A Little Chat w/Darlene Franklin

Best-selling author Darlene Franklin’s greatest claim to fame is that she writes full-time from a nursing home. She lives in Oklahoma, near her son and his family, and continues her interests in playing the piano and singing, books, good fellowship, and reality TV, in addition to writing. She is an active member of Oklahoma City Christian Fiction Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Christian Authors Network. She has written over fifty books and more than 250 devotionals. Her historical fiction ranges from the Revolutionary War to World War II, from Texas to Vermont.

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Welcome to Whispers in Purple, Darlene. It’s great to have you here today. Let’s chat a little.

How do you start your day?

I try to have my quiet time first thing. Otherwise I get caught up in other things. Breakfast whenever it’s served (I live in a nursing home) After that, it depends on the day.

What ten words best describe you?

I asked my friends, so I wouldn’t be bragging about myself. According to them, I am encouraging, smart, creative, tenacious, kind, friendly, sweet, giving, faithful. On my best days, that’s the person I want to be.

Those are great, admirable traits, Darlene. How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing every day since 1991.

What authors have inspired or mentored you?

My original mentors were the writers I met with every other week for years: Vickie Baker, Janet Garmon, Laurel Becker, Sheila Seifert. Tamela Hancock Murray believed in me enough to be my agent. Susan Page Davis and Cynthia Hickey have been close writing partners and co-workers throughout the years. From there, I could list dozens of authors who have touched my life over the years.

What is your favorite food?

Either a rare steak or a hot caramel & fudge sundae

Yummy! I love a rare steak, too. What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

Hmm. Maybe traveling home to Maine from Mexico City by bus?

Yikes! I would say that definitely qualifies!

Describe your writing process.

I used to have a lengthy pre-writing process. Now I write in chunks. For the next hour, I’m writing on my big project. Break. For the next half hour, I’m editing devotionals, and then I’m posting on Facebook for half an hour and take a break. At any time I may be interrupted for a shower, to clean the room, eat a meal . . .

OKAY, let’s talk about your book.

•  Title: Gifts of Christmas
• · Publisher: Forget Me Not Romances
• · Release Date: 8/23/15
• · Genre: historical romance, novella, holiday

Tell us a little bit about it and how you came to write it.

Gifts of Christmas is a trio of three stories I had already written. An Apple for Christmas is part of the Christmas Traditions series. Lucy Ames, Sharpshooter was originally published by Barbour about a family of four sisters with significant ranching skills. And Christmas Visitors is a short story my agent encouraged me to write last year, one of my first solo-published books and which has been well received.

Give us the back cover blurb:

Enjoy Christmas from time gone by, when times were simpler and celebrations wholesome. In Gifts of Christmas, Darlene Franklin has brought us clean, sweet stories that celebrate the true meaning of the holiday and leave our hearts warm and our spirits uplifted.
Includes the novellas: An Apple for Christmas, Lucy Ames, Sharpshooter, and Christmas Visitors

Give us the buy link/s where folks can purchase it.

http://www.amazon.com/Gifts-Christmas-romantic-novellas-ebook/dp/B014DT19DA/

Where can folks find you on the Internet?

• Website/blog: http://darlenefranklinwrites.com/
• Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Darlene-Franklin/e/B001K8993A/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Poet.Darlene.Franklin
• Twitter: @darlenefranklin

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Thank you so much Darlene for being my guest on Whispers in Purple. God’s Blessings on you and your writing career.