Looking Out the Window: Welcome Cathy Bryant

Today I'm talking with Cathy Bryant. She'll be giving away a free copy of Texas Roads (U.S. entries). Be sure to leave your e-mail address with a comment and use name [at] address [dot] com to keep away spammers. I'll put the names on pieces of paper and draw one on Sunday night.

First, tell us a little about yourself. I’m a wife, mom, Nana, and private music instructor. In between all those rolls, I write. I enjoy walking, bicycling, hiking, canoeing, and gardening—basically anything that gets me outdoors. I live in a century-old Texas farmhouse with my hubby and a phobia-ridden cat.

Were you an avid reader as a child? What did you read? Avid may not be a strong enough word. I learned to read early and read everything I could get my hands on. My favorite book from childhood is Anne of Green Gables.

Why do you write? Call it a calling or a compulsion—either would be accurate. I never would have guessed that writing would be so difficult and so addicting.

Avid may not be a strong enough word. I learned to read early and read everything I could get my hands on. My favorite book from childhood is Anne of Green Gables.

Tell us about your latest book. Texas Roads is a 2009 ACFW Genesis finalist and contemporary love story available at Amazon. It tells the story of a disillusioned widow’s quest for home. Here’s the back cover copy:

Dani Davis longs for a place to call home. With quaint country charm, quirky residents, and loads of business potential, Miller’s Creek, Texas seems like the perfect place to start over…except for the cowboy who gives her a ride into town. Then malicious rumors and a devastating discovery propel her down a road she never expected to travel.

Cowboy mayor Steve Miller is determined to rescue his dying hometown. When vandals jeopardize the Miller’s Creek renovation project he can’t help but suspect Dani, whose strange behavior has become fodder for local gossips. Will Steve and Dani call a truce for a higher cause, and in the process help Dani discover the true meaning of home?

What inspired you to write this particular book? The spiritual theme of the story came from my own longing to put down roots. For several years, my family and I seemed destined to be nomads traveling from one small Texas town to the next. God used this time in my life to teach me that He was my true home. Dani learns this truth during the course of the story.

The idea for the plot came one day when I was out working in my garden. A car passed slowly, the elderly driver staring me down. I immediately got riled up. Then I started playing the “what if?” game. What if a city woman moved to a back roads country town? How would she react to the lack of privacy people sometimes experience in small settings? The story took off from there.

Where do you get ideas for your books? Everywhere. A newspaper article. Snippets of conversation. A humorous anecdote. And often a character will introduce themselves by starting dialogue in my head. (Please don’t lock me in a rubber room…) Once I was taking my daily walk when out of nowhere this prim and proper voice sounded in my head, saying: “Tyler, Dent and Snodgrass. Hold please.” From that came the idea for the book that will be Book Three in the Miller’s Creek, Texas series, which will be entitled The Way of Grace.

In three words describe your style of writing. Touching. Humorous. Riveting.

How do you get to know your characters? I fill out extensive character charts for my major characters and a few minor ones before I ever start the story. But they tend to reveal new things about themselves as I write the book.

What themes do you write about? I intend for every novel I write to be interlaced with spiritual truths I’ve learned. A Path Less Traveled, the second book in the series will deal with the natural human tendency to be independent and self-sufficient, when God calls us to put our trust in Him and depend on Him.

Are you a plotter or a pantzer? I’m a HUGE plotter. Can’t help it—it’s part of my Type-A, obsessive-compulsive genetic makeup. When I go on a trip, I like to know where I’m going, how I’m getting there, which roads to take, where I’m staying, who I’ll be traveling with…well, you get the picture. Writing a book is very much like taking a long trip.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us? I love to connect with people online. I’ve met the most wonderful friends there. You can find me at Facebook and Twitter, at my blog, WordVessel (http://WordVessel.blogspot.com), and my website, www.CatBryant.com.

Thanks so much for allowing me to spend this time at your awesome blog, Gail!

Texas Roads is available on Smashwords and Amazon