Showing posts with label Mary Pat Johns. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Author Interview: Lovin' On Red by Mary Pat Johns

Lovin' On Red JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Lovin' On Red by Mary Pat Johns, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Lovin' On Red
Series: Romance in Valiant #2
Author: Mary Pat Johns
Publisher: Scrivenings Press
Release Date: April 9, 2024
Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

He has everything … except what he wants most.

Rory is a wildly successful contractor with all the right connections. He has everything, except the woman who sees past his missing foot. If only the tiny redhead he’s insanely attracted to would go on a date with him, it could work, but Vi refuses.

Licensed massage therapist Vi Summers needs her childhood home remodeled, and Rory Spence is the perfect man for the job. Only he’s the last person she wants to work with. Despite Rory’s reputation as a flirt, his tender attention to getting her house right helps Vi see into his heart. Too bad her past mistakes prevent a future relationship.

Drawn together like magnets, they navigate trouble with illegal squatters, family expectations, and fire. Will they finally be honest with each other, or will their secrets tear them apart?

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

More Books In This Series

Excerpt

This morning, new strength fortified her and refused to let go.

Even if Rory trampled her heart into pieces, she would get to the bottom of this.

Vi rubbed her puffy eyes, not wanting to look in a mirror— no doubt she looked atrocious.

Decision made, she flew through her morning routine. Plaiting her hair, she remembered Rory playing with the loose strands. With shaky fingers, she undid the long braid, then pulled it back with a band. She wouldn’t go down without a fight. She donned an outfit and applied makeup. The earrings he’d given her stayed on the dresser. Showing grit was all well and good. Acting like a lovesick idiot? Not so much.

If he meant what he said in the break-up text, maybe she’d hang in Houston awhile to figure out Plan B.

Did that mean Rory was Plan A?

Vi left to find out.

About the Author

Mary Pat Johns

Mary Pat Johns lives in South Texas with the love of her life and two spoiled dachshunds. You can find her at the gym, on her computer, or reading a book.

Connect with Mary Pat by visiting marypatjohns.com to follow her on social media and sign up for email updates.

Author Interview with Mary

Q: What was the inspiration behind Lovin’ on Red?

Mary: I wrote the first draft of Lovin’ On Red during our country’s deep isolation due to COVID. It was such a bewildering time, I wanted to give readers something to look forward to.

Q: How long did it take you to write this story?

Mary: The first draft took about three months, but the revisions took much longer. I worked on it in between learning how to market and doing my first book launch and debut release, so probably a solid year of devotion to Lovin’ On Red.

Q: Do you have a favorite quote from this book?

Mary: I have several but my all-time favorite is when Rory goes to Houston. Here’s the excerpt:

Rory gently clasped her raised hand with one of his, then caught a tendril of hair flying across her face with his other hand and tucked it behind her ear. “You need to set aside the knee-jerk reaction. The one where you shut me out. I love you, Vi. You don’t have anything to fear from me.” His calm, reasonable voice steadied her, though her mind insisted on reciting the reasons she left.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from Lovin’ on Red?

Mary: I want readers to see the extravagant grace of God at work and realize, maybe hope for the first time, that His grace and goodness isn’t limited to our understanding of how it’s supposed to happen.

Q: Lovin’ on Red has such a cute cover. Do you have a favorite cover from among the books you’ve written?

Mary: Thank you. I also love it. Our graphics editor does a lovely job. Probably my favorite is my first book Countin’ On Jesse. The vector image I chose for Jesse, though I didn’t know it at the time, resembles a portrait my mom painted of my dad. He’s in heaven now, but the images are eerily similar. And I love how it set the tone for the other book covers in the series.

Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers would not know?

Mary: In addition to teaching high school for a long time, I taught Bible classes to adults for years. How that translates to writing romance, I’ve never been able to figure out, except God’s pursuit of us is the best love story of all time.

Q: How long ago did you start writing?

Mary: I’ve dabbled at it for years, but seven years ago, I realized I needed to actively pursue it or I wouldn’t accomplish my goal of becoming a published author. I had to let go of “good” things and treat it like a job instead of a hobby.

Q: What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

Mary: I enjoy the creative act of writing and sharing my heart through stories. And it’s also quite pleasant to work from home.

Q: Do you prefer to read ebooks or physical copies?

Mary: For fiction, I love ebooks. However, when I do research or Bible study, I prefer hard copies that I can mark up.

Q: How many bookcases are in your home?

Mary: At this writing, I have three overflowing bookcases. For years, I’ve given books away, and that’s also part of the reason I like ebooks. They don’t take up near as much space.

Q: What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Mary: You can always find me reading a good book. I enjoy cooking too and make time to try out new recipes. And I’m crazy looking forward to meeting my Brazilian daughter-in-law and helping her learn how to do life in the States.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will win print copies of Countin' On Jesse and Lovin' On Red, plus sea turtle earrings and necklace!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 8, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 15, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Author Interview: Countin’ On Jesse by Mary Pat Johns

About the Book

Book: Countin’ On Jesse

Author: Mary Pat Johns

Genre: (Inspirational) Contemporary Romance

Release Date: September 12, 2023

Peeps’ gym owner Jesse seeks accreditation. Accountant Brenna wants to help Jesse reach his goal. They’re a great team, but can she count on him when trouble strikes?

Accountant BRENNA MCKINLEY only wants what’s best for Peeps, the wildly popular gym in Valiant, Texas. But when money goes missing, and she’s the obvious suspect, will she be able to clear her name or face criminal charges? Keeping her dream job matters, but falling in love with her boss isn’t part of the plan. Neither is the creepy guy stalking her.

Young veteran JESSE JACOBS manages and co-owns Peeps, an exercise facility in Valiant, Texas. He needs help to gain accreditation for the gym, and his new accountant is all in. But is she who she seems? Too bad he’s falling for her like a man with no parachute. When the pressure builds, PTSD renders him moody and volatile, risking everything he loves.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Mary Pat Johns’ writing career began once she retired from years of teaching speech and writing. She’s written devotions for an online publication and had short stories published by Chicken Soup for the Soul. She currently writes a biweekly faith column for the local newspaper.

Countin’ On Jesse is her debut novel, and she’s hard at work on the rest of the Valiant series. God put it in her heart to tell stories of brave veterans and their reintegration into civilian life after suffering the traumas of war. As she kept writing, her focus generalized to include ordinary people who learn how to move forward after devastating events. Her writing has a strong spiritual thread since she considers a return to faith in God the solution for what ails the civilized world.

She lives in South Texas with her husband and their two dapple dachshunds. Her grown children and five grandchildren are useful sorts who keep her grounded with her reading/writing obsession. You can find her at the gym, at her computer, or reading a good book.

Countin’ On Jesse placed second in inspirational contemporary romance in the TARA contest. It was also a finalist in the Crown and the Maggie contests for unpublished authors.

Author Interview with Mary Mary

Q: How long did it take you to write this novel?

Mary: The first draft to publication was seven years. The first draft took about three months; the rest of the time was spent honing my fiction writing skills and learning how the industry works. People are usually surprised and appalled at how long it took, but that amount of time is average for a new writer.

Q: Do any of the novel’s characters hold a special place in your heart?

Mary: Jesse, the hero, is a composite of the favorite men in my life. He reminds my of my daddy, my husband, my son, and my son-in-law. Bossy and intense, but also protective and tender. Also like the men in my life, Jesse has good communication skills and knows how to make things happen.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from this novel?

Mary: Well, first of all, I hope the readers love the story so much, they’re sorry to see it end and can’t wait for the next book in the series! On a more serious note, I want readers to know that Christians are still flawed humans who make plenty of mistakes And sometimes, Christians have this “just Jesus and me” mentality and don’t think they need help from others—but there’s nothing scriptural about that idea. Part of Jesse’s character arc is the realization he needs professional counseling.

Q: In what setting do you enjoy writing the most?

Mary: My office is on the second floor of our home. Sunshine creates a light, bright atmosphere, and it has a glass door that leads to a balcony. There’s a large oak tree outside my window and my husband’s woodworking shop is clearly in view. My daughter gave me a set of chimes that sing when the wind blows. It’s here I get the most work done because it has all the sights and sounds of home.

Q: What are you reading now?

Mary: Reading is my favorite hobby. Rarely ever do I finish a day without reading a portion of whatever novel I’m reading. I just finished Pepper Basham’s Mistletoe Countess. What a marvelous celebration of married love! I absolutely loved it and am currently reading the second book, The Cairo Curse. To all who love romance, the Freddie and Grace Mystery series is one of the best. Basham writes authentic stories from the heart.

Q: How many bookshelves are in your home?

Mary: I only have three bookshelves, though I could fill up a library with all the books I’ve read. I just don’t keep them—unless you count ebooks. I’m always in the “dangerously low on storage space” with Kindle. For hard copies, one bookshelf is reserved for my writing craft books because I prefer hard copies I can mark up and go back to. My other bookshelves hold some longtime favorites, years of journals, and Bible study literature.

More from Mary

I wrote Countin’ On Jesse because I couldn’t NOT write it, though learning to write fiction was an act of faith. My son is an army vet and deployed to Afghanistan during the war. When he returned, the adjustment back to civilian life was difficult. The PTSD he suffered was real. His dad and I prayed often for his restoration. I also experienced an urgency to share how people recover from traumatic experiences, but it’s not my MO to tell a sad story. I used humor, but never downplayed the seriousness of the hero’s issues with PTSD and anger. My goal was to impart hope.

One added sweet note. My son helped me craft a short story as a prequel for the series. I believe it was healing for him to revisit the Afghanistan setting through the perspective of time and distance. Readers have shared they felt like they were in the story. In truth, there was an eyewitness. I’m forever grateful that he came home to tell me of such events.