ONE BUSY LADY YOU'LL WANT TO MEET

One busy lady here. Join me in welcoming Tina...

Tina Pinson resides in Mesa, Arizona with her husband of thirty plus years, Danny. They are blessed to have three sons, and five grandchildren.

Tina started her writing in elementary school. Her love of writing has caused her to seek creative outlets be it writing poetry, songs, or stories. In the Manor of the Ghost and Touched By Mercy were published through Desert Breeze Publishers. She is working on several books and is toying with speculative fiction as well.

When Shadows Fall, Shadowed Dreams, and To Catch a Shadow the first three installments of the Shadow Series about the civil war and the Oregon Trail, will be available May 2012, November 2012 and June 2013.

SKC:  What inspiration went behind the penning of your most recent book, Tina?

Tina: When Shadows Fall is to remind people that God is with you through the long hard trails of life. Through the shadows. I want people to understand that shadows aren't always bad. There are the shadows of a war, and the shadow of tree on a hot day. There are the shadows of sorrow, and the shadow of man cast across the land. No matter what, God is there. It was also written because both the Civil War and the Oregon Trail fascinate me. So many people uprooted to get away from the war. For better lives. But the trail was hard in itself. I read several books around that time where'd they talk about the Oregon Trail or the Santa Fe trail and the characters would be on the trail for the whole of a chapter and suddenly be at the end. I wanted to take the journey, if only through my characters and share some of what those on the trail had to go through.

SKC:  Since I was born and raised in Oregon, I will definitely look forward to reading your book. As a writer do you believe you are self-taught or have you learned a lot from others? And tell us about some of the authors who have given you insight on how to express your own voice or taught you the most about development of style

Tina: As far as my voice, I suppose I was self-taught, but not totally… because I believe God gave me that voice. We always learn and I will admit I have, but I've had a decent handle on my writing style since I was in elementary school. Have I matured in my voice, and editing( which I can still learn more) and toned down some things. Yes. I learned writing rules and took creative classes. But time and age also play a factor in that. I just as easily started to lose my voice some because some people had ideas about how I should write. That why I always tell writers to know your voice and what God instilled in you. Learn and grow, but write with the voice God gave you.

SKC:  When you are in the middle of series and deadlines does it cramp your creativity, or enhance it, and in what way?

Tina:  That depends on what my deadline is. Sometimes my creativity gets a boost, because I know I need to get the work done. But… there have been times that I talk myself out of even turning something in because I tell myself it won't matter anyway. Not a good place to be, but it does happen.

SKC:  Sounds like that slump time. We all have it.  How are readers responding to your work so far? What are some of the comments you have received that have blessed you or taught you where you need improvement? you might have about how they’ve received your work, thus far.

Tina: I've had some nice comments. That they usually don't care much for Civil War yarns, but this story pulled in. I wished I could say I had more, but I keep plugging away. I learn with every book. Learn more about writing and more about marketing.

SKC: How difficult it is for you to keep up a website and blog on a regular basis to promote your work?

Tina: Honestly, I do little with the website except go and add information from time to time. I do more with my blog, but some times I feel like I'm paddling upstream.

SKC:  I'm like that with my regular website. Sometimes I think other writers and readers actually prefer the blogs but there is more interraction. Who would you say is the most inspiring character in the book you have coming out soon and why?

Tina: I would have say, Matthew, because of his love for Rebekah and his willingness to take care of her. Although, Rebekah is pretty inspiring because she is throws her whole self into caring for people.

SKC: Give us a little more detail abou the  book you hope to share with one of our readers -- won't you?

Tina:   When Shadows Fall is the first in the Shadow Series. Shadowed Dreams releases in Nov. When Shadows Fall finds Rebekah trying to hold her world together during the Civil War. She comes to the capitol to enlist her godfather, President Lincoln's help in getting her husband Robert out of a Yankee. While there she meets up with her first love, Matthew Cavanaugh, and wonders if she shouldn't see his help or that of her family, but she doesn't want to impose on them. She succeeds in getting Robert freed and finds that he is worse off than expected. He's lost both his legs and his will to live. She gets him home, wonder how much of him she left in the prison.

The war strips most everything from Rebekah and leeches her energies. She decides to go west to the New Eden. Oregon. And make a better home for herself and her son, Andrew.

Matthew learns of her loss and hopes to make it through the war, until he can get to her. Rebekah wants to find a new home. And Matthew wants his arms to be the home she runs to.

SKC: If you were to ask a question to readers today about anything, what would it be?

Tina:  What do you like in a story? What draws you to a character? Does the Cover catch your eye? Does a giveaway attract you to read an author you might never consider?

SKC: Great bunch of questions. Thanks. Okay, readers, and writers, and blog visitors: What are your answers to Tina's questions? I will look forward to drawing the name of the winner later this week.

THANKS AGAIN TINA! By the way. Great cover.