Welcome
to Christian Bookshelf Reviews, Cheryl!! Will you tell us a little about
yourself?
I live in sunny So Cal with my awesome husband
Chris. I moved out here 14 years ago when I first decided to chase my dream of
writing movies. (I wrote the screenplay for The
Ultimate Gift.) I love to travel and visit our families back east. Since I
enjoy scrapbooking and my husband loves taking photos, we make a great team.
What
is your novel, Song of Springhill, about?
My
grandfather survived the coal mining disasters that were used as the backdrop
for the love story. The town of Springhill experienced some of the most
difficult tragedies and amazing miracles. The more I got to know the town, the
more I knew their story had to be told, with a fictional love story at the
center.
My lead character, Hannah, moves to Springhill, home of the
father she never knew. He died in the coalmines before she was born. She finds
her aunt & moves in with the family. The day after she arrives, the mine
explodes, trapping many underground, including her uncle. When the family faces
a sudden lack of provision, Hannah must get a job to help. The only industry
that pays well enough is mining. Hannah masquerades as a man and gets hired. Hannah
is placed on the team of handsome bachelor, Josh Winslow. It doesn't take long
for Josh to see through her disguise. Though Hannah keeps him at arm's length,
he's determined to win her heart. Miners sense the “big bump” is coming, an
underground earthquake. Will Josh & Hannah be the next ones caught in a
disaster?
I also released Spirit of
Springhill, a book of interviews with the real life survivors, widows,
orphans and others involved in the disaster that served as the inspiration for
the story.
When
did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I was
five years old. I was inspired by a picture of Winnie the Pooh and his friends
on my lunchbox and wrote a play. We acted it out for the neighborhood. I
haven’t stopped writing since. When I was a teenager, I thought I wanted to be
an actress. But I wasn’t very good so I switched back to writing during college.
What
would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
