Interview with Chloe Flanagan and a Giveaway!

Welcome to Readers Write to Know! I asked you, my readers, what questions they would ask their favorite authors if given the chance, and the authors visiting my blog answered them! This week, I am happy to have Chloe Flanagan as my guest. I LOVE the sound of her latest book (the computer nerds in my life rank up there as my favorite people), and I love that she listed Mary Higgins Clark as a favorite author! Read on to see how you can enter to win a paperback copy of No Longer a Stranger!

Tell us a little bit about yourself. First off, I’m thrilled to be here and want to thank you for having me. I’m an Oklahoma native but have lived in many different places in the US, including Texas, the Alabama Gulf Coast, Hawaii, Georgia, and New York City, where I went to college. I’m back in Oklahoma City now, where I’m a technical editor for an aerospace engineering firm, a blogger, and an indie author.

Tell us about your current release. My most recent release is called No Longer a Stranger, and it’s the third romantic suspense book in my An Offer of Grace Series. It’s the story about two very different people.

He’s a lovable goofball and computer nerd. She’s a tough ex-cop with a past. She enters his life to help resolve a blackmail and attempted kidnapping. Working on the case together dredges up old sins, new dangers, and a potential romance.

If you knew ahead of time your book would benefit only one person on their spiritual journey, would you still write it? haha. I’m not even sure of that one person when I write a story, but the short answer is yes.

Before I started writing fiction, I began my blog The Candid Corinthian because I wanted a space to reflect on the experiences, struggles, and joys of my faith journey; I had a lot to process. What I found, as people started reading my musings, that some could relate to my experiences and even found encouragement in them. I think the process with fiction is somewhat similar. I tell a story with themes and characters that mean something to me and trust God to let that narrative find the reader it will resonate with. Naturally, I market and share my books to advance that goal, but at the end of the day, I believe there is a great deal of Providence at work in the process.

Who was your first Screen/Musical Crush? Timothy Dalton! He was my first James Bond, and I loved those movies. Also, of all the film adaptations of Jane Eyre, my favorite is the one where he plays Rochester.

How did you determine whether to self-publish or seek a traditional publisher? I decided to self-publish because I wanted control over the process. Also, it seems to fit around my daytime career better than traditional publishing would. Right now, I work at my own pace, and I like that.

What made you take the plunge and finally do it? At the beginning of 2017, I made a resolution out loud to some friends that I wanted to write a book that year. My thought was that I’d adapt some of my blog posts into book form. But I really couldn’t get much movement on that idea as I explored my options. Then, just before July, I heard about Camp NaNoWriMo, the summer version of the National Novel Writing Month challenge. I challenge myself to take one of the dozens of story ideas in my head and flesh it out into 25,000 words in July. I did! By the end of the month, I was halfway through my first novel.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers? Sit down and start putting your story down on paper before you seek too much input from anyone else. The advice and critiques can get too noisy, otherwise. Once you’re on your way with that, you can focus on learning about your craft, studying the things that work in your favorite book and asking trusted reading/writing friends for feedback to make your work shine.

Most importantly, remember God put this story on your heart. Providence is invested in your bringing it about and the Spirit won’t leave you to tell the tale alone.

Who were some of your favorite authors as a child? I was a true bookworm! I really loved Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Little Men, and Jo’s Boys. After that, I’d read almost anything, from Jack London to Mary Higgins Clark.

Which of your characters most reflects your personality? Marion Sloan, the main character in No Longer a Stranger and Regina MacArthur, a secondary character in this book and main character in the first book, both reflect my personality in different ways. They’re both tough and careful with their emotions, but God has a lot to teach them about community and friendship.

Here is where you can find Chloe online:

http://candidcorinthian.blogspot.com

https://facebook.com/candidcorinthian/

https://twitter.com/candidcorinth

https://www.instagram.com/candid_corinthian/

Chloe is giving away a paperback copy of No Longer a Stranger to a reading (US only)! See below how you can enter to win:a Rafflecopter giveaway

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16 comments

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  1. What a great cover for the book! I am looking forward to reading the story.

      • Chloe Flanagan on December 4, 2019 at 21:10
      • Reply

      Thank you, Mimi! I thought the cover designer did a great job of conveying the drama of the story.

    • bn100 on December 4, 2019 at 14:53
    • Reply

    nice advice

      • Chloe Flanagan on December 4, 2019 at 21:12
      • Reply

      Thank you. It’s a blessing to encourage one another.

    • Lisa Stillman on December 4, 2019 at 17:22
    • Reply

    You have lived so many very different from each other places! Which did you like the best?

      • Chloe Flanagan on December 4, 2019 at 21:16
      • Reply

      Hi, Lisa. That’s a good question. I would have to say New York City is still my favorite. I just loved the energy there. But I love my home state too!

  2. What an interesting story. Thanks for sharing.

      • Chloe Flanagan on December 4, 2019 at 21:19
      • Reply

      Thank you. It was a fun story to write.

    • Deanna Jennings on December 4, 2019 at 21:03
    • Reply

    I love your advice to writers!

      • Chloe Flanagan on December 4, 2019 at 21:23
      • Reply

      I’m so glad. Writing can be lonely, so it’s always a good idea to bless one another with words of encouragement.

    • Sherri G on December 5, 2019 at 09:52
    • Reply

    I love the cover of this book. I look forward to reading the series (cause I can’t read just one!).

      • Chloe Flanagan on December 5, 2019 at 11:53
      • Reply

      Thanks! I feel the same way about series. haha. It’s like a literary trap!

    • Pam on December 6, 2019 at 12:50
    • Reply

    Can’t wait to read your novels. You are an inspiration. There are so many books in my own head I’ve opted for a memoir but it’s been on hold for years. Maybe now?

      • Chloe Flanagan on December 6, 2019 at 13:56
      • Reply

      I think you should go for it! I’d enjoy reading your memoir. As a bonus, thinking about your past experiences will provide many opportunities for “theological reflection.” And thanks for the interest in my books. I sort of evolved as a writer through the series and pray God will help me do that even more with upcoming projects.

    • Paula Marie on December 6, 2019 at 17:03
    • Reply

    I absolutely adore Chloe Flanagan! So good to see you here! I have read all her books, you cannot go wrong, so grab them up asap!!

      • Chloe Flanagan on December 6, 2019 at 20:56
      • Reply

      Aww, thanks Paula. Back at ya! Reader friends like you make this whole process fun, even on the most challenging writing days!

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