Today I am thrilled to introduce you to, not only a fabulous author, but a very dear friend of mine. Meghan Gorecki is visiting with us today. We are chatting about Little Women, Pepper Basham, Melissa Tag, writing, and a very special Christmas novella that is releasing this week. I have had a little peek at it, and WOW! You guys, Wrapped in Red is a perfect story for the holidays.
Welcome to Bookworm Mama, Meghan! I am so honored to have you here today!
Thank you so much for having me, Rachel! I am (inwardly) Freaking Out and Flailing About to be here at your beautiful online haven. Just wish I could give you a hug in person--but hey, we had that awesome time in August, right? :)
Nashville is a memory that I will cherish forever! It was so much fun meeting you and so many people that are so dear to my heart. And I am Freaking Out and Flailing About to have you here!
Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/
My love of the written word in all its forms was first birthed via a Dr. Suess book in first grade. I distinctly remember my mom (we homeschooled all the way through) helping me read Go Dog Go and the rest is history. Quite literally. When I was ten, we did an entire school year unit study on the Civil War, and we read aloud the entirety of Little Women. I then was utterly hooked by the era and set out to write my own Civil War era historical romance. Which, thirteen-ish years later, is in its third draft. God has a sense of humor.
From one homeschooler to another, I LOVED reading books out loud as a family. It definitely helped to nurture the reader in me. I love watching God's plan come together!
Which literary character is most like you? Why?
For years my answer to this would've been Meg March from Little Women. Sensing a theme here? But, while I've still retained much of my Meg-ness--I also have quite a bit of Jo March in me as well. Meg is the eldest sibling--the Mother Hen. The one in love with love and romance and the art of domesticity. Jo is the creative and dramatic one whose hard knocks end up pointing her in the direction of a new dream and revolutionary way to approach her writing career: write what you know.
I love this!!! The March family is special, and I can see you being a wonderful combination of Meg and Jo for sure!
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
My goal with this book is, in short, to point back to our greatest source of Hope, and what better time to do so then at Christmas time? And with a love story that holds a mere glimpse of the grace and love of God in the way my characters give and take and get to be together.
I can only hope and pray that my work-in-progress-ness will not distract or take away from what fueled my writing this Christmas story--both divine guidance and inspiration. And real life experiences. I guess all that to say is as far as achieving my goals--we shall see! ;)
Eeeeeee! I can't wait! Such a good message to emphasize during the season! LOVE!!! And can I just say....That cover...**swoon**
Who are some of your favorite authors that you feel were influential in your work? What impact have they had on your writing?
Oh my gosh, too many to count. Being this holiday novella is my first-ever written/finished contemporary, I'll share about my most influential contemporary romance writers. Melissa Tagg is definitely one of my biggest influences. In fact, this time last year I emailed her to pick her brain about just how to go about writing a novella. Not to mention her Christmas novellas are stunning. She writes with a grace-filled, poignant clarity that makes you feel like you are right there with the characters on all they go through, and you hate to close her books and leave them. But they never leave your heart. Much of the same and so much more could be said about our dear Pepper Basham. Her A Twist of Faith with its rollicking humor, redemption threads and homey heart, and how she incorporated her background and where she grew up? All I can say like a Valley girl is simply--hashtag goals. I want to be like Pepper Basham and Melissa Tagg "when I grow up." ;)
Melissa and Pepper are both wonderful authors and their influence is profound. They are truly an inspiration!
What secret talents do you have?
The easier question'd be what secret (random) talents don't I have. LOL I.E: can't roll my tongue, whistle, snap my fingers, or quirk my left eyebrow. Now two true "secret" talents are: 1. I've played piano for sixteen years and 2. I can bake better gluten free goodies than gluten-full.
Haha! I love it! Those are wonderful talents to possess!
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| L-R: Meghan Gorecki, Rachael Wing, and Me! |
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
A new-to-me habit I've picked up is getting up before the sun, before the time I have to clock in at my day job, and write. Or blog or do some marketing/promo work. But it's highly unusual for me because I used to be a night-owl. Not a night-owl writer because after 9pm forget it. My brain shuts down creatively. I think getting to hear about how Ruth Logan Herne writes (similar morning timeframe) was what first sparked this change all the way back in August at CFRR. It was so fun to sit and just listen to dear Ruthie, wasn't it, Rachel? :)
Oh.My.Goodness! Ruthy is such a lovely person! Such an honor to chat with her!
And another very random not so mature-author-like is that goldfish or ritz crackers with cheese (the tiny sandwich ones) are my favorite writing fuel besides coffee.
What writing advice do you have for aspiring authors?
Commit to honoring this author/writer dream by pursuing it and working hard at it every day. Every. Single. Day. Talk about it. Be proud of it and own it. Not only does that provide incredible accountability, but you are working at a God-given calling that He inspired in you. And it takes obedience, daily action, and commitment. Whether your stories see a Barnes and Noble bookshelf in two years or twenty (or more)--you only fail and cannot call yourself an author if you don't write. It seems so simple, I know, but it is also such a hard thing to remember. To honor the dream God gave you by simply working towards it every single day. It will be hard to do--trust me--but so worth it. I'm living proof and still a work in progress on that front.
Beautiful words Meghan. And advice that can carry over into any dream that is burning in our heart. Thank you for the wisdom and encouragement!
Can you share what is up next for you?
Well, after Wrapped in Red, the holidays and all, I will be hunkering down to put together a solid plan for my next book/series and prayerfully figuring out all the logistics and When's of that. Hint: it'll be a historical. Unless God surprises me as He did with snowballing this holiday story of my heart.
Oooh, that sounds exciting! I can't wait to find out more!
Thank you for joining us today Meghan! I am continually blessed by you and honored to call you my friend!
Rachel, thank you SO much for having me. You are a ray of sunshine in my life and I am so privileged to know you and get to freak out and flail about on the regular about all things story, even from across thousands of miles. ((hug))
About the Book
A Steel City holiday romance sure to
melt your heart.
The holidays haven't been the easiest
for Merry Grainger. Five years ago, she lost her grandfather and got
dumped by her boyfriend right before Christmas. Each season since
sees her determined to avoid getting hurt again, and so she keeps a
steel-like grip on her hopeless romantic heart.
Music used to soothe Sam Shepard’s
soul until the death of his biggest cheerleader broke his heart,
family, and dreams into pieces. Now he’s focused on thriving in the
city, and with the people, he’s grown to love—all to keep the
hole in his heart from opening anew with every passing holiday
season.
Thrown together by a church play and meddlesome family
armed with mistletoe, will Merry and Sam unwrap their guarded hearts
to let in the true hope of Christmas—and each other?
Pre-Order Now
About Meghan Gorecki
Meghan
M. Gorecki is an author of inspirational
fiction, a blogger, book reviewer and voracious reader. Taking her
life a day at a time as God leads, she is pursuing a career in the
publishing industry as an editor in training and as a member of
American Christian Fiction Writers. A hopeless romantic, history and
Marvel nut, she's also a redhead (thanks to a box), who knows way too
much trivia about movie musicals and the Civil War. Find her on
social media and at her blog, A Northern Belle
(http://www.northernbellemeg.com)
