About Gallimore

Jessica Neale’s faith is lost the day of her husband’s death, and with it, her belief in love. In a journey to find peace, she encounters a gentle, green-eyed stranger who leads her to the ruins of the medieval castle, Gallimore.

On his way to battle, Colwyn Haukswyrth, knight of Gallimore, comes face to face with a storm the likes of which he’s never seen, and a woman in the midst of it who claims to live centuries in the future. The Lady Jessica of Neale is an irksome, provoking bit of woman to be sure. And she’s about to turn his beliefs on end.

The product of a family rooted in pain and evil, Colwyn has focused on naught but himself—until Jessica. To a mysterious prophecy stitched on a tapestry, through the invasion of Gallimore itself, Colwyn and Jessica are bound together by a lesson in forgiveness and love—a bond that might be strong enough to survive the grave.

What’s your latest book?

Most recent is Gallimore, by Black Lyon Publishing, which released December 2008.

I remember when I got it in the mail to review–my mother stole it before I had a chance to read it, LOL. Such a great cover! I need to remember to get it back from her so I can read it. For now, you can tell me about it. Is there a theme to this book?
Love and forgiveness are choices, not feelings. I don’t think Jesus particularly felt like having his back ripped open or getting nailed to a hunk of wood and left to die. Nevertheless, He chose to do so. Should we do any less?

Okay, OW. And point well taken. =) So what are you reading right now—and what do you want to read next?

For now my bookmarks are in: The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen, The Raven Saint by Marylu Tyndall, and Bleak House by Charles Dickens.

My to-be-read pile is kind of frightening, actually, but at surfacing at the top is Pirate Latitudes: a Novel by Michael Crichton.

Your reading stack is my to-read stack. =) What lessons have you learned through the publication process that you wouldn’t have guessed as a pre-published writer?

This is hands-down the slowest business known to mankind. Sheesh. Waiting for a response to a query, then a proposal, followed by a manuscript read, and finally hurdling countless committees…during which at any point in the process you can receive a rejection and have to go back to start.

I hear ya! Are there any people (family, writing group, editors) who you rely on when writing?

I’ve got several critiquers who I trust will not let me out in public with literary toilet paper trailing on my writing shoes. Silverarrows, Y (who shall forever remain a capital letter), and Shannon McNear.

Okay, got a good grin out of that one. Aside from writing, what takes up most of your time?

Homeschooling and teaching (high school level Creative Writing and Civics). That and cleaning up the continual trail of destruction left behind in the wake of my behaviorally challenged dog.

Oh, I could tell you some stories about the destruction trailing a dog, LOL. What writing goal have you set for yourself that would be the hardest (or unlikeliest) but most rewarding to achieve?

You mean besides hitting number one on the New York Bestsellers list for fifty-two consecutive weeks in a row? Then it would definitely be having one soul (thousands would be preferable) seek after and find the amazing God of the universe because of something I wrote.

I got both a grin AND an “ah” out of that one! Do you remember where you were when you got your first or most important call about a book contract?

Yeah. Good thing I was sitting at my home office desk…I hadn’t wet my pants since second grade.

LOL! What are you writing right now?

Currently I’m half-way through a historical set in 1795 England. The hero is an opium addict and the heroine lives with her brother who is an Anglican priest going mad.

Wow. That’s obviously just a stroll-through-the-country romance, right? 😉 Is there another author who has greatly influenced your writing?

Several…
Dr. Seuss – for whimsy
Ginger Garrett – killer prose and clever phrases
Charlotte Bronte – haunting settings
Charles Dickens – amazingly descriptive characters

Thanks for visiting, Michelle! You are such a fun lady to talk to. =) Hope everyone enjoyed getting to know her a little better. Check out her website at www.MMGriep.com

You can purchase Gallimore from the publisher.