Spotlight: Nancy J. Farrier

Nancy J. Farrier here with a look into my writing life and what led me to become an author. Thank you so much for joining me.

 

I grew up on a small farm in Indiana. There was a lot of hard work involved but also so much fun. I loved hiding in the top of the pine trees and reading a book, or playing with my sister and cousins making up fantastical stories. One of my favorite games involved using our pony to gallop from one hillock in a field to another as we rescued each other from the red-tipped wolves that were attacking. We all had fun but the poor pony may not have enjoyed the game as much. Nah, he loved running.

 

School was not my favorite place to be. I had trouble focusing on study because there were so many good books to read, or story ideas flitting through my head, and they were way more interesting than my dry texts. I often got in trouble for hiding a reading book behind the open pages of my history textbook. I have no idea how the teacher knew—maybe the fact that for once I was intently studying the history book, or the fact that I never turned a page. <smile> 

 

Who knew I would grow up to love history so much. Several of my books are historical. My book, The Richest Knight, was inspired by my aunt’s love of the Grand Canyon and how she shared her enthusiasm with me. She retired from her job and went to work at the Canyon. I would visit her and loved the magnificent El Tovar hotel, which became a focal point of my story. Researching the history of the Harvey girls and the Canyon proved to be time well spent.

 

Daydreaming is one of my superpowers. I daydreamed my way 

through school and through life. Many of my story ideas come from those daydreams. Bandolero is one of those stories. I remember seeing the scene of Yoana being captured by Bandoleros. That kidnap scene evolved over the years until finally I had to tell her story. Bandolero, and the Land of Promise series, remain one of my favorites. 

 

I moved from Indiana to Arizona. I love the mountains, the desert, and the rich history of this land and people. My daughters were attending a small church school and we went on a field trip 

to an ostrich farm a few miles away. I was so fascinated with the place that I made an appointment to go back and talk with the owner on my own. I used much of her information and some of her true stories to write my book, An Ostrich a Day, which became a contemporary series featured in the Arizona Brides collection. This book and the series that followed are out of print and will be released later this year under my imprint.

 

My husband and I both come from large families, so we have family members all over. When we visited my husband’s brother and his wife in California another idea struck. They have this beautiful quilt shop nestled in a small shopping center. A story bit came to me of a woman standing across from that shop. I could feel her hurt and defeat. As the idea developed, she became Asia from my contemporary book, Matching Points, which released September 2020. 

 

I never know when a viable story idea will come but I am always ready to listen to inspiration. I do a lot of walking, listening to audiobooks, or just praying and talking with God. New story possibilities flit through my head all the time and some of them settle and develop into books. 

 

Sharing stories with my readers is a passion and a calling. I want to encourage people in their faith because we all have times when we struggle. I love connecting with my readers. If you haven’t done so, be sure to visit my website and sign up for my newsletter to keep in touch with me and hear about new books coming out. You can also follow me on Bookbub to get a notice of a sale or new release.

 

Thank you for stopping by and letting me share a bit of me with you. I’d love to hear something about what you do and what you love to read. I will choose one person to receive a copy of their choice of one of my books. Be blessed.

Website: https://nancyjfarrier.com

Follow me on: Bookbub Facebook Amazon

 

HHH Blogger Spotlight -- Michelle Shocklee

Hello from Tennessee!

I'm Michelle Shocklee, one of the regular bloggers here on the HHH blog. I'm a Rocky Mountain girl at heart---born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico--but I've also lived in Oklahoma and Texas. As empty-nesters, hubby and I moved to Nashville, Tennessee three years ago where we work as Estate Caretakers, a very unique and rewarding career. I enjoy reading, painting, traveling, and being out-of-doors in God's beautiful world, but admittedly, only if the temperature and humidity are just right. Ha!

I come from a family of book lovers. Mom was an elementary school teacher for 25 years, and Dad was an engineer with a love of history. I have fond memories of them relaxing in the evenings, each with a book in hand. 

Yet despite growing up surrounded by books, it never occurred to me to write one of my own until I was in my late 20s. I wrote my first novel longhand in notebooks, scratching out so many words and lines, I eventually couldn't read the thing. I put aside my novel when my sons were born, but the writing bug bit again once they entered school. By then I realized I needed help learning the craft of writing, so I attended writing conferences as time and budget allowed. Publication was still many years away, but I've come to understand God has a plan and a timetable for everything.

Since we lived in Texas, I decided to set my first series, The Women of Rose Hill, on a Texas cotton plantation, before and after the Civil War. You'll remember I'm not a Texas girl, knowing very little about Texas history beyond the Alamo, so I enjoyed diving into the history of the Lone Star state. Imagine how surprised I was to discover that slaves toiled under the hot Texas sun in the very area where I was raising my family. I also read about the early Texas Rangers, slaves escaping to Mexico, and about Juneteenth--the day in June 1865 when the Union Army arrived on Texas' shores at Galveston, bearing a declaration that would ultimately bring freedom to the more than 200,000 slaves still in bondage. I've incorporated much of this fascinating history into Adella's and Natalie's stories.

                                         

Researching slavery is a heart-and-gut-wrenching endeavor, but I wanted my books to portray it honestly. I discovered a body of work known as the Slave Narratives--stories told by former slaves to employees of the Federal Writers' Project--that transformed my books. I shared a bit about the narratives yesterday in my post here on the HHH blog, so I won't repeat it now. But suffice it to say, I was so completely captivated by the narratives, I decided to write a novel based on the Federal Writers' Project Slave Narratives of 1936. That book, Under the Tulip Tree, released today--YAY!!--and is now available at your favorite online bookstore and in many brick-and-mortar stores as well. 

I'd love to connect with you over on my website or on any of my social media outlets. If you're interested in purchasing some of my books, pop over to my website for various retailer options or visit my Amazon page. 

Every blessing,

~Michelle