Book Description: Can a wrong number bring true love or only heartache? Ashlyn Conner’s life is spiraling out of control. She’s already lost her father, and now that her mom is battling thyroid cancer, she fears being orphaned at fifteen. When a friendly stranger texts the wrong number, Ashlyn finds a confidant she didn’t realize she needed. The more Ashlyn gets to know Chris Knowles, the more she’s convinced he could be the caring husband and loving father the Conner women so desperately need.If only she’d been honest and hadn’t made him believe he was texting her mother, Danielle.When the truth comes out, will she lose her friendship with Chris and damage her relationship with her mother? Or can God make something beautiful out of her lie?Told through text messages and Ashlyn’s journal entries, The Accident is a heartwarming, family-centered story.
Author Bio and Links:
Besides being an Indie Author, I’m a wife, mother of four, children’s Sunday School teacher, sweet tea drinker, history fanatic, romantic, bubbly, lover of broccoli, and cake decorator who has a soft spot for Christmas trees, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What I’m not is a laundress (or at least not one who keeps up very well), a duster, tall, or patient in a doctor’s office.
Interview
1.What did you edit out of this book?
Originally, I was planning to write the novel in text messages only, which would keep the reader from knowing that Ashlyn was really the one texting Chris, pretending to be her mother. I just thought this was an unexpected twist for Chris and the reader. BUT as I was plotting the story, I realized that learning late in the story that Chris was texting a minor might make the reader uncomfortable. Plus, we lose the deeper heart connection with the characters. So I decided to add Ashlyn’s journal entries into the mix, allowing the reader to have more information from the start and means for a deeper connection throughout the entire story.
2. Do you have an ending planned when you start writing or does it just happen as you are writing the book?
I always have the ending in mind before I get started. I don’t outline, exactly. But when I start writing, I know the basics of the main character, their big-picture problem, and how it all works out in the end. But the details of how they get there are fuzzy until I begin writing.
3. Do you think you could be talked into writing an autobiography about A. M. Heath, why or why not?
My knee-jerk reaction is to say no because I think it’d be boring. But in reality, I’m just your average Jane, living life, and relying on Christ the whole way through. And because of that, I do think I would/could write an autobiography … and in many ways, I’ve already shared the best chapters with my readers through various blog posts or the themes behind my novels.
4 What is the most important thing you can tell someone about what the great accomplishment in life is?
Christ and Him crucified. There really is no accomplishment in my life outside of what God has done for me, through me, and in me. My upcoming release, Dance With Me, carries this theme in a beautiful way. This goes along with my answer to the autobiography question. There’s nothing special about me. It’s all Christ. And I honestly mean that. There’s nothing extra about me, so there’s no reason why He can’t or won’t use you or anyone else the same as He has done me. And that doesn’t mean that anyone and everyone is capable of being a published author. I firmly believe the Lord has designed each of us for different tasks. But what I mean, is that when a person humbles themselves and turns to Christ, He will enable them to live a daily life of submission to Him. There’s peace and joy there that cannot be matched in anything this world has to offer. I honestly think, to the Lord, the greatest heights we can conquer in this lifetime is to humbly love and worship our Lord daily. We often get star-struck and think of only the big accomplishments in life. But a life lived for the Lord is the greatest accomplishment and most of those are lives that seem to go unnoticed the watching world.
5 Who is your favorite Biblical Character and why?
Paul. I love his testimony. There are so many lost people in my life and they all seem to be so far from the Lord. I take great comfort in Paul’s testimony, knowing that while he was persecuting the church, the Lord changed him. He changed his nature, his motives, his desires. And I can only pray that my loved ones will one day have this same transformation.
6 Who is the author that you most would like to have dinner with and what question would you ask them?
That’s so hard! I have a lot of favorite authors that I would be honored to dine with. But I’d love to hear their stories behind their stories. I’m a sucker for how the creative mind works. I think it’s so neat. I’d love to see how their mind formed my favorite novels.
7 What are you working on now?
I’m about to release Dance With Me in April. From there, I’ll be working on revisions for, Lord willing, 2 additional releases this fall. Painted Memories and Dance With Me are novels for my new Art of Love series. Both of them are breathtaking love stories.
Painted Memories features a painter with amnesia. The only memory he has of his past is the image of a woman, and he paints her again and again. One of these paintings end up in her hands, and she sets out to find him. :) And that’s only the beginning. Honestly, it’s a stunning love story and probably my favorite romance novel to date.
I hope to wrap up 2019 with a Christmas novella titled Project Scrooge. This is my retelling of A Christmas Carol, and it’s absolutely delightful. I created a contemporary story without ghosts, but the classic story is practically breathing within my novella. I can’t wait to share it with the readers. I actually wrote this one in three days right before Christmas.
But first, comes my sweetheart story, Dance With Me. This one has been a big hit with the early readers. It features rival ballroom dancers and, as much as I try not to pick a favorite novel, I think this one would be my absolute favorite that I’ve written. There’s something about it, that even now, leaves me speechless. Just wait. It’s almost here, then, hopefully, you’ll understand what I’m stuttering to say. Lol
8 Have you ever considered writing a children’s book and if you ever did what would it be about?
I have, actually! There are two that I’m toying around with. One is for special needs children. And the other features a town of animals. I have a couple stories in mind, but I want to start with a turtle and his story of how being selfless came back to bless him greatly in the end.
Sadly, I don’t have any plans to publish either at the moment. But we never know what the future holds!
5 Who is your favorite Biblical Character and why?
Paul. I love his testimony. There are so many lost people in my life and they all seem to be so far from the Lord. I take great comfort in Paul’s testimony, knowing that while he was persecuting the church, the Lord changed him. He changed his nature, his motives, his desires. And I can only pray that my loved ones will one day have this same transformation.
6 Who is the author that you most would like to have dinner with and what question would you ask them?
That’s so hard! I have a lot of favorite authors that I would be honored to dine with. But I’d love to hear their stories behind their stories. I’m a sucker for how the creative mind works. I think it’s so neat. I’d love to see how their mind formed my favorite novels.
7 What are you working on now?
I’m about to release Dance With Me in April. From there, I’ll be working on revisions for, Lord willing, 2 additional releases this fall. Painted Memories and Dance With Me are novels for my new Art of Love series. Both of them are breathtaking love stories.
Painted Memories features a painter with amnesia. The only memory he has of his past is the image of a woman, and he paints her again and again. One of these paintings end up in her hands, and she sets out to find him. :) And that’s only the beginning. Honestly, it’s a stunning love story and probably my favorite romance novel to date.
I hope to wrap up 2019 with a Christmas novella titled Project Scrooge. This is my retelling of A Christmas Carol, and it’s absolutely delightful. I created a contemporary story without ghosts, but the classic story is practically breathing within my novella. I can’t wait to share it with the readers. I actually wrote this one in three days right before Christmas.
But first, comes my sweetheart story, Dance With Me. This one has been a big hit with the early readers. It features rival ballroom dancers and, as much as I try not to pick a favorite novel, I think this one would be my absolute favorite that I’ve written. There’s something about it, that even now, leaves me speechless. Just wait. It’s almost here, then, hopefully, you’ll understand what I’m stuttering to say. Lol
8 Have you ever considered writing a children’s book and if you ever did what would it be about?
I have, actually! There are two that I’m toying around with. One is for special needs children. And the other features a town of animals. I have a couple stories in mind, but I want to start with a turtle and his story of how being selfless came back to bless him greatly in the end.
Sadly, I don’t have any plans to publish either at the moment. But we never know what the future holds!
Feb 1: Virginia @ Bigreadersite
Feb 4: Laura @ Blue Eye Books
Feb 5: Kaylee @ A. Kaylee’s Kind of Writes
Feb 6: Amanda @ With a Joyful Noise
Feb 7: Debbie @ Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations
Feb 8: Deana @ Texas Book-aholic
My Review: This was my Facebook post as soon as I finished reading the last word of this book, "I just finished reading “The Accident" by Anita Richardson Heath and the tears are falling it was a wonderful book but it made me miss mom so much more but I’m so glad I read the book even with that and I recommend the book to anyone that wants a fun book about three serious issues, cancer and a young girl texting an older man and a troubled relationship between a mother and a daughter. This book was so worth the tears.
This story is written as text messages and diary entries. It was a fun read. The texts were so "real" that I even sent a private message to the author to ask her if she had experience with cancer, I could feel the heartache and pain when the texts were about cancer. The mother and daughter relationship was written with "real" knowledge also. This book is a quick read, I read it in about 45 minutes, but it was filled with so much emotion, just as her other books.
I strongly suggest that after reading this story, you read the "Dear reader" section at the end of the book, especially if you are questioning the texting part between Chris and Ashley.
I was given a complimentary copy by the author. These opinions are my own.
Link to giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b7851a9013/?
3 comments:
Thanks for sharing The Accident with your readers! And thanks for hosting the interview with me; I enjoyed the questions. And I'm thrilled you loved the novella. :)
Debbie, Thank you for sharing The Accident!
The Accident sounds like a good read. Thank you
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