about anything from the Love Inspired line of books? Leave a comment with your favorite books to read, and maybe share about some of your favorite authors.

Guest Blogger Allie Pleiter and Homefront Hero

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, ALLIE PLEITER writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, buying yarn, and finding new ways to avoid housework. Allie hails from Connecticut, moved to the midwest to attend Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois. The “dare from a friend” to begin writing has produced two parenting books, fourteen novels, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing. Visit her website at www.alliepleiter.com or her knitting blog at www.DestiKNITions.blogspot.com

HOMEFRONT HERO
by Allie Pleiter
Published by Love Inspired Historical

ABOUT THE BOOK

Dashing and valiantly wounded, Captain John Gallows could have stepped straight out of an army recruitment poster. Leanne Sample can't help being impressed—although the lovely Red Cross nurse tries to hide it. She knows better than to get attached to the daring captain who is only home to heal and help rally support for the war's final push. As soon as he's well enough, he'll rush back to Europe, back to war—and far away from South Carolina and Leanne. But when an epidemic strikes close to home, John comes to realize what it truly means to be a hero—Leanne's hero.

Readers, buy your copy of Homefront Hero today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR


“I want to see the wound, not the weapon.”

This is the advice I give writers when they ask how to tackle difficult or uncomfortable topics, when they’re wondering which things should be left “offstage.” This was the challenge I faced when deciding how to tackle something so dark as the Spanish Flu epidemic in a romance novel. Let’s face it: people aren’t looking for CSI 1918 when they open up an inspirational historical romance.

I faced the same dilemma when I wrote Mission of Hope. I know my readers expect humor and a lighthearted world view from me. How do you remember that when you tackle the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake?

The answer is to focus on the wound but not so much on the weapon. It’s why I chose to set Mission of Hope in the months after the earthquake and fires. Things were a bit different when I needed to depict the Spanish Flu epidemic for Homefront Hero...all the drama there was before, in the pandemic’s early stages, in the build up. People simply couldn’t believe heathy young men and women were dying at the rates they were--and from influenza, which had never killed before! As a reader, I’m not a fan of grisly details. Give me enough to set the scene, but put your focus elsewhere or I’m likely to look away.

I’m delighted that readers have given me exactly that praise for both books: “I feel like I was there.” It means I’ve gotten the essence of the event. I’m always careful, however, not to let it get gruesome or to loose the touches of humor that keep the book’s uplifting spirit. I devote my descriptions to the human effect, not the disaster itself. I seek to portray what it felt like to survive, because as a reader, that’s where the empowerment and encouragement lie for me.


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Thank you, Allie, for again sharing with us today.

Guest Question: Readers, what great challenges have you read about that have given you courage? Writers, where do you need to apply this tactic?

ENTRY RULES Readers, leave your email address (name at domainname dot com/net) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of the book featured above. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.

Guest Blogger Allie Pleiter and Falling for the Fireman

This lady needs no introduction, and she's a regular favorite here at A Fictional Life. Join me in welcoming author, Allie Pleiter.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ALLIE PLEITER An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, buying yarn, and finding new ways to avoid housework. Allie hails from Connecticut, moved to the midwest to attend Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois. The “dare from a friend” to begin writing has produced two parenting books, fourteen novels, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing. Visit her website at www.alliepleiter.com or her knitting blog at www.DestiKNITions.blogspot.com


FALLING FOR THE FIREMAN
by Allie Pleiter
Published by Harlequin Love Inspired

ABOUT THE BOOK

There's something achingly familiar about the look in fire marshal Chad Owens's eyes. Widowed mom Jeannie Nelworth knows firsthand what it is: loss, hurt and yes—bitterness. Ever since the fire that changed their lives, Jeannie's young son has borne that same look, pushing everyone away. So she's grateful when Chad tries to get through to the boy with the help of his trusty fire station dog.

But the man who's all about safety and prevention keeps himself protected—from loving and losing again. Seems as if Jeannie will have to add his kind, guarded heart to her rebuilding efforts.

Readers, buy your copy of Falling for the Fireman today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR


I was thinking about it recently and I do live a fiction-filled life. I think some people believe I live a fictional life--that glamorous published author existence I haven’t seen yet but keep looking for--but that’s not reality. Dishes and wash and confounding algebra homework are my reality, even if I do own (and occasionally flaunt) a tiara.

The value of fantasy aside, I don’t think it’s what readers want to read, either. I love to be swept up into a whole new world--an ancient time, a faraway place, or an exotic culture--but if the characters don’t strike me as real, authentic people, I won’t engage with the story. They don’t even have to be human--we love Toy Story because we see ourselves in the characters. We love a pink plastic pig because he is real to us and worthy of our affections.

FALLING FOR THE FIREMAN is a good example of finding the truth that touches all hearts. I believe the author’s job is to find that truth, and use it to pull us into another world by drawing threads of truth from our own. I don’t need to be a mom who’s survived a fire to know that every mom fears for the healthy survival of her child. I don’t need to be a fire marshall to know the burning desire to protect at all costs. These are basic, universal human emotions. They are truth, and truth can be placed in any context to create a good story.

I could impress you for hours with facts and scenery and research, but if you as the reader don’t see truth, you won’t care about Chad and Jeannie. If I show you how Chad’s needs are like your own, or how Jeannie’s impulses are like every mother’s everywhere, you’ll engage with the story. We’ll share the wonderful moment where everyone is pulling for them to realize their love and claim their happy ending.


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Thank you, Allie, for sharing with us today.

Guest Question: What book did you read recently that rang especially true for you? Why?

ENTRY RULES Readers, IF there is a book giveaway, leave your email address (name at domainname dot com/net) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win a FREE copy of the book above. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

This week, the contest is open to residents of the US/Canada only.

Welcome Allie Pleiter and Yukon Wedding

Please interact with our guest authors by answering the question they provide. Your response will also enter you in the drawing for a free book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ALLIE PLEITER is an avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, who writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, buying yarn, and finding new ways to avoid housework. Allie hails from Connecticut, moved to the midwest to attend Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois. The “dare from a friend” to begin writing has produced two parenting books, fourteen novels, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing. Visit her website at www.alliepleiter.com or her knitting blog at DestiKNITions.blogspot.com.

YUKON WEDDING
by Allie Pleiter
Published by Love Inspired Historical

ABOUT THE BOOK

A gold-rush town is no place for a single mother. But widow Lana Bristow won’t abandon the only home her son has ever known. She’ll fight to remain in Treasure Creek, Alaska—even if it means wedding Mack Tanner, the man she blames for her husband’s death. Mack sees marriage as his duty, the only way to protect his former business partner’s family. Yet what starts as an obligation changes as his spoiled socialite bride proves to be a woman of strength and grace. A woman who shows Mack the only treasure he needs is her heart.

Readers, buy your copy of Yukon Wedding today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

I like the Alaskan Gold rush for the same reasons I like history and I love Cadbury Easter Eggs--the rich stuff on the inside. I disliked the facts and figures of history in high school, but once I dug down past them for the stories of history, I uncovered my passion own for adventures.

Mack and Lana’s adventures are on a landscape of a grand scale--the Yukon Gold Rush--but it’s their inner adventure that catches my heart. Even though their marriage of convenience brings them to the same home, their journey to each other is vast. Like lots of us, they try to solve their inner problems with outer fixes, and that only leads to pain and disappointment. Oh, but when they get it right on the inside, the meeting of their hearts is sweet indeed.

Until something goes horribly wrong. This is an adventure, after all.

Fold in a silver star, some very poorly baked cookies, one smart lady, several dumb crooks, an adorable toddler, and a man who’s been alone far too long, and you’ve just about got it covered. Writing this book was like holding a tiger by the tail--or maybe just a very large Alaskan moose. I hope you’ll sense the fun I had writing it as you read.

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Thank you, Allie, for sharing with us today.

Guest Question: What do you like best about history? And if you don't like history, why not? What turned you off from it?

ENTRY RULES Readers, leave your email address (name at domainname dot com/net) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of the book above. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.

Spotlight on Allie Pleiter and Bluegrass Christmas

Today, I bring you another Christmas book and one of my favorite authors to host here on my blog. :)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ALLIE PLEITER is an avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, who writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, doing laundry, running carpools, and finding new ways to avoid housework. She grew up in Connecticut, holds a BS in Speech from Northwestern University, spent fifteen years in the field of professional fundraising, and currently lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois. The “dare from a friend” to begin writing nine years ago has given rise to a career spanning two parenting books, eight novels including the multi-nominated MY SO-CALLED LOVE LIFE, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing. Visit her website at www.alliepleiter.com or her knitting blog at www.DestiKNITions.blogspot.com

BLUEGRASS CHRISTMAS
by Allie Pleiter
Published by Steeple Hill/Love Inspired

ABOUT THE BOOK

An Old Fashioned Christmas...

That’s what led new believer Mary Thorpe to start over in quaint Middleburg, Kentucky. As director of the church’s Christmas pageant, Mary’s job is to bring the townspeople together, to remind them what the season is really about. But everyone is all riled up over one very handsome man: the man daring to run against Middleburg’s popular long-stnding mayor. Mac MacCarthy wants change. Mary wants things to stay as they are. Is there a happy medium? Both Mac and Mary are in for one very big Christmas surprise.

Readers, buy your copy of Bluegrass Christmas today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

I knew I wanted to give Mac MacCarthy the story--readers met him in Bluegrass Hero--and I knew it was going to be a Christmas book. So I began to think about Mac’s character and what would get under his skin, what could challenge him in ways that would make an interesting story. At some point during my pondering, a toy commercial came on the television and I got to thinking about the annoying song in the commercial and who was behind all that Christmas frenzy marketing. After that, it was an easy recipe for holiday mayhem.

2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that were theirs and theirs alone?

Well, I’ve been known to botch a holiday gift or two. There’s the Lego incident we no longer discuss in our household. And I’ve been the recipient of a fair number of odd gifts, so there was plenty to draw upon there. But the stresses of finding the “perfect holiday” are universal, so they were easy to instill in my characters. I craft my characters pretty much on instinct--I get into trouble when I try to over-think the processes. I did want a cockatoo, once, but never got one. My husband is a huge enthusiast for Nissan Z cars, so there was no question it would be Mac’s sportscar of choice.

3. If your hero/heroine were an ice cream flavor, what would he/she be and why?

Mac would be mint chocolate chip, but for the life of me I don’t have a reason why. Maybe it’s the biscotti Dinah offers him in the opening chapter. Mary, well, I see her as a rocky road kind of girl.

4. Are there any themes in Bluegrass Christmas that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the stories progressed?

I never really know my theme until the story’s complete. Again, I don’t start out with a theme in mind...it’s a developmental process for me. Bluegrass Christmas is about the size of secrets, though, and how we misjudge ourselves, our secrets, and our neighbors. Lots of people make whopping mistakes in the book, and still Christmas redeems itself because redemption is the core of the Christmas message.

5. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

I love to write arguments, mostly because I’m so dialogue driven. And people usually blurt out truths they’d rather not have shared when they’re in the middle of a good row, so it’s fun for plot development. I wrote the scene in the steeple several times before I got it right, because that one was so pivotal and it was so important to me that it be authentic. The big crowd scenes--where the whole town is wrestling with an issue--are technically challenging, too.

6. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

Middleburg gets one last visit with “Bluegrass Easter” my Easter novella in Steeple Hill’s March release Easter Promises.

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Thank you, Allie, for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of Bluegrass Christmas.

Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net). You won't be entered in the drawing without it. If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post.

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:' when you leave a comment and they'll be sent to the email address associated with your blogging account. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when the winners are announced each time.

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.

Spotlight on Allie Pleiter and Bluegrass Blessings

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ALLIE PLEITER is an avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, who writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, doing laundry, running carpools, and finding new ways to avoid housework. She grew up in Connecticut, holds a BS in Speech from Northwestern University, spent fifteen years in the field of professional fund-raising, and currently lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois. The “dare from a friend” to begin writing nine years ago has given rise to a career spanning two parenting books, eight novels including the multi-nominated MY SO-CALLED LOVE LIFE, and THE PERFECT BLEND.

BLUEGRASS BLESSINGS
by Allie Pleiter
Published by Steeple Hill/Love Inspired

ABOUT THE BOOK

Everyone in Middleburg, Kentucky lines up for baker Dinah Hopkins’s cinnamon rolls. Everyone except her handsome new landlord, Cameron Rollings. The jaded city man doesn’t like anything about small-town life--from the fresh air to her fresh-baked snickerdoodles. And he clearly considers Dinah as quirky as her eccentric oven. The way to Cameron’s heart is not through his toned stomach. But the Lord led him to Kentucky Corners for a reason. And Dinah plans to help him count his bluegrass blessings.

Buy Your Copy of Bluegrass Blessings today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

I end up with such unusual plot lines that I get asked this a lot. I don’t really know where the stories come from, and frankly, I’m afraid if I analyze the inspiration too deeply it’ll dry up and go away (classic author paranoia, you know). The opening scene invaded my brain one night, pure and simple. Of course, I knew Dinah’s basic character from the other Middleburg books in the series, and from there it’s usually a game of opposite’s attract. Boy, are they opposite, and boy, do they attract!

2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that are theirs and theirs alone?

Well, I can’t bake to save my life, even though I’m a competent cook. Without giving away too much of the plot, I have received an earth-shattering phone call like Dinah gets, so that “upended world” sensation is one I’ve lived through. And many people who know me well would argue that I share Dinah’s crazy artistic nature. I also am a bit of a control freak (conflict, anyone?), so Cameron’s “must manage” nature is part of mine. I suppose it goes without saying that I’m fond of cookies...and muffins...and scones...

3. If one of your characters were an ice cream flavor, what would he/she be and why?

Dinah would be something extreme and mixed up, like Rocky Road or one of the zillions of combinations from Coldstone. Perhaps something with nuts and strawberry in it as a nod to her wild red hair.
Cameron I think of as a mint-chip kind of guy--basic but with more pizzaz than you give him credit for at first.

4. Are there any themes in Bluegrass Blessings that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the stories progressed?

I love to write about characters who believe they are beyond their capacity to cope. Taken to that fertile but frenzied spot where if God doesn’t show up in big ways you are sunk for sure. Someone once said I write characters who discover they are more then who they thought they were, and I love that description. The story became more and more about u-turns as I wrote the book, mostly because the u-turns showed up as I took the characters through the plot. Poor Cameron and Dinah, I really made them miserable before I made them happy...

5. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

I can’t give away the most difficult scene without giving away a major plot point, so I’ll defer on that one, but I suspect you’ll know it when you read it. The stakes are higher for my characters in this book than in any I’ve written, I think. As for my favorite scene, the one where Cameron dupes Howard into buying burnt cookies is my favorite, just because it is so deeply embedded in each of their natural impulses. How many other authors can say they’ve invented philanthropic burnt cookies?

6. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

Next will be BLUEGRASS CHRISTMAS in the fall--October/November just in time for the holiday season. It is Mac MacCarthy’s story--you’ve met Mac in BLUEGRASS HERO. I had a field day with the holiday spirit on this one, turning Middleburg inside out with a toy craze and the Christmas Pageant to end all Christmas pageants!

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Thank you, Allie, for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of Bluegrass Blessings.

Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net). You won't be entered in the drawing without it. If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post.

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:' when you leave a comment and they'll be sent to the email address associated with your blogging account. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when I announce the winner.

This week, the contest is open to anyone worldwide.

Spotlight on Allie Pleiter and Bluegrass Hero

Today's spotlight author treated me to a tall cup of Spiced Chai Tea from Starbucks last year in Dallas at the annual ACFW Conference. We had a nice little chat and shared a bit about our respective writing careers. She's got a great sense of humor too. I'm sure you're going to love her and her books as much as I do. Enjoy!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction. The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, doing laundry, running carpools, and finding new ways to avoid housework. She grew up in Connecticut, holds a BS in Speech from Northwestern University, spent fifteen years in the field of professional fundraising, and currently lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois. The "dare from a friend" to begin writing nine years ago has given rise to a career spanning two parenting books, six novels including the multi-nominated MY SO-CALLED LOVE LIFE, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women's issues, and writing.

BLUEGRASS HERO
by Allie Pleiter
Published by Steeple Hill / Love Inspired

ABOUT THE BOOK

Dust-covered men who smell like horses are the norm at Gil Sorrent's farm. Until a trip to Emily Montague's bath shop changes their lives. Suddenly, Gil's lovelorn farmhands are sparkling clean and attracting women instead of working! So Gil barges into the shop, surprised to find Emily, his pretty polar opposite, selling soap by the truckloads. Suddenly everyone in town is not only cleaner—they're nicer. And when our bluegrass hero tries out the soap for himself, love-shy Emily better watch out!

Buy Your Copy of Bluegrass Hero Today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. What gave you the inspiration for this book?

I wish I knew the answer that this question—it would save me a lot of writers' block heartache . The inspiration often comes out of nowhere in particular—a shred here, a shred there. I saw an ad in a magazine about artisan soap and thought, "I don't know anything at all about soap," and that was the first nugget. I had traveled to Kentucky to do a bookfair, and fell in love with the area. So I began looking for a charming little town and found Midway, Kentucky. When I pulled into town and saw a sign for "Midway Soapwerks," I pretty much gave in to the call to write this book. This is typical of my process—it's a mosaic of impulses that eventually collect themselves into a bigger picture.

2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that are theirs and theirs alone?

Wow, I have no idea. I suppose other people might see aspects of myself in my characters that I don't even see. Others might not see connections I make—it's a fascinating question. Emily and Gil are probably the characters least like myself that I've written yet. I tend to write optimistic extroverts, and both of them are wounded introverts for entirely different reasons. Gil was my first dark and brooding hero, and that was deliberate. I'd not done a character with his damaged emotions before, and I wanted to see what I could do with his personality and still keep the level of humor I'm known for in my books. So, the short answer to this is "not much, and that was the interesting part," if that makes any sense.

3. If one of your characters were an ice cream flavor, what he/she be and why?

Emily would be something classic and understated like Butter Pecan. She's a lover of all things vintage, a very soft woman who surrounds herself with soft and delicate things. Which makes for an interesting character, because she's actually had quite a hard life. I'm not even sure Gil has a sweet tooth...

4. What themes exist in Bluegrass Hero that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

I actually asked my editor this the other day. She said, and I agree, that I write characters who discover they are more than who they thought they were. I write about God showing us new strengths or new gifts. About transformation that leads to adventure and growth. I never plan the theme—it grows out of the book for me—but a friend of mine once said "you write the book you need to read," and I believe that to be true.

5. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

The scene where Gil admits the darkest parts of his past to Emily was a challenge to write, because it is so crucial to the success of the book. That one went through several drafts to get the tone and the pain just right. My favorite scene is the one where Emily has Gil try to guess which scent she wears because it was so much fun to write and to let them gently admit their feelings for each other. That magic moment where you realize the other person feels the same way is always the most fun to create—it's like falling in love over and over, and that's wonderful.

6. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

That's BLUEGRASS COURTSHIP, the next in the Kentucky Corners series. It will Janet's story, the hardware store owner you met in BLUEGRASS HERO. That book will release in February, followed by BLUEGRASS BLESSINGS, Dinah the bakery owner's story. I've had great fun building the town and characters of Middleburg, and am in no hurry to leave!

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Thank you, Allie, for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of Bluegrass Hero.

If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post. Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net). Wouldn't want you to miss out on winning a book. :)

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:' when you leave a comment and they'll be sent to the email address associated with your blogging account. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when I announce the winner.

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada only.

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