Author Interview (and a Giveaway!): Amy R. Anguish & Saving Grace

Please join me in welcoming Amy R Anguish to the blog to chat about her new book, Saving Grace!

Author of An Unexpected Legacy, Faith and Hope, and Saving Grace

Amy R Anguish grew up a preacher’s kid, and in spite of having lived in seven different states that are all south of the Mason Dixon line, she is not a football fan. Currently, she resides in Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and son, and usually a bossy cat or two. Amy has an English degree from Freed-Hardeman University that she intends to use to glorify God, and she wants her stories to show that while Christians face real struggles, it can still work out for good.

Follow her at abitofanguish.weebly.com, Facebook or Twitter

Learn more about her books at https://www.pinterest.com/msguish/my-books/

And check out the YouTube channel she does with two other authors, Once Upon a Page

SAVING GRACE
GENRE: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
PUBLISHER: Scrivenings Press
RELEASE DATE: October 6, 2020
PAGES: 234

What if saving Grace doesn’t mean what she thinks it does?

Michelle Wilson’s one goal in life was to become a top journalist at the local paper back in her hometown of Cedar Springs, AR. But on the way to bringing that dream to reality, a life-changing wreck interrupts Michelle’s plans and adds an orphaned baby into the mix. Now, she has tough decisions ahead—did God put her in that accident to save baby Grace? And if so, why is it so hard to convince everyone else she should be the baby’s new mommy?

Greg Marshall has been Michelle’s best friend his whole life. He’s thrilled she’s moving back home, but not so sure about her sudden desire to be a single mom. His feelings for her have grown through the years, but she’s never seemed to notice. Can he help Michelle with the adoption and grow their relationship at the same time?

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Hi Amy! Welcome to the blog!

Amy: Cats – I have always had one and the cuddles and purrs help lower my stress (except for the ones she wants to give at 4 am)

Carrie: haha!

Amy: Tea – I got addicted to it in college after running around with a bunch of tea drinkers, and have since discovered even more flavors I love (almost always something black, but lately London Fog is one of my favorites. It’s an Earl Gray latte)

Carrie: I’ve heard a lot of great things about the London Fog! (but i don’t drink tea or coffee sooooo…. lol)

Amy: Music – I have a preschooler and a kindergartner so I have no time to listen to things that require concentration right now. Maybe someday I’ll get into audiobooks and podcasts, but I can read and tune out life better than listening.

Carrie: i bet!

Amy: Soup – Especially this time of year. As much as I like a good sandwich, soups are comforting to me. And there’s so many yummy flavors. Also, I can pretend like they’re healthier and have less calories.

Carrie: Soups are so comforting, you’re right!

Q: Around here I like to say that reading is my superpower. If YOU had a superpower, what would it be?

Amy: Well, I can tell you right now, it’s NOT cleaning my house! Ha! Maybe juggling. In the last couple of years, my schedule has gotten fuller than ever, but I always seem to be able to make deadlines and get things done when I need to, be it a sewing/crochet project for a gift, a meal for my family, or a round of edits to the publisher.

Carrie: that IS a superpower!!

Q: Who is your favorite book character from childhood? 

Amy: Probably the one who has stuck with me the longest and I go back and revisit the most would be Anne of Green Gables. She’s spunky and imperfect, but also full of love she’s just longing to share with people. And I adore her enemies to lovers relationship with Gilbert.

Carrie: I love Anne & Gilbert ♥

Q: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever Googled while researching a book?

Amy: I don’t know if I’ve Googled terribly weird things in the past. Though one time I tried my hand at writing a historical novel and looked up how chickens react in stressful situations like a tornado (I ended up asking a friend who had chickens instead of sorting through all the internet craziness).

And for Faith & Hope, my second book, I had to look up the name of an animal that started with x. There aren’t many, fyi.

Carrie: I can safely say that I have never wondered how a chicken handles stress LOL!!!

Q: Did you have the whole plot outlined before you started writing Saving Grace, or did you let the characters dictate what came next?

Amy: I always start with a beginning and sometimes have a pretty good idea of where I’m going, but when I wrote this story, I don’t even think I knew exactly how that would play out. My husband looks at me and shakes his head when I exclaim that my characters did something unexpected. He doesn’t understand how something I created can take over and do something I didn’t already know about. But it happens.

Carrie: haha! I confess I don’t really understand it either but enough authors talk about that I totally believe you lol

Q: What do you most want readers to take away from Saving Grace?

Amy: My character Michelle thought she understood what God was trying to tell her at the beginning of this book, but the farther in she goes, the more doubts niggle. So often, we allow our own plans and desires to take over our lives instead of listening to see if it’s something God would actually approve of. But God’s plan is always better, even if we can’t see it first. We need to live with our eyes open to make sure we’re headed His direction and not where we think we ought to go.

Carrie: Amen.

Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me! 🙂 Before we say goodbye for today, tell us what‘s coming up next for you.

Amy: I’m so excited because I have another book coming out in five months! March 9^th, my book Writing Home will release with Anaiah press. It’s a story of how two pen pals discover more to their relationship, but have to figure out how to make that work with two states between them.

Beyond that, I’m finishing polishing up another proposal for the company who just published Saving Grace. And I’m writing a book in November during Nanowrimo, something I do every year. Here’s hoping I can do it, because it’s the second in a three-book series I hope to finish up next year so I can start pitching it. Whew! I told you I’m staying busy!

Amy R Anguish is offering a print or ebook copy of Saving Grace to one of my readers! (US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

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What about you? What makes you want to read Saving Grace by Amy R Anguish?