Interview with Author and Blog Contributor Mandy Goff: Family

Hello everybody. Today I want to introduce you to one of our new blog contributors, Mandy Goff. Mandy is the author of The Blackmailed Bride, an inspirational Regency romance published by Love Inspired Historical. After graduating cum laude with a Bachelor's degree in English from North Greenville University, she followed God's call to write fiction that uplifts and entertains. She resides in Greenville, SC, with her husband and three-old-year daughter. Her second novel is expected from Love Inspired Historical in 2012.


Tell me a bit about your family. How many children do you have, and if they still live at home, how old are they?
My husband and I have been married for almost six years, and we have a three-year-old daughter.

Why did you choose to work from home rather than find a job elsewhere?
I’ve always had a full-time job in addition to working from home.

Wow. That must keep you really busy. I can't imagine handling all that. What is the most challenging aspect of working from home while raising children?
It’s definitely the fact that I don’t get to spend nearly as much time with my daughter as I’d like. It seems like there’s always some kind of work to be done, even if I’m between projects, so I have to juggle work and play time…which is much harder than it sounds. I think one of the biggest things I deal with personally is my feeling of guilt over having to split my time.

Sometimes I deal with those feelings of guilt as well, jut trying to balance writing and family. What challenges do working from home present to your marriage, and how do you compensate?
I think I’m really fortunate because my husband is really supportive of my writing career. He works a full-time job as well, but he’s always willing to come home and help pick up the slack around the house so I can work. That being said, it is difficult when I’m under deadline to find time to spend with each other. That’s something I’ve had to make a concerted effort at doing.

I think all writers have extremely supportive husbands. We have to. Then nature of writing demands it of our poor hubbys. If you could start all over again, what would you do differently? What would you do the same?
I definitely would have changed writing drafts that never worked… In all honesty though, I can’t think of one particular thing I would have changed, mostly because I’m fairly content with where I’ve ended up now.

In lieu of sharing a favorite recipe, I've asked Mandy to share her story of getting the manuscript acceptance phone call from Love Inspired Historical. It made me laugh, and I think you'll really enjoy it.

I was at work when I got “the call.” The phone rang, and I realized it was New York calling (yes, I had memorized the NYC area code for just such an occasion!) Then, I immediately started crying. A lot. So much so that my coworker was looking at me like I’d just gotten word my dog had died.

I managed to garble through my tears that I thought (didn’t know for sure, because I still hadn’t answered the phone) my editor was calling. I then explained that editors rarely call unless they are offering to buy. I’m not entirely sure, but I think she might have started crying then too.

At some point, I started thinking I was hyperventilating. My work buddy was trying to get me to answer the phone, but I was too busy making “I can’t breathe” motions.

I finally caught my breath.

The editor had left a message telling me to call back because she had good news. I cried some more.

At this point, I’d managed to draw quite a bit of attention, and my coworkers started coming up to make sure I wasn’t having some kind of nervous breakdown. Once they realized what was going on, everyone yelled at me to call her back. My boss ran to the bathroom and then shoved a bunch of tissues at me so I could “dry up and call!”

I did. And even then I was unable to have a conversation…I had to ask if I could call back once I got a hold of myself. To my editor’s credit, this request didn’t seem to surprise her. She was very gracious and understanding.
Thinking back on it, I sometimes wish I’d been a little more composed (or a lot more as the case may be). But I definitely can’t complain that the first “call” wasn’t memorable!

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I just want to add that The Blackmailed Bride is a hilarious yet serious story. I read it and loved it. Here's a bit about the book:

The despicable Baron Finley is the last man Lady Olivia Fairfax would want as her husband, but what choice does she have? He holds the secret to a family scandal, and she must bow to his blackmail or see herself and her brother publicly disgraced. Steeling her resolve—and shielding her heart—Olivia is prepared to do her duty to her family…until Nicholas Stuart, the Marquess of Huntsford, complicates her plans. Nick is brave, honorable, infuriatingly attractive and unshakably determined to protect Olivia—even from herself. He won't let Olivia sacrifice her happiness for any price. Instead, he'll teach her to follow her heart…and pray that it leads her straight to him.

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Right now, Mandy is working on revisions for her second novel with Love Inspired Historical. This novel will release in early 2012. If you'd like to learn more about Mandy, you can visit her at thiswriterspath.blogspot.com