Kathy: Would you give our readers a brief bio? What do you enjoy
doing when you’re not writing?
Heidi: That’s a great place to start! I’m Heidi Gray
McGill, an author of Christian fiction—both historical and contemporary—with
stories centered on faith, family, and second chances. I live just south of
Charlotte, North Carolina, with my husband of over thirty years. I’m blessed to
be a mom of two adult girls and grandmother of three boys. When I’m not
writing, I’m usually reading, playing board games, or spending time with my
family. And though I’m legally blind, I still find joy in exploring the world
around me—sometimes with a seeing-eye friend, but always with wonder.
Kathy: Can you share a little about your writing journey? Any
stories that still make you smile?
Heidi: Oh, I love this one. My writing journey began
in 2020 when the ESL program I directed had to shut down because of COVID. I
asked God, “What now?” and felt His nudge toward writing. So I sat down, opened
my laptop, and Desire of My Heart was born.
I honestly thought only my mom and her friends would read it—hence including my
maiden name so they could find me on Amazon! But God had bigger plans. That
very first book became a Selah Award finalist for audiobook,
and I still shake my head in awe. It makes me smile every time I hear a reader
say it encouraged them in their faith through that story. Being obedient in
sharing God’s story and hearing it touched a heart is more than I ever
expected.
Kathy: How do you share your faith with your writing?
Heidi: I’m so glad you asked. Faith isn’t just
sprinkled into my stories—it’s the thread that holds everything together. We
all come to God with different life experiences and hurts, so I try to show
Jesus through each character’s unique lens. Some see Him as a protector, others
as a Redeemer, and still others as the father they never had. I learned this
approach from Vonette Bright, co-founder
of Campus Crusade for Christ, through her Sister Circle
series. Only recently did I discover she wrote a book titled A
Place to Belong—the same as my newest release. I’d like to think
that’s a little God-wink confirming I’m on the right path.
Kathy: Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantster?
Heidi: That’s such a fun question. I’m a happy
middle-grounder—a plantser, if you will. I absolutely need an outline, and I
spend a lot of time developing my characters’ backstories and spiritual arcs. I
know where they’re starting, where they need to end up in Christ, and a few
mile markers along the way. But I leave room for those divine surprises—those
“wow” moments when a character does or says something I didn’t see coming. That
flexibility keeps my stories—and my faith—alive.
Kathy: Do you have a writing schedule that works for you? How do
you balance writing with other responsibilities?
Heidi: Oh, balancing is an art I’ve yet to master!
I’m a laser-focused person—I’ve never learned to knit or cross-stitch because I
simply can’t multitask. If I’m writing, that’s all I’m doing. I write in short
bursts throughout the day, but my best creative time is late at night. While
most people are winding down, my brain is revving up. I can’t tell you how many
times I’ve climbed out of bed at 1 a.m. and written until 4. When a story won’t
let me sleep, I know it’s worth telling.
Kathy: Where do you find your story ideas?
Heidi: What a wonderful question. Honestly, some
stories just show up unannounced. One recent example came from a dear writing
friend of mine, Tema Banner, who was
developing a “reader magnet” story to offer to new subscribers. As she shared
her premise, something clicked, and I thought, “Mary and Melvin Trexler—two of
my original characters—need to tell their engagement story!” I’ll be sending
this exclusive story to my newsletter subscribers soon. If readers aren’t on my
list yet, they can sign up at heidigraymcgill.com/free_book
and not only receive my prequel Deep in My Heart for free (in
both ebook and audiobook), but also get this new story as soon as it’s ready!
Kathy: Tell us about one of your favorite authors.
Heidi: Without a doubt—Michelle
Shocklee. Her writing is rich, layered, and full of grace. I
love how she takes deep historical themes and threads them with faith in a way
that’s powerful but never preachy. Her characters feel real, her prose is
poetic, and I always come away with my heart stirred and my faith strengthened.
She inspires me to keep raising the bar in my writing.
Kathy: Can you share with us about your latest book? Or two?
Heidi: I’d love to! My newest release, A
Place to Belong, is a Christmas novella in my Discerning
God’s Best series. It’s the story of Josephine, a woman who’s run
out of grace—until grace finds her on the edge of a snowy town. It’s a tale of
redemption, second chances, and the family God builds when the one you were
born into falls apart. It’s available through the end of November in eformat
for $0.99.
I’m also working on Book 6 in the series: Keeper of My Heart. This one features Cecelia Shankel, a strong-willed frontier woman with no desire to settle for less than God’s best, and Jimmy Reeves, a brilliant but awkward pharmacist with his own wounds to heal. It’s an opposites-attract romance that’s full of grit, growth, and unexpected grace. It’s available for preorder now.
All of my books are available on Kindle Unlimited, and for binge readers, that’s a great way to read the full series. And just a gentle tip: Amazon pays authors through KU per page read, so if you borrow one of my books, please scroll all the way to the last page. It’s like leaving a tip for your server—and we’re so grateful when you do.
Thank you for having me, Kathy. I so appreciate your friendship, your keen editing eye, and the way you consistently bless me through the writing process. It’s a joy to share this journey with you.
A Place to Belong link: https://amzn.to/44ZBm9o
Keeper of My Heart Preorder Link: https://amzn.to/4llhfJX
Desire of My Heart Audiobook Link: https://youtu.be/U8Q0u5H0wGU
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