The third installment in the Journey Collection by Lisa Bilbrey will be released on June 18th. Lisa stopped by to talk with me about The Journey to Forever and her future projects. And her cheese preferences.
Q: Your new release is The Journey to Forever. In romance
novels, the theme of “happily ever after” is a common one. Why do you think
it’s so important to give the reader a sense of the characters’ future
happiness together?
A: Because reading is our escape from real life, where our
happily ever after rarely feels like the fairytale outcome that we wish it
could be. We fall in love with books that draw us in and make us feel like
we’re a part of the story. It’s about the power of love, and the hope that in
the end, we’ll find ourselves feeling a sense of contentment in our lives.
Q: If you were going to explore the story of a secondary
character in more detail, which character would you choose, and why?
A: I’d love to dig into Russ’ life and find out more about him,
Loralie, how he dealt with her illness and passing. Russ is one of my favorite
characters, and I think that he’s one of the strongest, too.
Q: If you had to live on only one type of cheese for a year,
which cheese would you choose?
A: Um, cheddar? I’m not generally a cheese person, but I’ll go
with cheddar.
Q: In the Journey collection of stories, you are clearly
exploring a local culture that is very familiar to you. What elements of life
in that small Texas town were you particularly interested in bringing to life
for your readers?
A: I live in the small town I used in The Journey Collection,
and choose Clarendon because I could relate to how the character would be
feeling. Starting in August, the boys from the high school gather on the
football field in order to prepare for the start of a new season. My son is one
of those boys. Every Friday night, the stands are packed with not just parents,
but people from the community who support those boys. They cheer when they win,
grieve when they lose, and encourage them to keep playing harder. There’s a lot
of pressure on these boys to succeed, most of the pressure is self-inflicted.
When writing the first book in The Journey Collection, I
wanted to show that mentality. I wanted to show how amazing it is when one of
our own leaves this town and makes a name for themselves. The boys in small
towns look up to these men.
Q: What do you think sets this story apart from the others in
the Journey collection?
A: Well, I think it’s the fact that Travis has really grown up
in this story. His concerns aren’t about the game, but how he can be a better
father to his son, a good husband to Penelope. He strives to prove to himself
that he deserves his family. Plus, there’s a lot more sappy romance in it.
Q: If a reader took just one message from this story, what
would you want it to be? Is that a theme that you feel is present throughout
the series, or is it unique to this installment?
A: That’s a hard question, but I think I would have to say that
the one message I’d like people to come away with is that no matter how hard
life gets, love and family will see you through. It won’t always be easy, but
nobody ever said life was easy. Family is a theme that I tend to write in all
of my books, even though they may not be related by blood.
Q: Will we be hearing more from Travis and Penelope in the
future?
A: There is a fourth book in The Journey Collection that will
come out in September. The Journey to a New Life is probably my favorite out of
all four books. And you never know when Travis and Penelope will start talking
to me again. Maybe I’ll keep writing them forever!
Q: Do you prefer chipmunks or squirrels?
A: Squirrels. Chipmunks have this look on their faces like they
own the world. I’m not down with that.
Q: Every writer has words s/he hates. Give us one example of a
word that makes you cringe every time you encounter it.
A: As—It’s the one word that I read too many times and is
overused. There are so many other ways to write sentences without it.
Q: Do you have a sequel to Angel’s Heart planned? If so, what
can you tell us about it?
A: I do! One that I really need to finish! The second book in
The Angel’s Heart Series will pick up about six months after the first book
ends. Sophie starts learning more about who she is, and about her power. In the
process, she finds that things weren’t as they appeared in The Keeper. I’ve
very excited about my plans for these characters, and only hope my readers
don’t get too upset with what I do to them.
Q: Patsy Cline or Dolly Parton?
A: Patsy Cline. She has an amazingly soulful voice!
Q: In addition to writing, you’re also co-owner of Renaissance
Romance Publishing. What are your professional goals for the coming year?
A: To sell more books. It’s not about making money, which is
always a good thing, but about getting our authors out there and letting the
world read their stories. We have some amazing storytellers, who create these
worlds full of laughter, love, and sometimes pain. I feel blessed that I get to
be a part of the process with them.
Q: Is there an upcoming project that you feel especially
excited about?
A: Next year, Renaissance Romance Publishing is planning on
releasing a Diabetes Themed Anthology. For me, this is a very personal cause.
My daughter has had diabetes for more than two years and there are too many
people out there who are ignorant when it comes to this disease. Education is
the key to understanding, and I hope that by telling her story, I can make
people more aware of her daily struggles.
Q: Which food is most disturbing: Vienna sausage or Spam?
A: Is it wrong that I like both of these? I mean, Vienna
sausage is so good! Spam is okay if cooked with some fried potatoes.
There you have it! Thanks to Lisa for taking the time to talk to me -- I agree that chipmunks are insufferable. If you're interested in learning more about Lisa's books, check out the links below. Here is a summary and excerpt from Journey to Forever.
Finally back in the warm embrace of his family, Travis McCoy relishes every moment he gets to spend with his wife and son. After almost losing them due to his own selfishness, he makes the decision to never let go of his family again. With his plan set in motion, Travis, Penelope, and Max start a new journey, one that leads them to forever.
Summary
Finally back in the warm embrace of his family, Travis McCoy relishes every moment he gets to spend with his wife and son. After almost losing them due to his own selfishness, he makes the decision to never let go of his family again. With his plan set in motion, Travis, Penelope, and Max start a new journey, one that leads them to forever.
Excerpt
Travis McCoy stood in front of
the mirror in his bedroom, straightening his tie and trying in vain to get his
hair to lay flat. His dark, curly locks didn’t want to cooperate, so he gave
up. No point in fighting a losing battle, after all.
“I don’t understand why I can’t
go with you.” At the sound of his son’s voice, Travis shifted his eyes up and
looked at Max. The boy was sitting on the edge of the bed, balancing his
football in his lap and glaring at the floor.
“I told you,” Travis said. “Mom
and I are going on a date. You’ll have fun with Gramps. He’ll probably let you
do whatever you want, like run with scissors and play with matches.”
“Yeah, I know.” Max shrugged
his shoulders. “Are you nervous?”
Travis took a deep breath
before he turned to face his son. “Yeah, I am.”
“You shouldn’t be.” Hopping off
the bed, Max smiled. “She’ll say yes.”
“How can you be sure?” he asked.
“It’s only been a few months.”
“But she’s loved you for, like,
ever,” Max scoffed, rolling his mocha-brown eyes. “Dad, trust me on this one. I
know women.”
“How do you know women?” It was
Travis’s turn to scoff. “You’re not old enough to even like girls yet.”
“That doesn’t mean they don’t
like me. And that’s not the point,” Max stated. “Women like Mom don’t fall in
and out of love. They’re in it till the end. Just woo her; make her feel
pretty.”
Travis stood there, staring at
him. “Who are you, and what have you done with my son?”
Max rolled his eyes and walked
out of the room. “Yeah, real funny, Dad.”
Travis laughed before sitting
on the side of the bed and opening the drawer of his nightstand. Lifting the
small, black velvet box out, he placed it in the palm of his trembling hand.
Tonight, he planned to propose to the woman who had owned his heart since he
was Max’s age: Penelope Stone.
Author Bio
Lisa Bilbrey is a mom
of three and has been married to her high school sweetheart since 1996. Finding a love in the written word, she started writing as a way to express
herself. From the first word she wrote, she'd found her heart and soul. Always
willing to learn, she's spends much of her time trying to improve as a
storyteller.
In late 2011, Lisa
opened Renaissance Romance Publishing with Michele Richard and Laura Braley.
Lisa's Blog
Twitter
Goodreads
Renaissance Romance Publishing
Goodreads
Renaissance Romance Publishing
Tour Schedule
June 17—Elizabeth M. Lawrence
June 18—Mandy
Anderson, I Read Indie
June 19—Kim,
Ready Your Writes
June 21—Lindsey
Gray
June 22—The
Hive
June 23—N.
Wood
June 24—Fandom
Fanatic
June 25—R. E. Hargrave
June 26—Rose
Caceres
June 27—Jude
Ouvrard
June 28—Tracy Riva
June 30—Ali, Ali’s Bookshelf
