Lone Star Heiress Interview

How exciting to have Ivy Feagan, heroine from Lone Star Heiress, a June 2014 release from Love Inspired Historical Romance, written by Winnie Griggs.

1.  Ivy, tell me the most interesting thing about you.
Well, I can’t say as there is much about me to interest other folk.  Except recently.  I’ve just learned I might have an inheritance waiting for me over in Turnabout.  It’s all real mysterious - I don’t even know what this inheritance is, but I sure intend to head there and find out.

2.  What do you do for fun?
I love to garden.  There’s just something about planting things and watching them grow that’s so satisfying, don’t you think? And I’m good at it, if I do say so myself.  Nana Dovie says I have the greenest thumb she ever did see.

3.  What do you put off doing because you dread it?
I don’t believe in putting things off, especially those things that you dread.  As Nana Dovie always says, the sooner started the sooner you can put to rest.

4.  What are you afraid of most in life?
Ending up alone

5.  What do you want out of life?
To be accepted for who I am.  But the gossips and rumor mongers in my hometown have made that nigh on impossible.

6.  What is the most important thing to you?
The question is ‘who’ not ‘what’ and that would be Nana Dovie.  She took me in and raised me when I was orphaned as an infant.  And more importantly, she has always loved me as her own.  I’d do anything for her.

7.  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I’d like to have known my parents.

8.  Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?
Actually I have two critters that are special to me - my dog Rufus and my mule Jubal.  I’m taking both of them with me on this trip to Turnabout.  Not only will they be good company, but they’ll provide a measure of protection since I’ll be making this trip using a backwoods shortcut on my own.

9. Can you tell us a little interesting tidbit about the time period you live in?

Well I don’t know much about what goes on outside our little town of Nettles Gap.  But I do know that back at the first of the year Utah officially became the 45^th state in this fine country.  And I heard tell of a big earthquake that happened over St. Louis way last month.

FEATURED BOOK: LONE STAR HEIRESS BY WINNIE GRIGGS

Rescuer Turned Husband? 

Plucky Ivy Feagan is headed to Turnabout, Texas, to claim an inheritance, not a widower's heart. That all changes when strapping schoolteacher Mitch Parker rescues her in the wilderness. Straightlaced Mitch has never met a woman like Ivy—beautiful, adventurous and good-hearted—but he already lost love once and doesn't dare try again. 

When Turnabout's gossips target Mitch and Ivy's friendship, he proposes to save her reputation. But Ivy doesn't want to marry for honor, and she doesn't need to marry for money. Ivy will only agree to a proposal made for love's sake—but will Mitch make his heart part of the marriage offer? 

Texas Grooms: In search of their brides…

Naming the 4 legged characters in my books

Hi, Winnie Griggs here.

Most of my books include an animal of some sort, usually a cat or a dog, a pet of one of the main characters.   And I always spend every bit as long finding just the right name for the animals as I do for any of my two-legged cast members.   I usually come up with an discard any number of names until I find one that just ‘feels’ right.

As a result, some of the names I have come up with have been rather mundane, some on the unique side.  Along the way I've had dogs named Kip, Jasper, Buck, Cookie, Poppy and Skipper.  Horses have carried names like Cinnamon, Homer, Cocoa, Licorice, Monarch and Scout.  I even had a pet bird in one of my stories named Sweetie Pie.  I got really creative with the cats, and they ended up with names such as Mustard, Daffy, Tully, Patience and even Othello.

In my latest book, my heroine has a dog that I had to try out about a dozen names for before I finally settled on one I was happy with.  The name I came up with was Rufus and as soon as I found his name he came to life for me.  Ivy also has a mule, the first one I’ve featured in a book, and unlike with Rufus, his name came to me immediately.  As soon as he popped on the page I knew his name was Jubal.  I even tried out a few others to see if something else would work better, but no, it had to be Jubal.

So what about you?  Do the names of the animals in the books you read play at all into how you picture them?  And if you have a pet of your own, how did you go about selecting the name for him/her?

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And to celebrate the release of Lone Star Heiress this month, I’ll give a copy away to one person who leaves a comment here.

LONE STAR HEIRESS
Book 4 of The Texas Grooms series

Rescuer Turned Husband? 

Plucky Ivy Feagan is headed to Turnabout, Texas, to claim an inheritance, not a widower's heart. That all changes when strapping schoolteacher Mitch Parker rescues her in the wilderness. Straightlaced Mitch has never met a woman like Ivy—beautiful, adventurous and good-hearted—but he already lost love once and doesn't dare try again.

When Turnabout's gossips target Mitch and Ivy's friendship, he proposes to save her reputation. But Ivy doesn't want to marry for honor, and she doesn't need to marry for money. Ivy will only agree to a proposal made for love's sake—but will Mitch make his heart part of the marriage offer? 

Texas Grooms: In search of their brides… 

Friday Sisterhood with Winnie Griggs

Family Status: Married with 4 grown children

What Is Your Favorite Beverage: Hot spiced cinnamon tea with honey.  It not only has that comforting feel I always get from tea, but it has a little kick as well.

What Is Your Favorite Food: My momma's crawfish stew - nothing like it!

What Is Your Favorite Thing to do During Free Time: Read, of course!

Who Has Been the Most Influential Person in Your Life: My mother.  She's not only been a great role model in the way she's lived her own life, but she always encouraged her kids to follow their dreams, not matter how 'out there' they were.

First Book You Fell in Love With: Trixie Belden: The Secret Of The Mansion

A Book You Wish You’d Written: Simple Jess by Pamela Morsi

First Book Published:What Matters Most (published by Leisure Books) 

Most Recent Book: Lone Star Heiress (Love Inspired Historical June 2014) 

Out Next: Her Holiday Family (Love Inspired Historical, Nov 2014)

How Many Have You Written: Her Holiday Family will be number 17

What Do You Know Now That You Wish You’d Known Then: That it doesn't get any easier with subsequent books.  Pouring your heart onto a page is always hard work, but it's totally worth it.

What is Your Favorite Bible Story: The story of Ruth.

What is Your Favorite Bible Verse: Jeremiah 29:11  "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future".  It is such a comforting, hopeful promise.

What is Your Favorite Hymn: It Is Well With My Soul.  Not only is it a beautiful hymn in and of itself, but the story behind it always touches something deep inside me. 

What is an Ongoing Prayer Request You Have: I always appreciate prayers on my children's behalf.