Interview & Giveaway! Rachelle McCalla ~ Author of The Missing Monarch!!

Today, Rachelle McCalla, the author of many books including the Reclaiming the Crown series (which I love!), is stopping by for an interview and has included a giveaway (details below).

Here are some links to her Reclaiming the Crown books:

Princess in Peril

Protecting the Princess

Prince Incognito

The Missing Monarch

Welcome to Christian Bookshelf Reviews, Rachelle!! Will you tell us a little about yourself?

Thanks so much for hosting me today!  I’m a pastor’s wife and mother of four.  My latest book, The Missing Monarch, is my tenth inspirational romantic suspense novel. 

For those who haven’t read your series, Reclaiming the Crown, will you tell us a little about it?

The series is comprised of four books, each following one of the four royal siblings of Lydia, a tiny Mediterranean kingdom which can trace its history back to Lydia, who the Apostle Paul met in Acts chapter 16 in the Bible.  In the Reclaiming the Crown series, the kingdom of Lydia is under attack from insurgent forces.  The royal siblings have been scattered and must find their way back to Lydia, stop the evil militants who’ve overturned their father’s government, and restore peace to their kingdom.

What is something the average reader wouldn't know about you? 

I recently traveled to Europe and visited several castles and palaces of the old European monarchies, and even had my picture taken with a real royal guard!

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I think I’ve wanted to be a writer for almost as long as I could read, maybe longer.  People who knew me when I was a kid like to reminisce about the stories I would tell to entertain my younger cousins and neighbor kids.  I’ve always had a wild imagination!

How many books have you written/published and do you have a favorite?

I’m currently working on my thirteenth novel contracted for publication, but I’ve written many more books than I’ve had published—some of them may never find a home on the shelves, and I suppose that’s okay.  Dare I admit that my favorite story isn’t published…yet?

Oh, that is interesting... I wonder what it's about. :) What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

I like to write first thing in the morning if I can spare the time for myself.  Then I hardly leave my desk, not even to eat or shower!  I also tend to hide the telephones during this time, because I can’t stand being interrupted when I’m on a roll.

  

Where do you like to write?

Some of my writing friends prefer to put pen to paper, but I always compose my work directly on the computer, either my desktop which is in the corner of my bedroom, or on my old clunky laptop, which I’ve been known to haul just about anywhere if I think I’ll get a chance to write.

What is the best and/or worst part about being a writer? 

Being a writer is the best!  I love my job and still feel amazed that I get paid to do something I love so much!  Of course there are downsides, such as lack of job security beyond the currently-contracted books, and the great uncertainty of income and long stretches between royalty checks. 

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I love doing things with my family.  My kids enjoy baking and cooking with me, and I love to haul them out to go hiking (they whine and complain about hiking—until we see bald eagles or waterfalls, then they decide it’s not so bad after all!).  And of course I love traveling (the “being there” parts, not so much the trans-Atlantic flights or stuck-in-the-car-with-whiny-kids parts).

Is there a place you’d like to visit, but haven’t yet?

Greece, Scotland, Alaska, Hawaii, Istanbul (or is it Constantinople?)

Alaska and Hawaii are two places I'd like to visit too! Do you have a favorite song and/or movie?

It’s hard to choose a favorite, but I love the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the music of Chris Rice and Rich Mullins.

What is your favorite dessert?

Drinkable desserts are my favorite!  In the summer, I toss frozen blueberries, cherries, crushed ice, lemon juice, and any other fruit I have on hand in the blender to make a healthy smoothie.  During the winter, I mix up powdered milk, cocoa, sugar, and spices to make my own chai hot cocoa mix.  Mmm, heavenly.

I love smoothies and hot chocolate too! Do you have a favorite Bible verse? 

This is even harder than the movie question!  There are so many verses I love from the Psalms and the epistles, and especially the Gospel of John.  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…

Here are a few this-or-that questions:

Snowstorms or Thunderstorms?

Either!  We’re in the middle of a long horrid drought, so I will take precipitation any way I can get it.

Tea or Coffee?

Mmm, both please. 

Movie Theater or DVD?

DVD with subtitles on so I know what they’re saying.

Early-bird or Night-owl?

Back in my college days I would have said night owl, but ever since giving birth to early birds (three of my four kids are morning people—how is that possible?!) I’ve become more of a morning person myself. 

Cats or Dogs?

I love them both, but since cats make me sneeze I’ll have to go with dogs.

So I heard there are going to be more books set in Lydia (so excited about that!) will you tell us about them and are any of the characters from the Reclaiming the Crown series going to make an appearance?

All your favorite royal guards will be back for the Protecting the Crown series.  The royal guard is shorthanded after the insurgent attacks, so some of Prince Alexander’s soldier friends will be transferring into the guard as well.  In the Reclaiming the Crown books, the royal guards were tough heroes that could stand their ground against any threat.  But can true love bring them to their knees? 

Sounds like a great new series! Are you currently working on any new novels? If so, could you give us a hint?

I’m very excited for my first Love Inspired Historical, A Royal Marriage, which comes out in December.  As readers of the Reclaiming books already know, the Scepter of Charlemagne plays a vital role in the Lydian monarchy.  In A Royal Marriage, readers learn how the scepter came to Lydia…through Charlemagne’s daughter Gisela (who was a real historical figure, by the way—we just don’t know much about her life because historians didn’t preserve those details for us.  So I filled in the details.  I love Gisela and I hope readers will, too!)

I love historical books and A Royal Marriage sounds fantastic - it'll be great to learn more about the Scepter of Charlemagne!

Thanks so much for being here! Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers and where can we find you on the web? 

Come find me on goodreads and facebook, and check out my website for exclusive information about my existing books and forthcoming titles, www.rachellemccalla.com

Book giveaway!

Enter to win a copy of Rachelle's new book, The Missing Monarch! Open Internationally! :)

Enter via the Rafflecopter below. The mandatory entry is to leave a comment on this blog post, after you do that, the optional entries will become available! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway