Looking out the Window: Karen Malley Talks About A Second Chance for Grace. Gives Away an E-book.

A Warm Welcome to Karen Malley

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 Hi Karen, let's talk about your writing. Where do you get ideas for your books?

From everywhere! From people I talk with in real life, from news stories, even sometimes from dreams. Anything can become a story. After I finished Following the Sparrows, I knew I wanted to continue the story of some of the secondary characters. Mac’s occupation was defined in the first novel, but I needed to flesh out Susan a little more. At some point I read an article about interesting jobs, and one of them was apartment manager. The article said sometimes folks leave unusual items behind. Suddenly Susan’s job and a creative twist to the story was born.

Do you have to juggle writing with a job, family responsibilities or other obligations? How do you balance it?

Honestly, juggling is a good word for it. I work full time as a scientist (which was the inspiration for the heroine in my first book) and I am married with two high-school age sons. I didn’t write much when the boys were younger, but now they are far more independent so I’ve found more time to squeeze in writing. I was able to write more this past year, as several of our activities were dialed back due to the pandemic. I pray frequently that God would guide me to use my time wisely.

What is your writing schedule and where do you write?

There’s not much of a schedule, but I do tend to write Saturday mornings while my family sleeps in. Every week I post a new short story which I share with my email subscribers. If you’d like to receive them, you can sign up at https://karenmalley.com/home/blog . For six months I worked in Philadelphia, and I wrote much of A Second Chance for Grace on the hour train ride each way. I’m glad my job is closer to home now, but it was a good time to write. These days I’m often found writing at my dining room table. As the weather warms, I’m likely to take my laptop outside and enjoy some fresh air while I type.

What would you be doing if you weren’t writing?

I’d probably have a cleaner, more organized house, but writing is much more fun.

In three words describe your style of writing.

Light-hearted

Inspirational

Optimistic

What themes do you write about?

Following the Sparrows focused on forgiveness, but A Second Chance for Grace focuses on (not surprisingly) second chances. God always gives second chances, no matter how badly we mess things up. We see that over and over in the Bible. I try to portray God’s heart in my writing.

Tell us about your latest book.

My latest book is A Second Chance for Grace. It’s the second book in the Pine Springs Series. At my last visit to your blog, we talked about Following the Sparrows, the first book in the series. I had so much fun writing about the small town and the characters there I wanted the story to continue. In this story, we learn more about Susan who tries her best to follow God’s will in life. She’s intrigued by Mac, but Mac has only been a Christian a short while and is still trying to figure out how God will fit into his life. Susan soon has to deal with her pregnant teenage niece, a mysterious briefcase a tenant leaves behind, and choose between two very different men who are fighting for her, all the while trying to manage her apartment building.

What inspired you to write this particular book?

As I mentioned, I wanted to continue exploring the lives of the people in Pine Springs, but more importantly I wanted to portray the heart of God. God truly is the God of second chances. Mac makes fun of Adam for being a Christian in Following the Sparrows, but he finds God toward the end of the story. God gives him a second chance, and I wanted to see what he would do with it. 

What do you love about this book? And what do you hope readers will tell others about it?

I love the storyline of this book. I love how the lives of the characters intertwine, and I love how God works in the lives of the characters to draw them to Him. I hope readers will tell others this book brought them closer to God and they loved the story!

Do you put yourself in your books?

I do. It’s hard not to. There are a few scenes in A Second Chance for Grace which were inspired by real-life times with my husband while we were dating. I also sprinkle in little details that are meaningful to me. It keeps it fun.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

In addition to the two books I’ve mentioned today, there’s also a free prequel to the Pine Springs Series called Finding Sunshine. It’s only about 25 pages, but it’s a fun read to give some background on some of the characters. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Sunshine-Springs-Karen-Malley-ebook/dp/B08W9LTWDC

Thanks so much for having me here today!

It's my pleasure.

More About A Second Chance for Grace 

A new life coming into the world disrupts Susan's quiet life ...

Susan Montgomery is used to a quiet, peaceful life managing her apartment building, where the hardest problem is her grouchy neighbor's leaky faucet. She soon finds herself dealing with a pregnant teenage niece, a mysterious briefcase left behind by a tenant, and two very different men vying for her heart.

A near-death experience gives Mac a new outlook on life ...

Christopher "Mac" MacAllister is trying to figure out how to "do the Christian thing." As a new convert, he's drawn to Susan's love for life and for God. She's nothing like the women he used to date; but can Mac compete with the guy who's come out of nowhere and knows all the right things to say?

Buy A Second Chance for Grace on Amazon

Bio:

Karen lives in Southeastern Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. She works full time as a scientist, but enjoys writing in her spare time whenever she can find some! When not writing (with her left hand), she enjoys baking, volunteering at her church, camping, hiking, playing board games, and reading. She loves reading faith-based stories, because we can all use a happy ending.

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