INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR LOREE PEERY ~ Repurposed ~ Giveaway

It's "What's New Wednesday" and Whispers in Purple is delighted to bring you author LoRee Perry who has graciously consented to answer some interview questions.

Welcome , LoRee. Thanks so much for agreeing to this interview.

 First, let’s talk about your writing. What sparks your creative juices when feeling drained?

Coffee and chocolate. Seriously, there are a variety of things that work. Prayer, soft music, watching the bird feeders, a short walk outside. Sometimes my brain is more drained than my body and even blanks. At those times, I’ll sit down and start typing “I don’t know what to write, I don’t know what to write; how do I know what happens next?” In other word, gibberish. Before long, just because my fingers are moving, I’m into the characters and they’re speaking/acting through my fingertips. Coffee and chocolate do work.

I’ll have to try that free-writing trick. And I do agree about the coffee.

How do you go about finding names for your characters?

I consult a go-to list of names. Then I make sure I haven’t used any of them in the past. Next, I check online and search for the meaning of the names as well as characteristics. If they’re listed in a book on my shelf, I’ll have a biblical meaning and a Bible verse to go with the character names.

Interesting. Now, let’s talk about you. When reading, what is your favorite genre?

Romantic suspense. There were old jokes about how the couple can fall in love so fast while running for their lives. All a reader has to do is put themselves in that position. If there are sparks, why not follow up on them if lives are threatened? After all, they may not see tomorrow. I have a long list of favorite authors in this genre, but I’ll just list a few that pop into my mind. H.L. Wegley, Sharee Stover, Tanya Stowe, Christy Barritt.

I just finished reading an H.L. Wegley book. Captivating.  

If you could travel to any time or place, where/when would it be? Why?

I lost my desire to go to Israel or Europe quite a while ago. Virtual tours are a blessing. There are many places I haven’t visited in the USA, and I have a bucket list. The only one I’ve marked off is Niagara Falls. I drool over pictures of the Grand Canyon. I prefer arid over humidity, so Florida is out (I’ve been there several times anyway). I would like to visit New Mexico during a spring or fall, especially see the hot air balloons. I dream of spending time in the Black Hills of South Dakota during Nebraska’s hot months of July and August. As for the when, I’ll read time travel novels.

About Your Book

Title: Repurposed

Author: LoRee Peery

Publisher: Grace and Victory Press

Release Date: April 9, 2020

Genre: Contemporary Christian romance

Stand-Alone:

Target Audience: women of any age, especially those with body-image issues

Talia Ashby is a perfectionistic data analyst who, on occasion, sees her “fat” self when she looks in the mirror. As a svelte former obese girl, she reunites with her secret teen crush, now a pastor in the church she attends.

Cooper Valiant is dazzled upon meeting a high school friend he doesn’t immediately recognize due to her drastic weight loss. Since his sister had an eating disorder, he’d often felt empathy toward Talia as classmates teased and bullied her. In his pastorate position, he asks her to help girls in the youth group come to grips with body-image.

While working with the girls, Talia's recollections of youthful hurts stir up past insecurities. She must reassess her spiritual journey, and what bothers her in the present.

Added to the mix are her reawakened emotions toward the man who once came to her rescue. Will their joint journey include a personal relationship?

Purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086J2QDQF?ref

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

Talia Ashby is the heroine of Repurposed. Except for her great weight loss, I can identify with most of her insecurity and weight-based issues (as most women probably do). I am presently overweight, and according to BMI charts, even obese. Many days it doesn’t matter that I’m a great-grandmother. It bothers me if I don’t feel good in my clothes. Some may ask, “Why should you even care at your age?” I just do.

What take-away value do you want readers to gain from your novel?

What we see in the mirror is extremely personal and can be damaging if dwelled on too long. It’s common for teenagers to wish they had curly hair if theirs is straight, straight if they were born with curly hair. Sometimes noses and ears are seen as too big. Whatever. It’s human to find the faults. But that’s not healthy.

I grew up during a time when pressure to be thin was everywhere. Since I’m not very tall, have a short waist, and a broad ribcage along with wide shoulders, I’ve always felt too big. (Even when I was thin, and that’s a shame.) Unfortunately, I voiced my negative body image in front of my daughters. The enemy used that to impact them both, but their stories are not mine to tell.

It took a long time to recognize, based on Psalm 139, how I am fearfully and wonderfully made. God knows every cell and atom of my body. If I criticize my outward appearance, I’m slamming God because I am the way He made me. If I diet and think about ways to take off pounds, I’m not focusing on the Lord. He loves me as I am, and I am one of His creations. HE DOES NOT MAKE JUNK.

About LoRee

 Nebraska country girl LoRee Peery writes fiction that hopefully appeals to adult readers who enjoy stories written from a Christian perspective, focusing on the romance. These include novels and novellas for women and men in the Contemporary, Romance, Historical, Time Travel, and Mystery/Suspense categories. She writes of redeeming grace with a sense of place. Her Frivolities Series and the book based on her father’s unsolved homicide, Touches of Time, are available on Amazon. She is who she is by the grace of God: Christian, country girl, wife, mother, grandmother and great-, sister, friend, and author. Connect with LoRee through these

links:

www.loreepeery.com

https://twitter.com/LoreePeery

https://www.facebook.com/LoReePeery

Find her publications at Pelican http://tinyurl.com/kwz9enk

And Amazon https://www.amazon.com/LoRee-Peery/e/B004UAGL2W/ref

Giveaway: LoRee is offering a gift print copy of Repurposed to one of this post’s readers. Entering is easy: Just leave your name AND contact information (so we can let you know if you’re the winner), in the comments section below. Giveaway runs for one week from today, ending on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, at Midnight, Central Time.