Writing can be a lonely job. I can’t say enough about the value of community. I’ve found just that in a course I took a couple years ago – Tribe Writers by Jeff Goins. It’s been fantastic connecting with other writers who share a similar passion. I met today’s guest, Laura Hodges Poole, through Tribe Writers and have the privilege of chatting with her today about her Christmas novella.

Maria: Thanks for joining me! Tell us a little bit about yourself:

Laura: Thanks for having me, Maria! I’m a mother of two, a son and daughter, both grown. I’ve always been passionate about books and writing.

I’m also a medical transcriptionist and recently passed the national certified professional coder exam. That was tough! I’m glad it’s over.

Fun facts? Hmmm. I love the beach and the mountains. I love to bake when I have time. And I absolutely love to travel.

Maria: Sounds like you’re one busy lady! Tell us about your journey as a writer:

Laura: I’ve always loved the idea of writing. My earliest childhood memories include trying to write “books.” I made little books of cut up paper with cardboard covers filled with crayoned illustrations and penciled words. I still have one of these books, and it looks as funny as it sounds…

But as a young adult, how to become published was a mystery. We didn’t have internet, so you went to the library and looked up publishers and submission guidelines. I didn’t spend much time at it because I was busy raising kids.

In 2006, I submitted for a local newspaper contest for a murder mystery serial. I won and ended up writing six of the twelve chapters during the year. Next I wrote an op-ed piece on poorly planned urban development that elicited much debate within our community. Many nasty and praiseworthy comments were made about me in the public forum, which gave me a little taste of the thick skin needed to be a writer.

Later, I met the newspaper’s publisher at a charity function, and he extended an invitation for me to freelance.
But my real passion had always been fiction. I studied my craft, honed my skills, attended writers’ conferences, joined critique groups, and learned to network. I started getting requests for full manuscripts from proposals I’d sent to publishers, and then in 2011, I signed with an agent, though we’ve recently split.

I’ve spent this year reassessing my future writing goals, and part of this was publishing “A Christmas Chance,” followed by “While I’m Waiting,” a devotional book set to release in January 2015.

Maria: Wow! I’m glad you’ve continued to follow your passion. Give us a brief overview of A Christmas Chance:

Determined to stop focusing on her own problems, Maddie sets out to make this the best Christmas ever for the little boy and his ailing grandmother. What she doesn’t count on is him capturing her heart in the process.

Will God orchestrate an even bigger Christmas gift than Maddie could imagine, or will she lose Chance for good when the Simmons family suffers a setback?

Maria: I’ve had the privilege of reading your novella, and it was a wonderful story. Where did you get the inspiration for your characters?

Laura: Really, from the world around me. There are many mixed families and young couples trying to have children and balance that with careers. The characters just all kind of appeared as I started writing the synopsis for the story.

The main character, Maddie, is probably most like me. It wasn’t intentional, but as writers, we can’t help but share some qualities with our characters. She likes to help others, worries about the future, tries to trust God yet sometimes gets in her own way, but in the end, her faith leads her to the answer God wants for her.

Laura: Distraught that she and her husband are facing another childless Christmas, bakery owner Maddie Oliver tries to rescue every needy child who crosses her path. As the couple jumps each hurdle to adopt or become foster parents, they’re always disappointed.

Then eight-year-old Chance Simmons comes into Oliver’s Bakery with his elderly grandmother, and Maddie is immediately smitten. Chance’s impish personality draws her in.

Maria: What message do you hope your readers glean from your book

Laura: I hope readers will take away the message of Ephesians 3:20—that God is able to do more than we can imagine.

Now, this doesn’t always match our answer to prayer. We tend to pray and offer the solution to God at the same time. If only you would do this…What I pray people will understand as they read this is that God does answer prayer in His perfect timing.

Maria:Beautifully put, Laura! Can you give us a sneak peek at what you’re currently working on?

Laura: I’m polishing a Christian romance manuscript set in a small town in South Carolina that I’ve already written. It’s part of a planned three-book series.

My next published book, though, will be “While I’m Waiting,” a devotional that hopefully will encourage people while they’re waiting on an answer to prayer.

Maria: Thanks for giving us something to look forward to! Any final words of wisdom you’d like to share with our readers?

Laura: Dream big, expect God to come through in a way you can’t imagine when you pray, and never doubt that His answers are always timely, even when we don’t feel like they are. We just have to trust Him to get it right!

Maria: Those truly are words of wisdom! Thanks again for the interview and God’s blessings to you as you continue writing books that point to Him.