Good morning, dear reader. Welcome to this year’s first edition of Women of Faith and Fiction. I’m so excited to have author Cynthia Roemer with me this morning.

I met Cynthia while working behind the scenes during a 3 Questions Wednesday Interview on Inspired Prompt, and I just had to have her over for a visit. Cynthia is offering an e-book to one commenter. Be sure to leave her a comment to have your name added to the drawing! I’ll leave a reminder at the end of the post. Now, let’s get started.

Personal

Good morning, Cynthia. Please tell us a little about yourself.

Thanks so much for hosting me, Gail. I’m a farm wife from rural Illinois. I love all things country! My husband and I will soon be married twenty-five years, and we have two college-aged sons. I’ve been writing short-stories/Christian articles since my college days and have dreamed of writing novels even longer!

Cynthia, it’s my pleasure to have you here! In my opinion, country is the only way to go. Let’s talk about your professional life. Why did you choose to write in your chosen genre?

Professional

I love history, especially the nineteenth century. I can get caught up in research very easily. There is just something nostalgic and fascinating in learning about the past. We have so much to gain from the wisdom and ways of those who’ve passed before us. I started out writing straight historical, but my critique partners saw a spark of romance in my writing that quickly took root. I love depicting imperfect characters that are drawn together through faith challenges.

I agree. We have much to learn from the past. Talking about books, please share something you wish the reader knew about your book.

The ideas for my novels generally start with a theme verse or message I wish to portray through the storyline and characters. I view my writing as a ministry, and it’s my prayer the Lord will use my novels to speak His truths into the hearts and minds of readers in a subtle, endearing way.

I love a story that speaks to my heart. In your opinion, what is the hardest part of the writing process?

I am not a fast writer, so for me, I would say the most challenging part of writing is just finding time to write consistently and make adequate progress. There are so many demands vying for my time. Sometimes just sticking with a novel from start to finish can seem daunting.

Oh, how I understand that! How about answering some fun questions?

First draft: Pencil or keyboard?

Keyboard mainly, though I do jot down notes and a rough storyline as the ideas come.

Plotter or pantser?

A bit of both. I start with a rough outline, and then give God the reins to do with it what He will!

Tea or coffee?

Lemonade. I prefer to get my caffeine by eating chocolate! =)

LOL! Favorite thing to do when not writing.

Spend time with family, read, watch old movies, garden, hike, take a family motorcycle ride through the countryside, ride the combine with my husband.

I like riding the tractor with my husband. 😊 Last question . . .

Inspirational

This year’s theme is sharing hope. In Hebrews, the writer tells us to encourage each other while it is called today. Would you please take a moment to share a brief testimony to encourage our readers?

We all have dreams—those driving pulses that spur us to action and set our souls afire. Whether small or great, each of us has deep-seeded wishes we’d like to fulfill. But often life happens and our dreams take a back seat.

For me, it was writing. More specifically, writing books. While in college, I began to research for a historical novel I had churning around in my mind. By the time I graduated, I had written a rough draft of Under This Same Sky, yet I set my dream of pursuing publication aside as I took a job, married, and raised two boys. Though I continued to write articles and short-stories for various Christian publications, my novel lay tucked away untouched for a number of years.

More than twenty years passed before the Lord revived that dream of being a published novelist. At just the right time, He led me down an unexpected path to publication, turning my life-long dream into a reality. To learn more about my writing journey, I invite you to visit my website: https://cynthiaroemer.com/

Whatever your dream in life may be, I encourage you to pursue it, but to allow the Lord time to ripen and mature it. Don’t try to rush it. Instead, enjoy the journey. Let God open the doors and bring about the fruit in His good timing. And while you’re awaiting your dream, don’t forget to make it your goal to touch others’ lives in whatever way the Lord deems best!

Wow! What a testimony of God’s faithfulness. Readers, the last book in this trilogy, Under Moonlit Skies will release in September. Woo Hoo!

Cynthia, thank you for sharing with us. It has been a pleasure, dear friend.

Click to Tweet: More than twenty years passed before the Lord revived that dream of being a published novelist. #interview #giveaway @cynthiaroemer @GailJohnson87

Readers, Cynthia is offering an e-book of either Under This Same Sky or Under Prairie Skies. You get to choose! How great is that? Please leave a comment for a chance to win!

~ She thought she’d lost everything ~ Instead she found what she needed most. ~

Illinois ~ 1854

Becky Hollister wants nothing more than to live out her days on the prairie, building a life for herself alongside her future husband. But when a tornado rips through her parents’ farm, killing her mother and sister, she must leave the only home she’s ever known and the man she’s begun to love to accompany her injured father to St. Louis.

Catapulted into a world of unknowns, Becky struggles to make sense of the path the Lord has placed her on and finds solace in corresponding with Matthew Brody, the handsome pastor back home. But when word comes that he is all but engaged to someone else, she must call upon her faith to decipher her future.

~ Beyond shattered dreams lies a realm of possibilities ~

Illinois prairie ~1855

Unsettled by the news that her estranged cousin and uncle are returning home after a year away, Charlotte Stanton goes to ready their cabin and finds a handsome stranger has taken up residence. Convinced he’s a squatter, she throws him off the property before learning his full identity. Little does she know, their paths were destined to cross again.

Quiet and ruggedly handsome, Chad Avery’s uncanny ability to see through Charlotte’s feisty exterior and expose her inner weaknesses both infuriates and intrigues her. When a tragic accident incites her family to move east, Charlotte stays behind in hopes of becoming better acquainted with the elusive cattleman. Yet Chad’s unwillingness to divulge his hidden past, along with his vow not to love again, threatens to keep them apart forever.

Contact Info:

Cynthia Roemer can be contacted at:

Website

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Purchase Links:

Amazon

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AUTHOR BIO: 

Cynthia Roemer is an award-winning inspirational writer with a heart for scattering seeds of hope into the lives of readers. Raised in the cornfields of rural Illinois, Cynthia enjoys spinning tales set in the backdrop of the 1800s prairie. She writes from her family farm in central Illinois where she resides with her husband and two college-aged sons. Her Prairie Sky Series consists of Book One: Under This Same Sky and Book Two: Under Prairie Skies. Book Three in the series, Under Moonlit Skies, is due to release in September, 2019.

Winner!!!

Les M, you are the WINNER!