Today I welcome fellow 5 Prince Publishing author, Rebekah Roberts! The moment I read the blurb and sample chapter of this book, I fell in love with it and purchased it for my daughter. Not to mention the cover is amazing!
What inspired you to write?
A
lack of good books to read. As a teen I
had a hard time finding books that were “my style” so I decided to write for myself.
What is your work schedule like
when you’re writing?
I work as a
full-time nanny. So when the twins are
busy, (or napping), I try to squeeze in
some writing time.
What would you say is your
interesting writing quirk?
I always
start out to write a short story and then it always becomes a novel. I guess I have a big imagination, or I am
just long winded.
MJ: LOL! I know what you mean! For me, writing a short story is more of a challenge than writing a 400 page novel!
Are you a pantser or plotter?
A
little of both.
Are your stories based on experiences
based on someone you know, or are events in your own life reflected in the
characters/stories you write? Can you share and example?
I always throw in humor from real life. The awkward prayer scene in Petals, where the
heroine closes her eyes and waits for someone to say grace, then opens her eyes
to see that they are all waiting on her to take their hands. That actually happened to me. My characters have seasoning from myself and people
I know, it’s hard not to put yourself and people you love or even people you
can’t stand into a novel.
Do you have any suggestions to
help new authors become a better writer? If so, what are they? They always say, “Write what you know.” But the best advice I was ever given was
“Write what you dream.” If you write
what you are passionate about, then it will come out deeper and more
meaningful. Look at the Bronte sisters
or Edger Rice Burroughs, they were recluses who wrote about fantastic romance
and adventures. If they only wrote what
they knew, Tarzan would be set in an ordinary living room.
MJ: Great advice!
Are you self-pubbed, indie
pubbed, or traditionally pubbed?
Indie. I felt like it was the right way to get
started and I have been pretty happy with it.
What are your current projects?
I am working on a sequel to Petals, called,
Sheltering Snow. It’s a modern take
on the Snow White tale but in my mind that translates into a teen runaway with
a secret. I am also looking into a
woman’s fiction project. Not sure all
the details yet but it will deal with some quirky roommates who are all VERY
single.
Blurb:
“Beauty
might just be the beast.”
Calla
Williams is not like other girls. Most girls spend their whole lives
trying to be beautiful, Calla already is…and she hates it.
When
she is shipped off one summer to live with family friends in their dilapidated
Mississippi plantation, Calla is faced with the prospect of living with
strangers and their teenage son. This is annoying because, like any other
boy, he is sure to fall in love with her on sight. However, Griffin Davenport
is not your typical teenage guy. With his hot temper and half of his face
severely scarred, “hate at first sight” is closer to what she finds.
Though
the two teens try to stay out of each other’s way, an odd attraction to each
other makes staying away anything but easy.
Now,
Calla must deal with growing feelings, her own prejudices, and finding the
secret to Griffin’s past. As hate turns to friendship and friendship becomes
something more, Calla learns a startling truth: God uses even how we look in
His plan for our lives.
Excerpt:
When I made it to
the kitchen, I found it dark with all the curtains pulled. I flicked on the switch and, just
as the night
before, the room flooded with light.
A man was standing to the side,
leaning against the stove. I let out a little shriek, startled to find someone
in the dark room.
The first thing I noticed was his face. It was
horribly scarred. Half of it was normal while the other half
looked mangled. He
was tall and huge, completely dwarfing me. The room felt suddenly too small for
comfort.
“Need something?” he asked. He
sounded angry but I didn’t know why.
“Just…um, the cream.” I moved to the
counter where I could see it sitting, but my eyes stayed on Griffin. I
knew it was
Griffin, I mean, who else could it be?
“What are you staring at?” he said, anger
rising in his throat. He spat out he words in tone that sounded
automatic.
“Um… sorry… I.”
“Wanna see freaks? Go to a
circus.” He stepped forward and got
right in my face. His breath was hot,
making goose bumps
fill out all over my arms and back. I
could see every twisted, graphic line of his face; it
looked like
something out of a horror movie. The closeness of his massive body felt almost
like an attack.
He stared into my eyes for a moment,
then he moved past me, his nose almost grazed mine. He stomped
through the door;
it wobbled back and forth on its hinge
About the Author:
Rebekah Roberts’ obsession with
fairytales, romance, and Jesus came at an early age. She knew as a young teen
that she wanted to write books for girls that were both fun to read and good
for them.
While working as a nanny and
volunteering in her church’s youth group, Rebekah continues her mission to
write wholesome romances and uses fiction as a platform for The Unfolding Rose
Ministries; where she helps to promote true beauty and self confidence in
girls.
Rebekah was homeschooled through
high school. She continued her education at Moore Norman Technology,
where she studied creative writing. She uses her education to instill a love of
the craft in the next generation through teaching writing classes.
Growing up in small town
Oklahoma, she loves the old south and history, which finds its way into her
writing and everyday conversation with dreams of plantation houses, WWII
dances, and Victorian trivia. She has a passion for taking an old story and
making it new.
When she is not writing or
working with youth, she loves to watch sci-fi movies with family or enjoy a pot
of tea with good friends.
Petals is her first novel. www.RebekahRoberts.net
