Winner of Carrie Fancett Pagels' Notecards

The winner of Carrie Fancett Pagels' notecard giveaway is:

                                                   KAREN  K.!

Congratulations, Karen! I will forward your email address to Carrie.

Thanks to all those, who commented and participated in the giveaway. Have a blessed weekend.

Author Interview and Book Spotlight - Carrie Fancett Pagels

I'm happy to welcome fellow Helping Hands Press author, Carrie Fancett Pagels to Christian Writer/Reader Connection!

1)  Please tell us a little about your journey to publication? I was a psychologist for 25 years. I wrote as a child and in high school I was on the yearbook and the newspaper staff.  In college I was the "key liner" for the college magazine.  I dropped out of grad school to write a secular novel in the 1970's.  Went back and got my doctorate.  Kept writing stories.  Was published in nonfiction.  

This publication was a "God thing" and I shared about this on MaryLu Tyndall's blog. Here's the link: http://crossandcutlass.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2013-04-22T00:30:00-07:00&max-results=7  My story is about radical obedience and my efforts to follow God's will for my writing also resulted in this story being released and receiving favor.  I am very grateful for all the assistance God sent my way!  From having Murray Pura contact me, to having a blurb available from a pulled proposal, to getting to spend several hours with Julian Charity of Shirley Plantation, being allowed to use a picture taken by their staff photographer, having awesome Civil War writer Kathleen Maher as my critique partner, to having amazing bloggers on my group blog who supported me, to the readers God sent my way--it really was like a whirlwind of awesome blessings!!!  To be part of this big anthology with all these great authors is pretty humbling.

2)  How did you discover Shirley Plantation?  My inlaws were visiting from Chicago and we wanted to go to some of the plantations along the James River.  I thought my MIL would enjoy this.  Mind you, this is many years ago when I was still working as a psychologist. The first time we went, Shirley was closed and we were very disappointed.  So on one of their subsequent trips we went to Shirley.  The plantation buildings flabbergasted me because there were so many colonial era buildings, intact, in one place.  I suspected that there might be nothing like it out there anywhere--and I have discovered that is correct!  An amazing place and the staff are some of the most wonderful people I have met on my writing journey!  So unbelievably helpful!

3)  Time management is an issue for all authors. How do you balance writing with life in general?  I really try to keep God first, then my family and then the writing.  One thing I have found is to have accountability partners and I am blessed to have several who really help me.  Also, I try to schedule my writing in segments so that I don't overtax myself.  I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and I have to manage my health, too, so I can write effectively. 

4)  What other projects do you have in the pipeline?  I have a three book proposal that I am working on that is also set along the James River.  On one of the manuscripts I already have four authors who have read and endorsed the book and it is not yet contracted.  Praying this series will be, soon, though.  I am writing a story that is the first one and I have enjoyed going back to colonial times for this one!

Bio - Carrie Fancett Pagels, Ph.d.

Carrie Fancett Pagels writes "romantic" historical fiction. Her debut release Return to Shirley Plantation: A Civil War Romance, a Kindle Civil War best seller, is part of a multi-author anthology headed up by Murray Pura. 

Carrie is represented by Joyce Hart, of Hartline Literary Agency and is owner/administrator of two group blogs: "Colonial Quills" and Overcoming With God." Carrie was a psychologist for 25 years. She lives in Virginia with her family.

Facebook Author Page:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carrie-Fancette-Pagels/317053071710640?fref=ts
Facebook Personal Page:  http://www.facebook.com/carriefancettpagels
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/cfpagels
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/carriefpagels/
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7043690.Carrie.Fancett.Pagels
Linked In:  http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=131454255&trk=tab pro

GIVEAWAY! Carrie has generously offered to giveaway a set of notecards. This is open to U.S. residents only. Please leave a comment and an email address, so we can contact you if you win. I'll announce the winner on Friday, 5/24/13. Carrie will send the notecards to the winner.

Thanks for visiting with us today, Carrie!