Yall I am so happy to be able to sit down with Mary and find out some fun stuff stay till the end of the Interview to enter to win a book by Mary Alford. Thank you Mary for sitting down with me to do this interview. 

Mary-Thank you, Sarah, for reaching out to me!

I wanted to start off with some random questions and then I will jump in to your books. Ok let’s get started. 

• What are some of your Hobbies?

Is reading considered a hobby? I’m huge reader. My Kindle is full of books and I keep adding to them almost every day. And in our neighborhood, we have our own reading club. The ladies of the neighborhood pass around the books they’ve read. Right now, I have a bag full of books to read. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be enough time to read everything that I want to read. 

In addition to reading, I love to play the piano. For me, playing Christian songs on the piano is another way to draw closer to God. A form of worship. 

I also play at gardening, (I say play because I mostly have a black thumb), and I love doing crafts, especially around Christmas time. 

• Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without?

For me, coffee is a necessity. I can’t start my day without two cups of Starbucks House Blend, (though I think it’s mostly mental since I drink decaf). 

• What’s your favorite go to meal?

Hum, that’s a hard one. Most of our meals are simple, but if I could name one meal that’s a favorite, I’d say its homemade pizza with everything, and I mean everything, on it. 

• I know some authors like to have certain snacks or drinks while they write, do you have a favorite snack food or drink around why you write?

I do! I’m a huge fan of peanut butter M&Ms and Bai Coconut Water. It’s hard to write without them. They’ve become part of my routine, although only a handful of the M&Ms. The Bai Coconut Water, well, I don’t feel bad about drinking them. 

• Do you or did you have a person that inspired you to write?

My husband has always been my biggest supporter. He encourages me to keep going when sometimes that’s not an easy thing to do, and when I fail, he props me up. He’s amazing. I can’t imagine doing what I do without him. 

• Do you have a Favorite place to write?

I know a lot of authors have offices and I do as well, but more times than not, I’ve got my laptop in my lap and I’m in my recliner with the TV going, or not. I can write either way. 

• Do you have a favorite author?

Yes, I have many. But the two that most inspire me are Lynette Eason and Christy Barritt. These ladies are dynamos. Not only are the amazing storytellers, but they are humble and giving women. I’ve asked them both for advice many times and they’re always willing to help. 

• I love that you write suspense it seems like very book I have ever read by you always have me on the edge of my seat. Is there something that inspires you to write suspense?

I’d say it’s what I enjoy reading more than anything, and I love the challenge of pitting good and against evil. Though I’m the author and I know the outcome going into a story, the journey to get to that happy ending can be challenging and thrilling to write. I love that! 

• Out of all your books do you have a favorite?

I know its corny, but my favorite is the next book I’m writing. I just turned in another Amish Suspense set in West Kootenai, Montana, and I hated to see it end. Now, I’m starting a new spy story for the next installment of the Cost of Redemption series, and I’m chomping at the bit to tell CIA Director Coleman Dean’s story. 

• I know you just released two books this month Blackbird and Amish Country Kidnapping do you have a favorite character in either one of these stories?

I love how broken the heroine in Blackbird, Sara Hersberger, is. She survived her father’s abuse only to believe he’s a serial killer. How do you get beyond that? Both Blackbird and Amish Country Kidnapping are second chance stories where the hero and heroine had once been in love, but for different reasons, their romance didn’t survive. Now they have a second chance. Those types of stories are favorites of mine. 

• Both stories are Amish based do you find it hard to keep the stories close to their Authenticity even though these are fiction books? 

Amish stories in particular are hard to write, because there are religious beliefs that the Amish adhere to that must be respected. I do tons of research to make sure that I do justice to the Plain way of life, but yes, it is hard, especially when you have an Amish hero or heroine and someone who isn’t at the time of the story. 

• Which scene was most difficult to write?

In my March release, Amish Country Murder, I have a heroine who is being held by a serial killer. Writing about how desperate she felt while being held hostage, and then the terrifying escape scene were so hard to write. I wanted to keep them real, but there were limits to what I could put in the book. Writing about bad guys can be difficult. 

• Were there scenes you ended up cutting you wish you could’ve kept? 

Having to cut scenes is hard. Off the top of my head, I’d say having to tone down some of the scenes to fit the story is the hardest for me. All of my books are Christian books, so it’s a balance to keep the stories real, and yet not offend anyone. 

• If you can, can you tell us what is next?

I just turned in my November Love Inspired story that is again set in West Kootenai, Montana, and it is the first book in a series about the Shelter brothers. The first book features Aaron Shelter and a woman who is on the run and hiding out near the community. 

I’m also working on book four of the Courage Under Fire series. It is entitled Chinook Winds. It is the final in this series but will introduce another exiting series to come. 

Well thank you again for Taking the time to do this interview

-Thank you, Sarah, for inviting me to share this time with you. 

Now for the fun part click on the link below to enter to win a book by Mary. I love all her books so I am happy to be giving one away. Thank you all so much for stopping by so glad to have you here. Hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did. 

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Where you can connect with the author:

maryalford.net

While at your favorite bookstore/website check out Mary Alford’s other books, You will not be disappointed. Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.