What can you tell about yourself, Loree?
Well, I’m married to my real life hero and the proud mother
of two beautiful and wonderful grown daughters who have blessed me with 7
amazing and sweet grandorables. I live in Maryland and spend about 1/3 of my
days in our humble little cabin in the Allegheny Mountains (where I spend about
1/3 of my time honing my “Identify the Critter Tracks” skills).
Did you always have dreams of becoming an author? If so, how
did you become a novelist?
As a kid, my first dream was of becoming a ballerina, but
when every dance instructor said “Sorry, you’re too short,”, I focused on a
future as a flight attendant. “Sorry, you wear glasses” sent me on a potential
career in law enforcement, where I was told “Sorry, you’re too short and you
wear glasses.” I loved to read, and dreamed away my share of hours, lost in the
pages of books…but never saw myself writing
one of those stories until our family was transferred from Baltimore,
Maryland to Richmond, Virginia, where I accepted a job as a freelance
neighborhood correspondent for the local paper. Soon, other papers were making
assignments. Yet another job transfer brought us back to Baltimore, where I
showed my clip book to editors, and began taking assignments from the print
media here. Years passed, and I’d accumulated about 2,500 articles as a
‘stringer’ and/or ‘beat reporter.’ Working on that last hundred or so, I began to
notice a disturbing trend: Editors, changing salient facts to appease
advertisers (or, in some cases, politicians). I figured if I was gonna write
fiction, I might as well try my hand at a novel. The result? Pocketful of Love, released by Barbour
Publishing in 1994.
What’s your ‘take’ on Christian fiction?
Though it’s called a lot of things—Christian, inspirational,
faith-based—this area of the fiction market stands apart from others because in
each story, scripture plays a key role. Plotlines shore up the faith of
characters that start out on shaky ground, or turn doubters into believers…and in
many cases, the stories do the same thing for readers! (I’ll bet there are
40,000 letters in my files, written by people who tell me how closely they
identified with a character, situation, or both.
Do you start out hoping your readers will take something
special with them after reading one of your books?
I’ve long believed that God guides the careers of authors
who write faith-based fiction, and that He does it to reach people who might
otherwise be unreachable…or to lead someone who’s searching to an answer or
solution to a problem in their lives. Another important our of authors is to
deliver entertaining stories that transport our readers to new and different
places, far from the pressures and stresses of the real world.
Do any of those letters you’ve received affect you, long-term?
My favorite story comes from the letter written by a 13 year
old girl in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Amy lived in a house with an assortment of
cousins, her grandmother, mother, and two aunts—all divorced—who didn’t believe
in God or the possibility of a
normal, healthy love relationship. The girl wrote to say that while spending
the night at a friend’s house, she picked up a novel “because it had a pretty
blond on the cover.” She stayed up all night, and by morning, had finished
reading it. The plan had been to return home before her friend’s family went to
church. Instead, she accepted their invitation to services “because I wanted to
see if real ‘church people’ were as friendly in church as they were in that
book.” Amy said her life changed that day, because she realized that “having
God in your life is better than not having Him in it.” Week after week, she told
me, she attended services with the family…and attended on her own when
vacations or illnesses kept her friend’s family away. She fell in love with a
young man, there among the congregation. Today, many years later, they’re
married with four rosy-cheeked children, who attend services at that same
church. “All because of one line in your book,” she said: “’God knows who is
best for you, and if you let Him, He will make sure you meet him.’” The book? Priscilla Hires a Husband.
Has being a novelist impacted your relationship with Christ?
Oh yes, in many ways! Researching scripture that I’ll
include in the story always adds a layer of comprehension to my former
understanding of the verses.
Other than writing great novels, do you have other goals for
your life?
To make gnocchi that’s as good as my Italian grandmother’s
was!
What do you do in your spare time?
Few things soothe my soul more than spending time with my
grandorables. They’re all growing up so fast that I grab every moment with them
that I can! I love to garden, sketch and paint, make things from wood. In
short: If it gets me sweaty and dirty and breaks my fingernails, I’m sure to
enjoy it!
What can you tell us about your latest novel?
Sweet Mountain
Rancher, #2 in Harlequin
Heartwarming’s “Those Marshall Boys” series is set on a sprawling ranch just
outside Denver. Former major league pitcher Nate Marshall is seriously injured
in the fiery crash that killed his fiancé. Though his body is mostly healed,
his heart has a long way to go when he returns to the family ranch. Enter Eden
Quinn, administrator of Latimer House, home to a dozen wayward boys. When she
brings the troubled teens to the Double M for some fresh air and real-life experiences,
everyone faces new challenges that
have the power to destroy…of improve their lives.
What’s next for you?
Every time I give a speech, teach a workshop, or lead a
seminar, someone asks “Will you ever retire, Loree?” The answer is always, word
for word, the same (and a couple of years ago, I the words printed on a t-shirt):
“I’ll retire when they pry the keyboard from my cold, dead hands.” So I guess
readers can expect more of the same!
Any parting words?
I hope everyone has enjoyed the summer, and that they’ll
have a happy, healthy year-end as well. If you’re so inclined, I’d love for you
to connect with on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram!
Counting on a Cowboy
