Suspense Mowery Release
Welcome to the Embattled Spirit studio
Our guest today wears many hats and is someone I admire personally. Author, editor, speaker, pastor’s wife, and a strong follower of Christ.
MEET: Paula Mowery
J.A. – I’ve been waiting six months for this interview, and it’s finally here! Woohoo! So first tell my readers how being a published author has changed your life?
PAULA – Becoming a published author has established a ministry for me. God has called me to share His truth through my stories. Through this process God has first taught me the lessons that are woven through my books and then allowed me to pass those along to my readers. I’m humbled and honored that God allows me to share about Christ through this venue.
J.A. – I must add that I appreciate your transparency on your blog, and I have no doubt you sneak some transparency into your new book. What changes occurred in the story between your first idea and the final manuscript?
PAULA – At first the story began more focused on the romance, but as the story progressed, I realized there was more than romance here. The suspense started to play as much into the story as the romance and my first romantic suspense was born. And I discovered I really like writing with these two subgenres combined.
J.A. – Ahhh, yes. Funny how our stories take on their own lives. Tell about your main character. What does she fear, like, or think about?
PAULA – Charlotte Jarvis – Charlie fears facing her past. She focuses so much on her work that she rarely thinks of anything else. She would probably tell you she likes her job as an undercover police officer specializing in nabbing drug traffickers, but she might be stretching the definition of like. Her job has become more of a vendetta and possibly close to an obsession. She does become quite distracted by Colton Thomas, who slides into her like category or maybe even further.
J.A. – “Like category” LOL. I personally think E-books should come with “like” buttons on each page. Anyway, has your character been wounded on any level?
PAULA – Charlie has been wounded through loss of loved ones. This causes her to disconnect from God and even begin to think she should avoid establishing any relationships since connecting with her would surely be a death sentence.
J.A. – Oooh, I might have to ask Charlotte in for an interview. How does this experience compare with that of your first book?
PAULA – My first book was a women’s fiction novella called The Blessing Seer which focused on the struggles of a pastor’s wife. The take-away from that book was a challenge to Christians to get out of comfort zones and go out on a limb for God. For Our Good is a Christian romantic suspense which includes four different points of view, giving the story from the perspective of devoted Christians as well as those who have strayed. The take-away from this book is really two-fold: first and most obvious from the title, God can bring good from even the most difficult situations. Second, as Christians in this dark world we must be guard our faith and know that in these last days there will be those who feign Christianity.
J.A. – Guard our faith and our hearts. So what is your next story?
PAULA – Though I do have a Christmas story and another in a Love Is series coming out, recently I awoke from a dream which will become another story involving Charlie, Colton, and some new characters. My legal pad has about three pages of snippets about this story. As of right now, Charlie will be training as well as using her Christian influence on Nathan. This rookie officer becomes more than just a protector for Sydney. Still bringing their story to life, but this looks to be another Christian romantic suspense.
J.A. – Perfect, Paula. And I will hopefully see you at the ACFW conference in a couple of weeks. Thanks for visiting.
READ more about the author and her newest release…
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“For Our Good” by Paula Mowery
Charlie Jarvis is haunted by loss that fuels her desire to rid the world of drug traffickers. When her next assignment takes her back to her hometown, she has to confront her painful past. She has no interest in a relationship since God seems to kill everyone she loves.
Colton Thomas appreciates material things and the status of being a corporate pilot. When someone approaches him to deliver a package for a large sum of money that could wipe out his debts, temptation knocks loud on his door even as his partner, Marshall, slams it shut. Meeting Charlie challenges his non-committal stance with women. As he considers who he has become and the kind of man he would want to be for Charlie, he confronts his own shallow lifestyle and the fear that he would never be able to help her heal her wounds.
As Charlie pursues the man causing young boys to die of overdoses, she struggles with the secrets she keeps from Colton. With people around them shining the light of God and encouraging their courtship, both Charlie and Colton have to face hard truths about life, death, love, and faith. And maybe find a fresh start for them both.
BIO
Paula Mowery is a published author, acquisitions editor, and speaker. Her first two published works were The Blessing Seer and Be The Blessing from Pelican Book Group. Both are women’s fiction, and their themes have been the topics of speaking engagements. Be The Blessing won the Selah Award in 2014 in the novella category. In November of 2013, her first romance released in the anthology, Brave New Century, from Prism Book Group. This book went to number five on Amazon’s bestseller category, historical Christian romance. Legacy and Love was her first solo romance and was a finalist in the Carolyn Readers Choice Awards in 2015.
Reviewers of her writing characterize it as “thundering with emotion.” Her articles have appeared in Woman’s World, The Christian Online Magazine, and the multi-author devotional blog, Full Flavored Living. She wrote a section for Join the Insanity by Rhonda Rhea. She has devotionals included in several collaborative books.
As an acquisitions editor for Prism Book Group, Paula particularly looks for romance stories with Christian values at its core. She’s especially attracted to those manuscripts that leave the reader mulling over the story long after turning the last page.
Having been an avid reader of Christian fiction, she now puts that love to use by writing book reviews. She is a member of ACFW and is on the author interview team. She was a member of the 2014 and 2015 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference faculty.
Paula is a pastor’s wife and mom to a college student. She homeschooled her daughter through all twelve years, and they both lived to tell about it. Before educating her daughter at home, she was an English teacher in public school.
You can follow Paula at www.facebook.com/pages/Paula-Mowery/175869562589187.
Learn more about Paula at her blog at www.paulamowery.blogspot.com or enjoy her monthly columns on www.christianonlinemagazine.com.
You can also check out her blog for Christian writers at www.ccwcu.blogspot.com.
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