Christmas in July Book Tour ~ Delia Latham ~ Do you See What I See? !~ Smoky Mountain Christmas

Hello, everybody! It's been quiet here, huh? Some my fault, some technical stuff beyond my control...

But please welcome multi-published author Delia Latham as she visits Whispers in Purple on a CHRISTMAS IN SUMMER blog tour, AND to answer some interview questions.

 

Notebook w/Pen

First, though, Delia has decided to award an eBook copy of Smoky Mountain Christmas AND a small notebook with the cover of her book in the collection  (Do You See What I See?) to one commenter (to be chosen by random.org) who can answer the following question in a mini-scavenger hunt. Find the answer somewhere on her website: What do I call my street team? Then come back here and leave your answer. (Physical prizes available only to U.S. residents. Commenters from outside the U.S. will receive only the eBook.)

A grand prize will be awarded at the end of the blog tour, so be sure to follow along and leave comments at each blog. Your comments are your entries.

 

Now, on with the interview. How long have you been writing, Delia?

First, I want to thank you, Peg, for hosting me on Whispers in Purple. I’m excited about being here!

My first book was released in 2006, but I’d been writing long before that happened. I like to say that I was born with a pencil in my hand, but I guess that’s a bit of a stretch, isn’t it? 😊 I do remember carrying a notebook, pencils and pens with me everywhere I went, as early as maybe four or five years old. I wrote little poems and songs, and then graduated to (very bad) short stories. I was a staff writer for the largest daily paper in Kern County (California) for several years, and also wrote for a regional magazine in that same area. I finally got serious about writing the novel I’d always wanted to write shortly after leaving the newspaper, and then I couldn’t quite seem to stop. Maybe someday...

Maybe not.

What sparks your creative juices when feeling drained?

It could be any number of things, but a change of scenery works nicely. I’ll grab my laptop and go write in the local coffeehouse or participate in a writing sprint with a friend. Sometimes I do that alone, as well—just set a timer for 15-20 minutes and write like crazy until the buzzer sounds. Don’t edit, don’t even think too much…just write. Writer’s retreats don’t hurt either. It’s always rejuvenating to be around other people who do what you do, believe in what you do, and understand all the crazy little writer-ly things you do!

What is your typical writing day like?

I’m blessed to be able to write full-time if I choose to, which is great…and not so great. When you know you can write any time, it’s easier to procrastinate, and I confess, I’m bad about that. But most days, I’m either writing, editing/critiquing or both. I also design book covers, so if I have both an editing job and a book cover going on, my time is divided three ways. I usually edit and/or design during the day and write at night after my husband goes to bed. I write much more effectively after everyone else is asleep. Interruptions pull me out of the story and sometimes it’s difficult to emerge myself into it again, so I long ago developed the habit of writing at night.

My guest bedroom shares space with my desk, but I rarely write there. It’s more a place to store files and supplies and a display area for my books and their covers. I do the lion’s share of my writing from an oversized chair in the living room.

Is there a theme verse that holds this story together?

The blog tour features novella included in Smoky Mountain Christmas, a four-book collection that includes novellas by Jeanie Smith Cash, Rose Allen McCauley, Amber Stockton and me. Each of the four books features one of four female cousins who return to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, unwillingly, for their grandfather’s 80^th birthday. More about that a little later.

My novella in Smoky Mountain Christmas is Do You See What I See? —and it has two key verses:

Psalm 119:18 [NIV]—Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.

Matthew 13:13 [NIV]— This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

Here’s a blurb for Do You See What I See?

Laramie Buchanan’s fiancé betrayed her on what should have been their wedding day.

Evan Lassiter is still trying to recover from being jilted at the altar three years ago.

Now, with Laramie’s beloved Granddaddy celebrating his eightieth birthday (on Christmas Eve) she’s forced to return home to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. But even the memory of that awful day rips her heart to shreds. How can she survive a face-to-face meeting with the man she still loves?

Yesterday's heartbreak blinds them both to a surprising truth that could heal their hurting hearts. Will they see it in time to save their love?

Do you have a favorite character in your novel(s)? If so, who, and why?

That’s a hard choice to make. I have twenty-six published novels and novellas, plus a good many short stories and a couple of children’s books. That’s a lot of characters, all of whom I love for one reason or another. It’s a little like asking a mother which of her children is her favorite.

That said, I have fallen rather deeply in love with Angelina Love, a sweet but mysterious woman from my Paradise Pines series. Miss Angie is so wonderfully wise and loves to spout scripture at any and every opportunity, on any and every subject. Most of the time, the verses she quotes are precisely what another character needs in that moment. No one ever seems capable of being angry at her, not even those characters who are not Christians—but then, she never comes across as “preaching” at them—that’s simply the way she converses. She seems to know almost everything about almost everybody, but no one knows the first thing about her.

What’s not to love about a character like that? 😊

She sounds delightful! What can we expect to see from you in the future?

My work-in-progress is One Harvest Knight, #3 in what we (the authors) hope to be a perpetual, rolling-release collection of books known as Grace Kitchen. All of the stories will have some connection to a unique soup kitchen (Grace Kitchen, of course) that sits just off the town square in Harvest, Tennessee. If everyone loves these stories as much as I do, we’re all going to be very happy. I hope you’ll all check ’em out!

Back cover blurb Smoky Mountain Christmas boxed set:

Claude Buchanan is turning 80. Ida Buchanan wants her husband to have an 80th birthday he’ll never forget. His one request is for all their children and grandchildren to be there for the party. They have four sons, and each one has a daughter—the heroines in each of the novellas. The cousins all share the last name of Buchanan.

All four young women left Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the last few years—for reasons specific to each—and moved to another area or state. For that reason, they don’t want to return for the party. But because they love their grandparents, they do. Returning home forces each young woman to deal with what caused her to leave in the first place, and in each case, opens the door to true love.

Book box set purchase link:

https://www.amazon.com/Smoky-Mountain-Christmas-Delia-Latham-ebook/dp/B07L9JQY3B/

Delia Latham bio:

Writing Heaven’s touch into earthly tales, Delia Latham puts her characters through the fire of earthly trials to bring them out victorious by the hand of God, His heavenly messengers, and good, old-fashioned love. You’ll always find a touch of the divine in her tales of sweet romance.

Delia and her husband Johnny live in East Texas, where their pampered Pomeranian, Kona, kindly allows them to share her home. The author enjoys multiple life roles as wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, but above all, she loves being a princess daughter to the King of kings. She admits to a lifelong, mostly un-battled Dr Pepper addiction, and loves hearing from her readers.

Contact this author at any of the following locations:

Website

Amazon Author Page

Facebook

Twitter

Thank you so much, Delia, for being my guest today! It's been a pleasure getting to know you and learn about this special Christmas boxed set. I love the premise. Many blessings...