Interview with Joanne Bischof plus a Giveaway!

Today, I am blessed to be able to post my interview with Joanne Bischof,
author of The Cadence of Grace Series. After you read the interview with Joanne, there will be instructions for entering to win one of the books from this series.

Hi Joanne, could you tell us what The Cadence of Grace series is about (setting, characters, etc)?

The Cadence of Grace is a three-book historical romance series that takes place in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. It begins with a shotgun wedding between Lonnie, a shy quiet woman with a strong faith and Gideon, the handsome, arrogant mandolin player in Rocky Knob. Love blossoms…and then twists and turns ensue. 🙂 Readers have said it reminds them a bit of Christy or Janette Oke’s Love Comes Softly series, which are both such a huge honor.

How did you decide to write this particular series?
The funny thing is that I wasn’t really looking to write a series. This was one of those instances where the story found me. I didn’t know what it would turn into, but I just knew that I there was something there in this young couple who was the least likely pair to meet and fall in love. It grows and changes over the course of the three books and I really wanted it to be a testimony to how God can work all things out for His glory.

Of the three books, do you have a favorite? Was one book harder to write than the others? Which book was the most fun to write?

Great question. The hardest to write was probably Though My Heart is Torn. I think mainly because of the marriage mix ups that happen there. It was complicated to research on a technical level and emotional to write, but in the same way, so very rewarding. My greatest hope with these characters is to really have them grow on the page. When readers follow along for that journey and share with me how it’s blessed them, it’s the greatest encouragement.

As far as the most fun to write, I would have to say that’s My Hope is Found. A reviewer recently said that Gideon and Toby are like two roosters in the henhouse and truly, the contrast between the two heroes made it a fun story to tell. At the same time, it’s as emotional as the others, but because it’s the finale of the series, essentially the third act, there is great victory in it that I’d been waiting to write for years now.

I know you are a busy homeschool mom. How do you carve out time to write?
It’s tricky! I typically write while everyone is asleep which means that I get about an hour and a half of writing time while the little ones nap and if I’ve got a lot of work to do, I’ll also write late at night. I enjoy those hours, not only because I’m a bit of a night owl, but also because it’s so great to then have the day to spend with the kids and the evenings as a family when my husband gets home.

You recently attended the ACFW conference. What was your favorite part of the conference?
My favorite part of the conference was a pleasant surprise—I really enjoyed getting to chat with people, both whom I’d known before the conference and also those that I had met there. It was so great to get to hear about their conference experiences and see the light in their eyes as they shared their writing hopes and dreams. It really blessed me to be able to simply listen and share in the joy of so many writers with a wonderful passion for writing fiction for the Lord.

What is next for you? Are you currently writing a new book or series?
Currently, I’m working on some new story ideas—the research stages and early writing. It’s more Appalachian romance which is my favorite setting to write in. While it’s been bittersweet to say farewell to the characters of the Cadence of Grace series, it’s also been a lot of fun to work on these new projects!

Thanks for sharing with us today. Fellow readers…if you have not read Joanne’s books, I highly recommend that you do. They are full of a deep characters with so much heart in them! Joanne uses vivid imagery to pull the reader into the Appalachian setting and there are some twist and turns in these novels that you just won’t see coming. When I picked up the first book, I thought I would probably like it based on what I had heard about it, but never could I have imagined how these characters would pull me into their lives. What an emotional journey Joanne took me on!

I am hosting a giveaway for one of the Cadence of Grace books.
Contest ends on 10/14/13 at midnight CST. I will contact the winner by email and post the winners name on my blog on 10/15/13. To enter the contest (open to US only):
1)Please follow my blog
2)Make sure I have your email address
3)Comment and let Joanne know if you have read any of the Cadence of Grace books.

The winner can let me know which book they want. Your choices are:
Book #1: Be Still My Soul
Book #2: Though My Heart is Torn
Book #3: My Hope is Found (releasing 10/15/13)