Author Interview + GIVEAWAY ~ Carrie Fancett Pagels

Carrie Fancett Pagels, Ph.D., is a Christian fiction bestselling and award-winning author of over twenty books—tagline, “Hearts Overcoming Through Time”. Possessed with an overactive imagination, that wasn’t “cured” by twenty-five years as a psychologist, she loves bringing characters to life. Carrie enjoys American history, listening to audiobooks, walking the family’s adopted Kelpie, and visiting beautiful places surrounded by water.

Carrie’s novel, My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island, won the Maggie Award, and was a Romantic Times Top Pick. Her romance novella, The Steeplechase, was a finalist in the prestigious Holt Medallion Awards. Her short story, “The Quilting Contest”, was Historical Fiction Winner of Family Fiction’s The Story national contest. Her novella, The Substitute Bride was a Maggie Award finalist. All three of her Christy Lumber Camp books were long list finalists for Family Fiction’s Book of the Year and The Fruitcake Challenge was a Selah Award finalist.

Connect with Carrie online: 

Facebook Author Page

See images related to Carrie’s books on her Pinterest Boards

Contact Carrie through her website www.carriefancettpagels & sign up for Carrie’s newsletter

Twitter https://twitter.com/cfpagels

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/carriefancettpagels/

BookBub

On goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54975504-dogwood-plantation#_=_

Links to purchase:

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Kobo

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Welcome back, Carrie! Rebecca, Rachael, and I are delighted you’re here today and sharing with us about your writing journey. We’ve collaborated on some questions that we hope our blog readers will be interested in hearing the answers to. J

Please share with us a little about your current work and/or recently published book.

Dogwood Plantation is one of the first novels that I wrote. It has had a major rehab since then, particularly for the heroine, Cornelia Gill. Anne was one of my original Beta readers for this story! Thank you, Anne!

What is one of the most important pieces of advice you received early in your writing career?

As far as specifically writing, one of the best bits of advice was to write the book forward, chapter-by-chapter, but that wasn’t something that I did early on. I took a ton of craft lessons and attended conferences, etc., but the “write it forward” advice was a game changer. You see, in those craft classes, they often ask you to work on something specific, which could be a scene way down the story path.

Have you seen significant changes in Christian fiction since you were first published? If so, have they caused you to have to adapt the way you write and/or publish your stories?

Wow, yes. The first CF books I read decades ago, were Janette Oke’s and Bodie Thoene’s, both great authors, with very strong Christian themes. What is happening in the market now, is a move to what I will call “Christian light”. As more secular houses take over the CF market, I’ve read or listened to (I prefer audiobooks) too many stories where there is no Christian theme whatsoever. Hasn’t affected my writing, you’ll find Christianity as the basic tenet. However, that being said, I have written a couple of books where I was less “in your face” with that.

Do you keep a journal of ideas for future books? Nope.

Do your ideas for stories come all at once, or do they reveal themselves one character at a time?
Usually, they are revealed through an encounter of some type and they rush at me. For instance, Anne and I were on a plantation tour in Charles City county when we wandered into a B&B on the tour that had this one area with tons of antiques, including lots of really expensive teacups! That inspired my novella Tea Shop Folly.

Do you write during large chunks of set aside time or do you let the ideas run away with you when they feel like showing up?

No. I have RA and am disabled. I only write as the Lord gives me strength. So sometimes He gives me hours and hours and other times maybe half an hour. It’s all in His hands!

What were some of your favorite stories growing up?

Anne of Green Gables was my favorite. Little Women and other stories by Louisa May Alcott, too. I read every single title in my little elementary school’s classroom libraries I kid you not.

Do you have a hobby that helps you de-stress?

Beading used to be that hobby but as my RA has progressed that‘s actually more stressful! I like to bake. I love listening to CF audiobooks. Right now I’m finishing up Becky Wade’s contemporary CF, Stay With Me.

It’s been a crazy year so far for all of us. If you’ve taken a vacation this year, where did you go? If not, is there a local place where you live that you’d like to visit for a day trip?

We went to OBX with family and friends after my son’s not-so-traditional high school graduation. It rained half the week but we had so much fun. We’d already paid the fee and couldn’t get a refund, so we all prayed about it and went forward.

I also went up North to the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where I grew up. I do this less as a vacation and more of a change of work location as many of my books are set there.  I have one we are shopping around and while I was there I was offered another contract set in the area (more info coming on that when the contract is in hand!) I do research on projects while there. Also, my health improves while I am there, which is a tremendous blessing!

I know many of us readers snack while we consume books. What’s your favorite snack while you write? Do prefer tea (iced or hot), coffee, or soda?

Tea, tea, and did I say tea? A new fave is Bubbly those flavored fizzy drinks and I add a packet of SweetNLow to them!

Is there something you’d like to ask our readers here at Stuff & Nonsense?

Have you ever visited a big plantation, like Shirley Plantation in Virginia? Shirley is the inspiration for the setting for Dogwood Plantation.

Carrie is graciously offering a paperback or e-book of Dogwood Plantation to one of our blog readers! 

~ GIVEAWAY ~

To be entered in the giveaway, you must complete all three:

1) leave a comment answering the above underlined question from Carrie

2) leave an email address in a non-spammy format (hot at dog dot com) 

3) what country you live in 

The giveaway ends Sept 22nd. A winner will be chosen using Random.org. US only for paperback due to postage costs.