Guest Author Interview With Heidi Gray McGill

 

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

Sign up for my newsletter: https://heidigraymcgill.com/free_book/

 

Places to follow me on social media:

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http://www.youtube.com/@AuthorHeidiGrayMcgill/?sub_confirmation=1

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https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heidi-gray-mcgill

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20851872.Heidi_Gray_McGill/

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B08N37J954/allbooks

A Few Great Gift Ideas

Special Friends at Home by Sara J. Yoder. I read the first couple chapters of this while grading a braille document. It’s a fun children’s Amish story about a family on a farm. I didn’t get to read the whole book, but it looks like fun. The children get to meet interesting friends, and their parents teach them that God loves everyone and wants them to love people too.

 

Drums of change: the story of Running Fawn by Janette Oke. In 1870s Canada, the Blackfoot tribe finally has to settle on a reserve when the buffalo are gone. A young missionary joins a small band, offering stories of God’s love and education to children. Eventually the two best students are sent to a mission school. The young man soaks up the education and pays close attention to the teaching about Jesus. The young lady resists leaving behind the Blackfoot ways and returns early to her tribe to care for her ill father after her mother dies. She continues to stubbornly refuse to listen to the Christian faith, though she is friends with the local missionary. When her father tells her that he has chosen the Christian faith, I found myself crying.

 

Thirteen at Dinner by Agatha Christie. This book was originally published in 1933. I enjoyed reading this good old fashioned mystery featuring investigator Hercule Poirot. I love to try to figure out a good mystery, and I was delighted not to know for sure whodunit until almost the end.

 

This Promised Land by Cathy Gohlke. This is a golden story. A number of family members find their way home, some who have never met before. They struggle against their past, struggle with the conflicts between them. Then together, and with the grace of God, they work against those who attack them from outside, until they come together in a wonderful, surprising kind of new family.

 

'Twas the night before Christmas in Missouri by Jo Parry. A fun retelling of the story for young Missourians.

 

Millie’s Christmas by Kathy McKinsey.

https://www.amazon.com/Millies-Christmas-Kathy-McKinsey/dp/B09HQBTL7J

A sweet story about family gathering close to support each other, told in the voice of the family cat.

  

Psalm 29, Worship

A psalm of David.

Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

    the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.

The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;

    the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

He makes Lebanon leap like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning.

The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;

    the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare.

And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;

    the Lord is enthroned as King forever.

The Lord gives strength to his people;

    the Lord blesses his people with peace.

 

Father, we worship you. Because you are powerful. Because you are mighty beyond our words. Father, we worship you, because you strengthen us when we are weak. Because you give us peace. 

In Everything Give Thanks

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18:

Rejoice evermore.

Pray without ceasing.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

 

Sometimes I’ve wondered about how I could follow this verse. But on October 18 my mom passed away, and on that day, I realized how this verse can really ring true.

 

Mom was 88 years old. For the last couple months, her health has been going quickly downhill. Some days when I called her, she didn’t answer the phone. Other times when I did talk to her, she was weak and not very clear-headed.

 

On Friday morning, her heartrate went very low, and she was sent to the hospital. By Saturday morning, October 18, my brother Jim said I could probably call and talk to her in the middle of the morning.

 

I did call her, and it was a good conversation. She was alert, aware of all that was going on, and she seemed to have energy. I can never thank God enough that he allowed me to have that last conversation as my final memory with her.

 

In the summer of 2020, Mom had knee surgery, and while she was in the hospital and rehab, I called her every day. Then I asked myself why I just didn’t always call her every day. Long distance phone calls no longer cost extra.

 

So, rather than think how silly I was for not thinking of that sooner, I am just thankful that I’ve talked to Mom almost every day since then.

 

Sometimes we had a hard time thinking of things to talk about. We discussed my kids, my brothers, what I was working on, what we were having for dinner. After she moved into a nursing home three years ago, we talked about the activities they had there and the friends she was making.

 

My husband Murray reminded me of how in our faith, we believe Mom is with Jesus now. That’s true. Mom was a Christian. I told Murray, “I’m not sad for Mom. I’m sad for me.”

 

We had Mom’s funeral service at her small country church in Missouri this past Saturday. Murray said there were maybe 125 people there, to honor Mom, to support my family. This included relatives, members of the church, people from the community. One lady told me she was Darlene, who used to ride the school bus with me. My high school English teacher. Seemed like so many cousins, my three aunts.

 

The minister, Mark, asked people to share stories and memories about Mom.

 

My brother Jim told some funny stories. My cousin Michelle said Mom inspired her to learn to quilt. Several people mentioned Mom’s quilting skills.

 

Murray stood up and said, “Kathy and I met when she was a secretary at the university and I was a student. We decided to get married pretty fast, so she took me home to meet her family and told them we were getting married.

 

“So here was this funny-looking kid with red hair and a blue earring, and Kathy’s mom pulled her aside into the kitchen and asked, ‘Does he have an income?’”

 

Everybody laughed.

 

Mark asked, “Well, did you?” Murray said he held his two fingers out, about a quarter of an inch apart.

 

Mark shared Psalm 23, John 14:1-6, and verses from the last couple of chapters in Revelation, about no more sadness, no more crying.

 

We played the song Mom asked for for as long as I can remember, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”

 

It was wonderful to be hugged by my brothers. That small church has a precious ministry for funerals held there. They prepare a full lunch for anyone who wants to stay for it. I didn’t know if I could, but I was able to eat and enjoy conversation with people.

 

I told Murray it would be a big change in my life when I couldn’t talk to Mom on the phone every day. I have thought of things to be thankful for, but I know for a long while, I’ll feel a spasm of emptiness in the afternoon at the time I’d usually call Mom.

 

Mom had a rough time with her health during the last few months, and there were surely days when she was discouraged. But just in the last couple weeks of her life, she would talk to me about the occupational and physical therapy she was having. She said, “I like it.”

 

She was hopeful that she would be able to move around her room more by herself and do more for herself. She even said she hoped she would walk again with her walker.

 

That’s how I want to live, hopeful to the end, planning for life. 

Fiction is Happening

I worked on our family’s memoir for four or five years. At the very beginning of that time, I wrote a little fiction, but not in recent years.

 

The memoir is with the editor now, so I’ve been telling myself I should get busy writing fiction again.

 

Finally, last week, it happened. I started a Christmas story about strangers who decided to celebrate together.

 

Then a day or so ago, I had another idea, and I hurried to start writing down the beginning before I forgot what was in my mind. This is a story about a modern-day family trying to survive divorce.

 

Both stories are started on my computer now. I was hesitating to start, worried that I couldn’t do fiction anymore.

 

But, the beginning came easily. Now comes the hard work. I want to keep these stories moving along. I have a folder on my computer with a number of stories that never got past the beginning stages. I don’t want these to end up there.

 

I’m not sure what all will happen in these stories, or how they’ll turn out. But for sure they will help me get back in the groove of writing fiction. 

Guest Author, Becky Van Vleet

 

This is a precious story, filled with courage and perseverance, and excellent mostly unknown (to me) history from Europe and the United States. Thank you, Becky, for sharing with us.

 

When I was quite young, I'd sit cross-legged on our living room floor while Grandma Alzbeta wove tales of her journey from Poland to America. Her words came wrapped in an accent I barely noticed at the time. It wasn't until high school, in my American history class, that I connected the dots. I had a significant piece of history right in my family, sitting at our kitchen table, while our family enjoyed my grandmother’s authentic dishes from the old country. I dropped my timidity and spoke up in class about my Slavic grandmother, sharing bits and pieces of her personal story to emigrate to our country by way of Ellis Island. 

It was in this class I discovered the brutal reality faced by immigrants who had gambled everything on America’s promises. Most traveled in steerage passage on vessels across the Atlantic Ocean enduring filth, disease, and inhumane practices. I asked my grandmother about this. Yes, she confirmed the treacherous journey, adding she was pushed down the gangplank and slammed against hundreds of steerage passengers like cattle. A mandatory tag with the number 215, marking her as cargo in a human shipment, was pinned to her chest.

Like so many others, she gave up her country, customs, family, and friends for a better life in America. A life of opportunity. After all, she’d heard America had streets paved with gold.

The hundreds of thousands of immigrants who came to America in the latter part of the 19^th century and the first half of the 20^th century played a significant role in shaping the United States into the country it is today, building a bold new America. Between 1892 and 1954, more than twelve million immigrants arrived in the United States through Ellis Island. 

 

Each immigrant had their own unique story. Some came to escape intolerable poverty and starvation with very little productive farmland or steady jobs. Others sought freedom of religion and speech from oppressive governments. Some fled to escape massacres called pogroms in Russia in which minority groups were targeted. But what they all had in common was their desire to seek a new life in a strange but promising land. Their fortitude and determination to succeed triumphed.

 

My grandmother’s stories of coming to America took up a restful residence in my mind as a young girl. More than fifty years later, they awakened, prompting me to share them with others in my novel, Her Strength Within. My grandmother Alzbeta was a trailblazer, traveling alone on the SS La Touraine ship at the age of nineteen. She had no idea she was participating in our country’s history. Her inner strength prevailed against extraordinary obstacles.

 

Today, I still prepare stuffed cabbage rolls, borscht soup, and pierogis, using my dear grandmother’s original recipes. For a moment, I can hear her laugh, followed by aye yi yi yi yi! Her spirit lives on through my family.

 

Purchase link: http://bit.ly/3IwYmW1

Becky’s website: https://www.beckyvanvleet.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorbeckyvanvleet/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-van-vleet-ms-806055181/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becky_van_vleet_author/

Travel Flashes

Our kids are migrating west, so I guess we’ll be traveling that way. Rebecca and Steve have been in Nebraska for a few years now, and Benjamin recently moved to Colorado.

 

In the past, we’ve driven to Omaha, but we decided that was too exhausting to do in one day anymore. So we flew this time.

 

I haven’t flown for more than ten years, so I was a little anxious. It went okay mostly. Except that I’m a coward when it comes to escalators. I have a hard time finding my balance on them, and I add some screeches and complaints to the experience.

 

Murray said it was great arriving there in only about six hours or so instead of closer to fourteen. On the way home, though, it took more like ten. We had to get off the plain in Chicago because of maintenance problems and wait around for a new plain. But, as Murray said, “You want them to be careful the plain is working okay.”

 

We had a lovely time visiting with Rebecca and Steve. We went to some yummy restaurants, and Rebecca and I went shopping, which is always delightful.

 

I told Steve we must seem like boring company. We just wanted to sit around mostly, falling asleep sometimes. “I’m okay with that though,” I said. “I enjoy visiting with you guys, eating out, and I especially enjoyed beating you all in spades.”

 

We got to eat some carrots and tomatoes from their garden. Yummy. Rebecca showed me one carrot as big as a turnip. She said they’d not picked it soon enough. They cooked some of the carrots in the crockpot with honey and brown sugar and butter and spices. We left before they were done cooking, so I didn’t get to taste them, but I told Rebecca it smelled like something they could pour into a pie.

 

We found a great church with an early service on Sunday. Lovely worship, a good message, and they were straight forward about Jesus dying for our sins. We knew they were a group we’d enjoy when Murray said he saw some who were dressed in shorts and some who wore three-piece suits.

 

Rebecca and Steve are going to be looking for a house to buy soon, so I said good-bye as we left the apartment. Good-bye apartment. Good-bye stairs. We love to laugh about how they had to carry their couch up the three flights of stairs when they first moved in.

 

Next trip will probably be to Denver. But I need to rest for a while first.