An Interview with Trish Perry ~ Day Two

Hello everyone, welcome to Day Two of our interview with author Trish Perry. Trish has penned nine inspirational romances, including two released this year.

Okay, I won't keep you in suspense about the strange incident that happened to Trish. I asked her:

Have you had any funny or strange incidents happen during the writing or researching of any of your novels?

Here's an eerie moment for you. Before I started writing romance, I wrote a spiritual warfare novel. I'd still like to publish it someday, but it will probably have to be under a different name because it's so different from my "branded" writing. Anyway, part of the story takes place at a small Civil War cemetery that's set rather deeply in the woods, and I visited the site for research. I was there smack in the middle of the day, but I was the only person there--not even a park ranger in sight. In my novel the story takes a creepy turn in that cemetery, so I was already a little on edge. But suddeny I realized how vulnerable I was there, alone, in the woods. I got shivers, and the hair stood up on my arms, I felt it was really important for me to gete out of there, so much so that I ended up breaking into a run. Whether that leading was from God or my own active imagination didn't matter. I scooted!

That would have been enough to send me flying out of there too! I hope you will finish and publish that story one day soon.

Making Home Work is all about moms staying at home, caring for their families, raising their children, writing, and contributing to the family income. You've successfully raised two children, Trish, have you any ideas or advice on juggling schedules for mothers who love to write but are busy with home and family?

Oh, mercy, I remember feeling time was just racing by during those child-rearing years of writing. I'd hear about authors like Danielle Steele, who was the queen of juggling writing and children, and I'd feel like such a failure. Great gaps of time would go by without my writing a thing. I worried I wasn't a true writer because I didn't stay up until 3:00 a.m. to write while my family slept. Honey, I needed sleep too!

But as my kids got older, they got easier, and I started to find more pockets of time to write here and there. Once I finally got my first book contract, I realized how much more stressful life would have been, had I received the contract earlier, while my kids needed me more.

So my advice is simple: chill. Put your kids ahead of your writing. I don't care what anyone else says, they are your great life's work. Your investment of time in their young lives will reap rewards that last far longer than any buzz you'll get from publishing a book. God knows when your life--and your family--will be ready for that next step in your writing career. Trust Him. Write when you can, and trust Him.

Hearing that you once felt the same pressure that lots of young mothers feel, and having the reminder that time doesn't stand still--that the day will come when there will be more time, is a big, reassuring encouragement!

And here are my last two questions before we put on the coffee and tea and get to dessert!

What book do you have coming out next?

I released Unforgettable (Summerside Press) at the same time as Tea for Two and the next thing out (in September) is Love Finds You on Christmas Morning, featuring 'Tis the Season, my contemporary novella that links with Debby Mayne's historical novella.

I'm looking forward to reading Unforgettable. Exciting news about your September release!

And my last question. What are you working on now?

Right now I'm writing Labor of Love, another novella, for the Barbour collection called The Midwife's Legacy (March 2012). I'm having fun doing the research on that one!

With novellas so popular right now this one sounds both fun and fascinating. Blessings on your new books and congratulations on all your successes, Trish!

Okay guests and resident bloggers, coffee's perked, tea is steeped . . . now for dessert . . . and there's no pre-heating the oven here!

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Ingredients:

6 ounces crushed malt balls

8.8 ounce container mascarpone cheese

7 ounces heavy cream, whipped

3 seven ounce packages white chocolate & Macadamia cookies

1 cup Bailey's Irish cream liqueur (for non-alcoholic version use Irish Creme coffee creamer)

Chocolate mousse:

10 ounces chopped dark chocolate

2 eggs (room temperature)

1/4 cup caster sugar (very fine granulated sugar)

3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped

Directions:

Make chocolate mousse--

• In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chopped chocolate until almost melted, stirring after each minute. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Beat eggs and caster sugar with electric beater for five minutes.
• Stir in cooled chocolate.
• Fold in 3/4 cup whipped cream.
• Refrigerate until needed.

Set aside 1/4 cup crushed malt balls.

Fold together mascarpone, 7 ounces whipped cream, and remaining malt balls. Remove the base of an 8-inch spring form pan and place the ring on a large serving plate (ring will serve as a mold for the cake). Cut a strip of parchment paper and line side of ring. Dip cookies, one at a time, into liqueur and place in single layer in mold to cover base. Spread half mascarpone mixture over cookies. Top with another layer of cookies dipped in liqueur.

Spread chocolate mousse over cookies. Top with one more layer of cookies dipped in liqueur. Spread remaining mascarpone mixture over cookies and sprinkle with the 1/4 cup reserved malt balls.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. Then remove spring form, peel away parchment paper, cut, and serve.

Here's the beautiful book cover of Trish Perry's new novel, Unforgettable.

And a little about the story:

Rachel Stanhope tries to see the good in everyone. But even her good graces are challenged when she meets Josh Reegan outside her Arlington, Virginia dance studio on a brisk fall morning in 1951. Admittedly, he's attractive, but she finds his cynicism and cockiness hard to tolerate.

A hard-news journalist and former World War II Air Force pilot, Josh considers distractions like ballroom dancing frivolous wastes of time. He has yet to shed his wartime drive to defend good against evil whenever he can. Yes, Rachel's confident nature is a refreshing challenge, but he wouldn't tangle with her if his newspaper hadn't roped him into covering one of her studio's competitions in New York City.

Between Arlington and New York, between the melodrama of ballroom antics and the real drama of political corruption, between family involvement and romantic entanglement, Rachel and Josh have their hands full. The last thing either of them expects is mutual need and support. But once they stop dancing around the truth, the results are unforgettable.

Trish invites you to visit her at: http://www.TrishPerry.com

Many thanks, Trish, for a generous and interesting interview and for the yummy Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe. We appreciate everything you've shared with us.

Thanks to: Deb Sandidge, for the use of her photomontage of a cemetery.