Looking Out the Window: Bonnie Engstrom Talks about When Hearts Entwine. Gives Away a Print Copy and an E-Book

Bonnie and Taylor Mary Morgan

A Warm Welcome to Bonnie Engstrom 

Bonnie will gift an author-signed copy of When Hearts Entwine via USPS (right to your mailbox. U.S. residents only) and an eBook (right to your Kindle) ~ two winners! She asks, please, that the recipients post an honest review on Amazon. Goodreads would be awesome, too. She would love to know your thoughts. Really! To enter to win leave a comment and an email address below.


Hi Bonnie, tell us a little about yourself.

I wear two domestic hats, both super important to me. I am a wife to my psychologist husband, Dave ~ have been for almost 55 years ~ a real milestone for a shrink! Maybe we’ve hit the milestone because we are both only children, so fewer family dynamics than some of our shrink friends. Shrinky Dave and I have three children and six grandchildren, which brings me to my other domestic chapeau.

I am a grandma! Actually, Grammy is my name. Fifteen years ago my friend Judy said, “Chose your name well. It’s what they will call you. Like forever.” I did, and I love it!
Taylor Mary Morgan is the eldest who just turned 15 on Earth Day. She is the reason we moved from California to Arizona. I was already here waiting in my Grammy role, but Grandpa tossed (gently) our dog Jake in his car at 3 a.m. and arrived in time for her birth while I paced the hospital floor talking with her other grandma in Paris who was scrubbing her floor!

Suddenly there was a grandchild explosion! Teagan, resident artist, Shayden, chess champion and Shyla his twin, the “baby” of the family were born in rapid succession. They were quickly followed by their cousins Fletcher (surfer dude) and Huxley, the family carrottop. Both live on the beach in Costa Rica. Pura Vida!

I had a calling for over 35 years as a volunteer in education. I founded a parent-cooperative preschool when our eldest, Loren, was two. Served in PTA as a five-time president, twice over a large school district; continued to serve on education boards and give workshops locally and nationally. Education is a passion of mine. Most of the main characters in my Candy Cane Series are teachers.
‘Nuff about me. Let’s move on.

Lots of writers were avid readers as children. How about you? If so, what did you read?

You betcha! Please read the portion in my website that tells you about that.

Let’s talk about your writing. Why do you do it?

I have a fun little sign in my den that says WINE because no GREAT STORY ever started with SALAD. What’s especially fun about it is how wrong it is!

Twenty? years ago I was preparing a salad, one of my few culinary specialties. Suddenly I stopped. I knew I had to write ~ now! I raced to my computer and wrote a story that never came to fruition, but started me on my writing career. Maybe I was drinking a glass of Chardonnay, but I do know it was a defining moment. Dinner was late that evening!

Tell us about your latest book.

When Hearts Entwine is not my latest book, but it is a book I love, and one I loved writing. It has a strange history. It never got a single review. It’s former title was very similar to another book by the same publisher and it had the exact same cover as the other book. It went through transformation in title and cover, but not in story. I think it’s an important story, so I hope readers will read it and review it. I featured it on my Facebook author page a few weeks ago where readers voted on the cover and title changes. My readers rule!

Does your faith affect your writing? If so, how?

It certainly does! I try to not blatantly proselytize, but I always refer to Scripture, even in my characters’ conversations with each other. It naturally happens as part of the dialogue. I hope, too, that the Christian message comes through in my characters’ behavior and their stories. It’s said that actions speak louder than words, and I hope my characters actions yell!

More About When Hearts Entwine

Jillie is a first year guidance counselor at an upscale high school in trendy Newport Beach, California. She loves her job, but it’s stressful dealing with helicopter parents and students pressured to excel. Then there is Josh, a Muslim student who is converting to Christianity and wants her support knowing he will be banished from his family for his new faith. She signs up for a culinary class as a respite, and to fine tune the recipes of her Swedish heritage.

Erik is an anomaly. Tall, buff, borderline handsome and an EMT, he is filled with anger, yet bursting with faith. His reason for taking the class is to recreate his childhood and make the Danish delights he and his brother made as children with their grandma. Or, so he says. Or, is it a balm to salve his soul? And what does he keep in his car trunk?

Can an angry man of faith who gives out books of Scripture to the wounded have anything in common with a woman who is trying desperately to save a young student? Can Swedish meatballs go together with sweet Danish pastry?

Buy Hearts Entwine on Amazon

Bio: Bonnie Engstrom is multi-published by Winged Publications. Eight of her books are part of The Candy Cane Series ~ Number Nine, Natalie’s Red Dress, is a WIP. The other nine books are fun standalone stories. You can see them all on Bonnie's Amazon page.

Follow her every week on her Facebook author page to learn about other authors and chat about books and fun stuff and win books and stash.

To sign up for her newsletter, and to see Shrinky Dave and all the grandchildren, go to her website website

Her email is bengstrom@hotmail.com where she loves to chat with readers about books. Be sure to put BOOKS in the subject line.