 I had the honor, and the fun, of attending the Bring Home a Cowboy Book Launch/ Birthday Party, where many of Gloria's family, friends, and fans gathered to celebrate.
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It is my goal to not only memorize Scripture, but to delve into the true meaning of a verse. What does it mean to me? Does it call for a change of heart? Does it call for a change in the way I live?
This week, in the Christian Living Site of BellaOnline . com, I'm contemplating Ephesians 2: 8-9 Memory Verse Ephesians 2:8-9  I want to welcome Gloria Doty, an amazing author of both fiction and non-fiction. I met Gloria a few years ago while planning a trip to a writer’s conference. Gloria is a woman of God, has a great sense of humor, and is a dear friend. So, let's get on with the interview so you can get to know her. Lynne: I just finished your debut romance novel with a western flare, Bring Home a Cowboy. Before we get into that, let’s talk about you. When did you know you were going to be a writer? Gloria: I think I may have subconsciously known when I was very young but that was never a career option that I can remember. I think my choices when I was in high school were: teacher, nurse, stewardess (flight attendant now) or secretary. I don’t believe I knew anyone who was a writer, so I ppprrrobably didn’t think it was a possibility. Lynne: How did you decide to write your first novel? Gloria: I attended a luncheon as a guest of a friend (you). The speaker said several things that made me think I could possibly write a fiction novel. Although I had written and published a non-fiction book about my daughter and collaborated with my sister to write a book of flower devotions, the thought of a fiction romance novel never entered my head before that day. Lynne: I can attest to how quickly you put that thought into action and brought it to completion. Who are your writing influences? Gloria: I don’t know how to answer that, exactly. I enjoy a lot of different types of writing. This will sound silly, but as a child, I would go to the library every Saturday in the summer and bring home an armload of books; Grimm’s fairy tales, horse stories, Little Women and some that were probably too intense for my age. I remember a story about Nazi prisoners that haunted me for years. I have always liked the Little House on the Prairie books. There was something about her writing that pulled me into the stories and her experiences. Lynne: How do you get your story ideas? Gloria: They seem to find me instead of me finding them. I am a constant observer of people and conversations and ‘life.’ I don’t believe there are any stories that haven’t already been written; we just put a different slant on them with our own experiences. Lynne: In your Cowboy series, are the main characters anything like you or someone you know? Gloria: Yes, I believe they are. I didn’t consciously model them after someone but I guess some characteristics come through even if we don’t realize it. I have had many people tell me they see me in Lucy and in retrospect, I believe she is a lot like me; with the exception of being wealthy. LOL Lynne: I was one of those who saw you in Lucy. What is your favorite thing about her? Gloria: Lucy is a strong woman and I like strong women. She is independent, intelligent and not afraid to speak her mind, take charge of a situation or take chances. And still she is also vulnerable and emotional. Lynne: What is your favorite thing about Lucy’s love interest, Cal? Gloria: Honestly, I love everything about Cal. I wish I could find a Cal. He is handsome, of course, but he is also a good Christian man with character and ethics. He has survived a lot of life but is still willing to give his heart and all of his love to Lucy. He is the calm to her storm. Lynne: What message would you like readers to take away from Bring a Cowboy Home? Gloria: I would like the readers to realize it is never too late to find love, no matter your age. I also want them to see that prayer is an integral part of a marriage and every aspect of our lives. Lynne: What’s next in your writing career? Gloria: I have the next two books in this series to be published in the next few months, hopefully. I am working on a novel about a relationship where the woman is quite a few years older than the man. The relationship is also based on lies and deception. Enjoy this excerpt from Chapter one of Bring Home a Cowboy. “Jerry observed the woman sitting next to him. She was dressed impeccably; business attire, he assumed. She wore lots of jewelry; not the cheap, imitation stuff, he noticed; but the real thing. Despite several rings, he also noticed there was no wedding band. If he had to guess her age, he would say she was in her late fifties; although he was a horrible judge of age. She wore her medium length dark hair pulled into a clip at the nape of her neck. There were a few streaks of gray in it, which obviously didn’t bother her as it did most of the women he knew. She struck him as a self-confident, comfortable in her own skin kind of woman.” Gloria Doty has 5 children and 13 grandchildren, one dog and two cats. She does freelance writing as well as contributing to a quarterly devotional. She writes from her home in Fort Wayne, IN. Read my review of Bring Home a Cowboy. You might also be interested in her two non-fiction books. (These links will take you to BellaOnline.com/Christian Living) Not Different Enough A Bouquet of Devotions The contest is now over. Thank you for your support. Click here to see the book launch party, drawing, and the winning name. This week, I'm pulling apart 1 John 4:10 to get a clearer picture of the meaning of this popular memory verse. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." This is in the King James Version. Feel free to pull out your Bible and read it in your favorite translation. The Bible's meaning of love is a lot deeper than mine and it includes self-sacrifice without the need to be loved in return. This is the closest relationship, I can think of, to our relationship with God. It was easy to love my child at birth, she cuddled in close. She could have pushed me away; I would have still loved her. After nights without sleep because of the care all newborns require, the boundaries of love were stretched, but still firm. Children grow up and push away. They are sometimes hateful. They rebel and make dangerous choices. We love them because they belong to us, just as we belong to our Father. Not a perfect comparison. We know not all parents withstand the rebellion of children. We are sinful, but God is sinless and shows us perfect love. Read the whole story on BellaOnline's Christian Living site. Memory Verse About Love.  |
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