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 so pleased to have Meghann Whistler as my guest! Her heart for her stories and her readers really shines in this interview, and her new release sounds like so much fun! She’s giving away a copy of her debut novel. Read on to see how you can enter to win! (And note that her new release is only 99 cents for this week only!)
Tell us a little bit about yourself. I’m a wife, mom, and Christian romance novelist who loves writing sweet, happy stories that won’t make your grandmother blush!
Writing clean stories that readers can enjoy without worrying about R-rated content is important to me because, when I was a teenager, my sister and I took our grandmother to a movie set in her home province of Newfoundland, Canada, and it turned out it wasn’t a family-friendly film. Talk about uncomfortable!
I don’t ever want my stories to put anyone else in that uncomfortable position, so Christian fiction is a great fit for me. 🙂
When I’m not writing, reading, or jamming out to Christian rock music, you can find me enjoying a relaxing evening with my rocket scientist husband (seriously—he’s a real, live rocket scientist!) or playing with my three kids.
Tell us about your current release. The Billionaire’s Secret just released on Monday, and I’m so excited about this book! Inspired by 2 Corinthians 12:9, it’s a sweet inspirational romance with a swoony hero, LOTS of entertaining banter, and a strong Christian message.
Yes, the hero is a billionaire, but this book is definitely not about what it’s like to be wealthy.
There are no private jets, no fancy ball gowns, and no alpha males in sight! Instead, you’ll meet a hero and heroine who feel like real people with real problems, but who also have a strong sense of fun.
The ebook is available for just $0.99 through Sunday, October 17 if you’re interested in checking it out!
How do you push past the fear of your writing being average and be bold enough to sell it to a publisher (or agent or audience if you self publish)? What a great question! Writing has always been my passion. I received awards for it in high school, and I had wonderful professors in both college and graduate school who encouraged me a lot.
I tried to sell my first novel to a publisher back when I was fresh out of grad school at 24, but it didn’t happen. I spent the next fifteen years writing corporate marketing copy for companies in the technology sector. Even though technology definitely isn’t my passion, I loved the fact that I got to spend my days playing with words.
I came back to writing fiction after my youngest son was born. I’d decided to stay home and raise my family rather than go back to my marketing job, but I missed putting pen to paper! In my spare time, I started writing a Christian romance novel, and a few months later I found an agent who helped me sell that story (my debut novel, Falling for the Innkeeper) to Harlequin’s Love Inspired line.
I didn’t really feel like I needed to gather my courage in seeking an agent or a publisher, because I’d written a story that I was proud of and that I wanted to read. I didn’t have a lot of expectations around it. If an agent or a publisher liked it, great! If not, I’d still written a story that I loved, and that was good enough for me!
[Tweet “Meghann Whistler’s brand new release THE BILLIONAIRE’S SECRET is available now! @halleeb #giveaway #christfic #inspyromance #billionareromance”]
How did you determine whether to self-publish or seek a traditional publisher? Another excellent question! My debut novel, Falling for the Innkeeper, was published by Harlequin’s Love Inspired line, but I’m self-publishing The Billionaire’s Secret, so I’ve been on both sides of the fence.
For me, it comes down to the story. I really wanted to write a Christian billionaire romance, but traditional Christian publishers aren’t particularly interested in the billionaire trope. Instead of wasting my time querying a story that I knew would be a hard sell to traditional publishing houses, I went ahead and used that time to learn how to market an independent release.
If you knew ahead of time your book would benefit only one person on their spiritual journey, would you still write it? Yes! When I started writing my first Christian romance, I had no idea if anyone other than me would ever read it. I wrote it for my benefit, and God has 100% used my writing journey to help me!
Do you have your plotline and character development already laid out before you begin writing a book, or do they develop as you write? They definitely develop as I write. I’m a very character-driven writer, and I have to write to discover who my characters are. They’re constantly surprising me and taking the story on interesting twists and turns!
Who were some of your favorite authors as a child? (Book series, maybe?) I was all about reading series when I was a kid. Nancy Drew, Babysitters Club, and Sweet Valley Twins (the younger, more innocent version of Sweet Valley High) were a few of my favorites.
Who was your first Screen/Musical Crush? LOL – Christian Bale in the movie Newsies. I think I was 13 when I saw it, and he was 17 when he filmed it, so at least it was a relatively age-appropriate infatuation.
Here is where you can find Meghann online:
- Web: https://www.MeghannWhistler.com
- BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/meghann-whistler
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20039853.Meghann_Whistler
- Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Meghann-Whistler/e/B086YBHV9J
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMeghannWhistler
Meghann is giving away a copy of her debut novel Falling for the Innkeeper to a reader! (signed paperback for US only / ebook for international) See below how to enter to win:
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Thank you for hosting me today, Hallee!
interesting
🙂
Congratulations to Meghann on both of her books, and kudos to her for learning how to market an independent release and self publish her book!
Nice cover
Thank you!
Thank you, Roxanne!
Thank you!