Author Interview: Paula Peckham

Do you love strong, independent characters who speak in sarcasm? Then, you're in the right place! My guest author, Paula Peckham is here to talk about just that today. Read on to find out her feelings on such characters. Do you think you're a better writer because of the time of life when you came to writing?

Funny, I was just talking to another author about this very thing. I think young authors can write great books, but I often add something to a story I’ve written, and I wonder, how would a young person know this? I think there is a benefit to having years of life experiences behind you. Those life events add flavor to what we write.
 
Any advice you can offer to other authors?

Try to find a critique group, or at least a writing partner. We’re often blind to the spots in our work that don’t quite make sense once it’s out of our head on onto the paper. Those writing partners help fine-tune. Also, read a new craft book every month if at all possible. You’ll never be to the point where you can afford to stop learning.
Are any of your characters more like you than another? In what way?

So far, my female main characters have been strong and independent. That’s how my mama raised me. So, in that sense, each one carries a little of me inside her. Plus, sarcasm is my family’s second language, and that comes out in my dialogue quite a bit.
 
What made you choose to write historical fiction?

I enjoy the research. But I also enjoy writing contemporary fiction, which is the time setting for my current WIP.
 
Can you give us a sneak peek into what is coming next?

It’s a story about an aging rock star who wonders if he’s truly living up to what God wanted for his life. He’s achieved fame and fortune, but feels something is missing.
 
Do you mostly read the genre you write in or do you read other genres too? Got a favorite?

I read EVERYTHING. But I gravitate toward romance. I guess it’ll always be my first choice.
 
What is something you hope people will come away with when they read your stories?

God uses imperfect people, and he is a God of second chances. Nothing we can do will ever separate us from his love.
 
Last but not least, what is one thing about yourself that very few people know?

I spent 19 years in a high school classroom teaching math. Thanks so much for sharing a bit about yourself and your writing today, Paula!
Readers, keep going to find out more about her book and how to follow her writing journey.
Accepted

Against the backdrop of the Civil War, spirited Quenby Martin despises the monotony and restrictions imposed on women. Then San Antonio’s most respectable widow befriends her. Unbeknownst to Quenby, her genteel companion harbors a life-risking secret.
Soon after, Quenby meets Jonathan Campbell, a Texan farmer struggling to make ends meet, and eagerly offers her help. Despite Jonathan’s reservations about trusting his future livelihood to the pretty young know-it-all, he accepts. As their relationship develops, Quenby’s confidence and knowledge lures Jonathan in.
Quen draws the attention of a bounty hunter, whose charms cannot hide his evil intentions. Danger puts Quen’s wavering belief in God to the test. With the hunter on her heels, she embarks on an important mission that inadvertently involves Jonathan in a web of kidnapping and murder. His efforts to keep her safe expose his growing feelings.
Will Quenby have enough courage to face the perils of standing up for what she believes in? And at what cost?
Immerse yourself in the Texas frontier in book three of the San Antonio series that vividly depicts love, faith, and bravery amid shifting societal times.

​Paula Peckham is a fifth-generation Texan. Her debut novel, Protected, was an ACFW Genesis semi-finalist in 2020 and won a Gold Medal in the 2022 Global Book Awards. Book two in the series, A Father’s Gift, placed third in the 2023 Selah Award contest. Book three, Accepted, placed third in the 2024 Selah Award contest and first in the 2024 Bookfest Award contest. She also wrote several articles for The Journal and The Guide magazines.
Paula has contributions in the 2021 releases Christmas Love Through the Ages and Texas Heirloom Ornament.
She serves as president of ACFW DFW Ready Writers.
She spoke at ACFW National and at various ACFW chapters; the Burleson Public Library and the Watauga Public Library; Unleashing the Next Chapter; and the Carrollton League of Writers. Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, invited her to be a guest professor, where she presented to the creative writing classes. For more information on the classes she teaches, visit paulapeckham.com.
Paula also edits and formats books for self-publishing authors. She is currently on her 45th client, and several authors have used her for multiple books.
Paula graduated from the University of Texas in Arlington. She and her husband, John, divide their time between their home in Burleson and their casita in Rio Bravo, Mexico. They built their home in the colonia where they’ve served with their church, Pathway, for the past fifteen years. Paula leads a team of volunteers from Pathway on mission trips each year.
For more about Paula and her books, follow her at paulapeckham.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and her blog.