Interview with Courtney Walsh & GIVEAWAY  | The Engrafted Word

Courtney Walsh is a published author, scrapbooking expert, theatre director and playwright. Her debut novel, A Sweethaven Summer, was released in February, 2012 by Guideposts Books, and will be followed by two additional novels in the series. She has also written two papercrafting books, Scrapbooking Your Faith and The Busy Scrapper and is currently working on her third, The Scrapcrafter’s Idea Book (F&W Publications, February, 2013.)

Courtney has been a contributing editor for Memory Makers Magazine and Children’s Ministry Magazine and is a frequent contributor to Group Publishing curriculum, newsletters and other publications. She has also written several full-length musicals, including her most recent, The Great American Tall Tales and Hercules for Christian Youth Theatre, Chicago. Courtney is a member of ACFW and is the current PR Manager for Webster’s Pages, a scrapbooking manufacturer. She lives in Colorado with her ultra creative husband and three children.

————————————————————————————————————————-

Savanna:  Welcome to The Engrafted Word, Courtney.  Congratulations on your newest release, Paper Hearts. What an adorable cover, by the way! 😉 Which character in this story do you most relate to and why?

Interview with Courtney Walsh & GIVEAWAY  | The Engrafted WordCourtney:  Ha. If I say the crabby, old Ursula Pembrooke, will you think less of me? Just kidding…I think I relate to my heroine, Abigail the most. She is at a crossroads in her life, one she didn’t expect or ask for, and the way she responds to these challenges and the things she learns as a result are very much a part of my own journey. Plus, she has a dream she’s been shoving to the background, waiting for “the right time”…only to discover that in all her waiting, that dream is fading farther and farther away…

Savanna: 🙂 Describe your favorite place to write. What’s your ideal setting for inspiration?

Courtney:  I spent my first year out of college as a newspaper reporter, and I think one of the very best things I took away from that job was the ability to write just about anywhere. You sit in a noisy room filled with other reporters who are often on the phone, and you HAVE to write because you’re up against a deadline. As a result, I am able to block out noise pretty easily (much to the dismay of my children…ha.) I wrote my first book sitting at a table in my local Barnes and Nobel, but now I actually prefer to be home, in my writing chair with my headphones in and my Pandora tuned to a station that only plays instrumental movie music. That music has become an integral part to my process…

Savanna:  Ah, I admire that ability. I wish I wasn’t so easily distracted myself. 😉

What is your favorite genre to read and what was one of your favorite books of 2014?

Interview with Courtney Walsh & GIVEAWAY  | The Engrafted WordCourtney:  My favorite genre is Contemporary Romance. I am a sucker for the love story. Even though there is always a predictable element, I LOVE them. If they have some humor, even better. One of my favorite books of 2014 was “Meant to be Mine” by Becky Wade. I have loved all of Becky’s stories, and this one was no exception. I don’t open them unless I can afford late nights and a day or two of shirking responsibility. 😉

Savanna:  I love Becky Wade – both the author and her books! 😉

What’s one of your favorite writing quotes? There’s so many good ones out there!

Courtney:  I have many: “Fill the paper with the breathings of your heart.” and “Don’t get it right, get it written” are two that stick with me most!

Savanna:  Great quotes! What is one of your most unforgettable moments from your writing career to date?

Interview with Courtney Walsh & GIVEAWAY  | The Engrafted WordCourtney:  When my agent told me my first book made the New York Times e-book bestseller list. I was at an arts & crafts trade show with the company I worked for at the time and I got a text that said “Number 19 on the NY Times Bestseller list.” I was so happy for whoever she was talking about and texted by “WHO?” (thinking it was one of her other authors.) She wrote back “YOU!” and I lost my breath. It was perfectly surreal and such a gift from God at the time. I’ll never forget it!

Savanna:  Wow! What a surreal moment!

Is there anything else you’d like to add? Any upcoming projects you can share with us?

Courtney:  I just turned in the first draft for the second book in this series and have some really fun things planned for the official release, which will be happening over on my blog. 🙂 I love to chat with readers too and try to stay up with them on my Facebook page.

Savanna:  I’m looking forward to reading your books, Courtney!  Thanks so much for being with us today.  It’s been great having you as our guest.

Courtney: Thank you so much for having me, Savanna!

GIVEAWAY!!

Courtney has graciously offered a copy of Paper Hearts to one lucky reader! Enter below and it could be YOU! 😉

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for entering! Contest is open only in the U.S. and ends January 13, 2015.  The winner will be notified by email. Happy Reading, everybody! 😉