Sam Bishop needs to escape. His past is out to get him. When Sam finds a town seeking “marriage minded bachelors” he decides that Simpson Creek, Texas is the place for him to turn his fortune around. His plan – to marry into wealth thereby taking care of his gambling issues – is derailed when he meets Prissy Gilmore. Sam finds that he actually wants to be the man that she deserves. Unfortunately, his past has other plans.
WHAT LED YOU TO WRITE THE SHERIFF’S SWEETHEART?
The Sheriff’s Sweetheart is part of my “Brides of Simpson Creek” series from Love Inspired Historicals. I started the series to give the old mail-order bride scenario a twist that modern women, who increasingly go online to find their mate, could relate to. (I myself am an Eharmony.com bride, by the way!) The Sheriff’s Sweetheart is Prissy Gilmore’s story. Prissy is the wealthy mayor’s daughter who is in love with love, but then she meets a newcomer to Simpson Creek who becomes the town sheriff. Unknown to Prissy and the rest of the town, Sam Bishop is a down-on-his-luck gambler with a dangerous secret. How Prissy learns about what real love means, and how Sam becomes worthy of the woman he loves and saves the town from an unscrupulous alliance of powerful men, is a story I hope you’ll love as much as I loved writing it.
STARTING OUT, WHO WERE THE AUTHORS WHO INSPIRED YOU? WHO INSPIRES YOU NOW?
I started out writing general market historical romance, so I loved the works of Anya Seton, Thomas B. Costain, Mary Jo Putney. Now that I’m writing Christian fiction, I love reading historical romance by Cheryl St. John, Vicki Bylin, Mary Conneally, Tamera Alexander.
HOW DOES YOUR FAITH INFLUENCE YOUR WRITING?
My faith is the reason I write Christian fiction. I want to show how the Lord can guide one’s life choices and faith can guide one to living a fulfilling life pleasing to God.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN YOU WANTED TO BE AN AUTHOR?
Since I was a child. I started out banging on my dad’s typewriter. It was a story about a dog and a horse. I knew I needed a job that would pay the bills while I was writing, though, so I became an R.N. I’m still nursing as well as writing.
WHAT DO YOU MOST HOPE THAT READERS GET FROM READING YOUR WORK?
That God loves them and wants to come into their lives. Also that our American history is fascinating and that we need to return to the bedrock values of our ancestors. And of course I hope my stories provide entertainment as well!