Interview with Lisa Bilbrey, Author of the Journey Collection and Angel's Heart
The third installment in the Journey Collection by Lisa Bilbrey will be released on June 18th. Lisa stopped by to talk with me about The Journey to Forever and her future projects. And her cheese preferences.
Q: Your new release is The Journey to Forever. In romance novels, the theme of “happily ever after” is a common one. Why do you think it’s so important to give the reader a sense of the characters’ future happiness together?
A: Because reading is our escape from real life, where our happily ever after rarely feels like the fairytale outcome that we wish it could be. We fall in love with books that draw us in and make us feel like we’re a part of the story. It’s about the power of love, and the hope that in the end, we’ll find ourselves feeling a sense of contentment in our lives.
Q: If you were going to explore the story of a secondary character in more detail, which character would you choose, and why?
A: I’d love to dig into Russ’ life and find out more about him, Loralie, how he dealt with her illness and passing. Russ is one of my favorite characters, and I think that he’s one of the strongest, too.
Q: If you had to live on only one type of cheese for a year, which cheese would you choose?
A: Um, cheddar? I’m not generally a cheese person, but I’ll go with cheddar.
Q: In the Journey collection of stories, you are clearly exploring a local culture that is very familiar to you. What elements of life in that small Texas town were you particularly interested in bringing to life for your readers?
A: I live in the small town I used in The Journey Collection, and choose Clarendon because I could relate to how the character would be feeling. Starting in August, the boys from the high school gather on the football field in order to prepare for the start of a new season. My son is one of those boys. Every Friday night, the stands are packed with not just parents, but people from the community who support those boys. They cheer when they win, grieve when they lose, and encourage them to keep playing harder. There’s a lot of pressure on these boys to succeed, most of the pressure is self-inflicted.
When writing the first book in The Journey Collection, I wanted to show that mentality. I wanted to show how amazing it is when one of our own leaves this town and makes a name for themselves. The boys in small towns look up to these men.
Q: What do you think sets this story apart from the others in the Journey collection?
A: Well, I think it’s the fact that Travis has really grown up in this story. His concerns aren’t about the game, but how he can be a better father to his son, a good husband to Penelope. He strives to prove to himself that he deserves his family. Plus, there’s a lot more sappy romance in it.
Q: If a reader took just one message from this story, what would you want it to be? Is that a theme that you feel is present throughout the series, or is it unique to this installment?
A: That’s a hard question, but I think I would have to say that the one message I’d like people to come away with is that no matter how hard life gets, love and family will see you through. It won’t always be easy, but nobody ever said life was easy. Family is a theme that I tend to write in all of my books, even though they may not be related by blood.
Q: Will we be hearing more from Travis and Penelope in the future?
A: There is a fourth book in The Journey Collection that will come out in September. The Journey to a New Life is probably my favorite out of all four books. And you never know when Travis and Penelope will start talking to me again. Maybe I’ll keep writing them forever!
Q: Do you prefer chipmunks or squirrels?
A: Squirrels. Chipmunks have this look on their faces like they own the world. I’m not down with that.
Q: Every writer has words s/he hates. Give us one example of a word that makes you cringe every time you encounter it.
A: As—It’s the one word that I read too many times and is overused. There are so many other ways to write sentences without it.
Q: Do you have a sequel to Angel’s Heart planned? If so, what can you tell us about it?
A: I do! One that I really need to finish! The second book in The Angel’s Heart Series will pick up about six months after the first book ends. Sophie starts learning more about who she is, and about her power. In the process, she finds that things weren’t as they appeared in The Keeper. I’ve very excited about my plans for these characters, and only hope my readers don’t get too upset with what I do to them.
Q: Patsy Cline or Dolly Parton?
A: Patsy Cline. She has an amazingly soulful voice!
Q: In addition to writing, you’re also co-owner of Renaissance Romance Publishing. What are your professional goals for the coming year?
A: To sell more books. It’s not about making money, which is always a good thing, but about getting our authors out there and letting the world read their stories. We have some amazing storytellers, who create these worlds full of laughter, love, and sometimes pain. I feel blessed that I get to be a part of the process with them.
Q: Is there an upcoming project that you feel especially excited about?
A: Next year, Renaissance Romance Publishing is planning on releasing a Diabetes Themed Anthology. For me, this is a very personal cause. My daughter has had diabetes for more than two years and there are too many people out there who are ignorant when it comes to this disease. Education is the key to understanding, and I hope that by telling her story, I can make people more aware of her daily struggles.
Q: Which food is most disturbing: Vienna sausage or Spam?
A: Is it wrong that I like both of these? I mean, Vienna sausage is so good! Spam is okay if cooked with some fried potatoes.
There you have it! Thanks to Lisa for taking the time to talk to me -- I agree that chipmunks are insufferable. If you're interested in learning more about Lisa's books, check out the links below. Here is a summary and excerpt from Journey to Forever.
Summary
Finally back in the warm embrace of his family, Travis McCoy relishes every moment he gets to spend with his wife and son. After almost losing them due to his own selfishness, he makes the decision to never let go of his family again. With his plan set in motion, Travis, Penelope, and Max start a new journey, one that leads them to forever.
Excerpt
Travis McCoy stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom, straightening his tie and trying in vain to get his hair to lay flat. His dark, curly locks didn’t want to cooperate, so he gave up. No point in fighting a losing battle, after all. “I don’t understand why I can’t go with you.” At the sound of his son’s voice, Travis shifted his eyes up and looked at Max. The boy was sitting on the edge of the bed, balancing his football in his lap and glaring at the floor.“I told you,” Travis said. “Mom and I are going on a date. You’ll have fun with Gramps. He’ll probably let you do whatever you want, like run with scissors and play with matches.”“Yeah, I know.” Max shrugged his shoulders. “Are you nervous?”Travis took a deep breath before he turned to face his son. “Yeah, I am.”“You shouldn’t be.” Hopping off the bed, Max smiled. “She’ll say yes.”“How can you be sure?” he asked. “It’s only been a few months.”“But she’s loved you for, like, ever,” Max scoffed, rolling his mocha-brown eyes. “Dad, trust me on this one. I know women.”“How do you know women?” It was Travis’s turn to scoff. “You’re not old enough to even like girls yet.”“That doesn’t mean they don’t like me. And that’s not the point,” Max stated. “Women like Mom don’t fall in and out of love. They’re in it till the end. Just woo her; make her feel pretty.”Travis stood there, staring at him. “Who are you, and what have you done with my son?” Max rolled his eyes and walked out of the room. “Yeah, real funny, Dad.”Travis laughed before sitting on the side of the bed and opening the drawer of his nightstand. Lifting the small, black velvet box out, he placed it in the palm of his trembling hand. Tonight, he planned to propose to the woman who had owned his heart since he was Max’s age: Penelope Stone.
Author Bio Lisa Bilbrey is a mom of three and has been married to her high school sweetheart since 1996. Finding a love in the written word, she started writing as a way to express herself. From the first word she wrote, she'd found her heart and soul. Always willing to learn, she's spends much of her time trying to improve as a storyteller.
In late 2011, Lisa opened Renaissance Romance Publishing with Michele Richard and Laura Braley.
Lisa's BlogLisa's Amazon Author PageBarnes & NobleLisa's About.Me PageFacebookTwitter
Goodreads
Renaissance Romance Publishing
Tour Schedule June 17—Elizabeth M. LawrenceJune 18—Mandy Anderson, I Read IndieJune 19—Kim, Ready Your WritesJune 20—Cremona Cotovelea, Mystical BooksJune 21—Lindsey GrayJune 22—The HiveJune 23—N. WoodJune 24—Fandom FanaticJune 25—R. E. HargraveJune 26—Rose CaceresJune 27—Jude OuvrardJune 28—Tracy RivaJune 30—Ali, Ali’s Bookshelf
Q: Your new release is The Journey to Forever. In romance novels, the theme of “happily ever after” is a common one. Why do you think it’s so important to give the reader a sense of the characters’ future happiness together?
A: Because reading is our escape from real life, where our happily ever after rarely feels like the fairytale outcome that we wish it could be. We fall in love with books that draw us in and make us feel like we’re a part of the story. It’s about the power of love, and the hope that in the end, we’ll find ourselves feeling a sense of contentment in our lives.
Q: If you were going to explore the story of a secondary character in more detail, which character would you choose, and why?
A: I’d love to dig into Russ’ life and find out more about him, Loralie, how he dealt with her illness and passing. Russ is one of my favorite characters, and I think that he’s one of the strongest, too.
Q: If you had to live on only one type of cheese for a year, which cheese would you choose?
A: Um, cheddar? I’m not generally a cheese person, but I’ll go with cheddar.
Q: In the Journey collection of stories, you are clearly exploring a local culture that is very familiar to you. What elements of life in that small Texas town were you particularly interested in bringing to life for your readers?
A: I live in the small town I used in The Journey Collection, and choose Clarendon because I could relate to how the character would be feeling. Starting in August, the boys from the high school gather on the football field in order to prepare for the start of a new season. My son is one of those boys. Every Friday night, the stands are packed with not just parents, but people from the community who support those boys. They cheer when they win, grieve when they lose, and encourage them to keep playing harder. There’s a lot of pressure on these boys to succeed, most of the pressure is self-inflicted.
When writing the first book in The Journey Collection, I wanted to show that mentality. I wanted to show how amazing it is when one of our own leaves this town and makes a name for themselves. The boys in small towns look up to these men.
Q: What do you think sets this story apart from the others in the Journey collection?
A: Well, I think it’s the fact that Travis has really grown up in this story. His concerns aren’t about the game, but how he can be a better father to his son, a good husband to Penelope. He strives to prove to himself that he deserves his family. Plus, there’s a lot more sappy romance in it.
Q: If a reader took just one message from this story, what would you want it to be? Is that a theme that you feel is present throughout the series, or is it unique to this installment?
A: That’s a hard question, but I think I would have to say that the one message I’d like people to come away with is that no matter how hard life gets, love and family will see you through. It won’t always be easy, but nobody ever said life was easy. Family is a theme that I tend to write in all of my books, even though they may not be related by blood.
Q: Will we be hearing more from Travis and Penelope in the future?
A: There is a fourth book in The Journey Collection that will come out in September. The Journey to a New Life is probably my favorite out of all four books. And you never know when Travis and Penelope will start talking to me again. Maybe I’ll keep writing them forever!
Q: Do you prefer chipmunks or squirrels?
A: Squirrels. Chipmunks have this look on their faces like they own the world. I’m not down with that.
Q: Every writer has words s/he hates. Give us one example of a word that makes you cringe every time you encounter it.
A: As—It’s the one word that I read too many times and is overused. There are so many other ways to write sentences without it.
Q: Do you have a sequel to Angel’s Heart planned? If so, what can you tell us about it?
A: I do! One that I really need to finish! The second book in The Angel’s Heart Series will pick up about six months after the first book ends. Sophie starts learning more about who she is, and about her power. In the process, she finds that things weren’t as they appeared in The Keeper. I’ve very excited about my plans for these characters, and only hope my readers don’t get too upset with what I do to them.
Q: Patsy Cline or Dolly Parton?
A: Patsy Cline. She has an amazingly soulful voice!
Q: In addition to writing, you’re also co-owner of Renaissance Romance Publishing. What are your professional goals for the coming year?
A: To sell more books. It’s not about making money, which is always a good thing, but about getting our authors out there and letting the world read their stories. We have some amazing storytellers, who create these worlds full of laughter, love, and sometimes pain. I feel blessed that I get to be a part of the process with them.
Q: Is there an upcoming project that you feel especially excited about?
A: Next year, Renaissance Romance Publishing is planning on releasing a Diabetes Themed Anthology. For me, this is a very personal cause. My daughter has had diabetes for more than two years and there are too many people out there who are ignorant when it comes to this disease. Education is the key to understanding, and I hope that by telling her story, I can make people more aware of her daily struggles.
Q: Which food is most disturbing: Vienna sausage or Spam?
A: Is it wrong that I like both of these? I mean, Vienna sausage is so good! Spam is okay if cooked with some fried potatoes.
There you have it! Thanks to Lisa for taking the time to talk to me -- I agree that chipmunks are insufferable. If you're interested in learning more about Lisa's books, check out the links below. Here is a summary and excerpt from Journey to Forever.
Summary
Finally back in the warm embrace of his family, Travis McCoy relishes every moment he gets to spend with his wife and son. After almost losing them due to his own selfishness, he makes the decision to never let go of his family again. With his plan set in motion, Travis, Penelope, and Max start a new journey, one that leads them to forever.
Excerpt
Travis McCoy stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom, straightening his tie and trying in vain to get his hair to lay flat. His dark, curly locks didn’t want to cooperate, so he gave up. No point in fighting a losing battle, after all. “I don’t understand why I can’t go with you.” At the sound of his son’s voice, Travis shifted his eyes up and looked at Max. The boy was sitting on the edge of the bed, balancing his football in his lap and glaring at the floor.“I told you,” Travis said. “Mom and I are going on a date. You’ll have fun with Gramps. He’ll probably let you do whatever you want, like run with scissors and play with matches.”“Yeah, I know.” Max shrugged his shoulders. “Are you nervous?”Travis took a deep breath before he turned to face his son. “Yeah, I am.”“You shouldn’t be.” Hopping off the bed, Max smiled. “She’ll say yes.”“How can you be sure?” he asked. “It’s only been a few months.”“But she’s loved you for, like, ever,” Max scoffed, rolling his mocha-brown eyes. “Dad, trust me on this one. I know women.”“How do you know women?” It was Travis’s turn to scoff. “You’re not old enough to even like girls yet.”“That doesn’t mean they don’t like me. And that’s not the point,” Max stated. “Women like Mom don’t fall in and out of love. They’re in it till the end. Just woo her; make her feel pretty.”Travis stood there, staring at him. “Who are you, and what have you done with my son?” Max rolled his eyes and walked out of the room. “Yeah, real funny, Dad.”Travis laughed before sitting on the side of the bed and opening the drawer of his nightstand. Lifting the small, black velvet box out, he placed it in the palm of his trembling hand. Tonight, he planned to propose to the woman who had owned his heart since he was Max’s age: Penelope Stone.
Author Bio Lisa Bilbrey is a mom of three and has been married to her high school sweetheart since 1996. Finding a love in the written word, she started writing as a way to express herself. From the first word she wrote, she'd found her heart and soul. Always willing to learn, she's spends much of her time trying to improve as a storyteller.
In late 2011, Lisa opened Renaissance Romance Publishing with Michele Richard and Laura Braley.
Lisa's BlogLisa's Amazon Author PageBarnes & NobleLisa's About.Me PageFacebookTwitter
Goodreads
Renaissance Romance Publishing
Tour Schedule June 17—Elizabeth M. LawrenceJune 18—Mandy Anderson, I Read IndieJune 19—Kim, Ready Your WritesJune 20—Cremona Cotovelea, Mystical BooksJune 21—Lindsey GrayJune 22—The HiveJune 23—N. WoodJune 24—Fandom FanaticJune 25—R. E. HargraveJune 26—Rose CaceresJune 27—Jude OuvrardJune 28—Tracy RivaJune 30—Ali, Ali’s Bookshelf
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