Hey folks! Today I’m sharing something new for the A Year of Springtime in Surrey Celebration … an interview with Andrea Renee Cox, one of our authors!
I won’t keep you waiting … let’s introduce you to Andrea!
Introduce yourself and your Springtime in Surrey story!
I’m Andrea from north Texas. I’m a born-again Christian who loves God, family, and country. I found my passion for writing when I was sixteen, but it’s in recent years that my dreams have come true and my stories have begun being published. It’s been a challenging and enjoyable adventure thus far, and I’m looking forward to seeing where God leads me next.
My story in Springtime in Surrey is The Cottage on the Hill, which features a former ballerina who cries into her tea every afternoon and the sheep farmer neighbor who wonders why… and what he can do to cheer her up. Something I love about this story is Adrian’s compassion. It was fun to see him go out of his way to attempt to cheer Moira in her time of need.
What was your favorite thing about being a part of Springtime in Surrey?
My favorite thing about being in this anthology was the spirit of collaboration among the authors. We all worked together to get the novella collection out on time, and we shared duties in marketing efforts. It was easy to become a team with these ladies, because we all had the same goals: writing stories that honor God and helping the collection find readers who might love it.
In what ways are you like your leading lady? Or if you’re not like her at all, how are you different?
While I was never a professional dancer, I do feel things deeply, as Moira does. I am not always quick to adjust to changes, and neither is she. She loves pastel and bold colors–very much like me! She loves her cottage in rural Surrey, and I very much enjoyed living in the country here in north Texas when I was little.
If you could visit Surrey, would you?
I would love to visit Surrey, especially the quaint villages and country cottages. Maybe it wouldn’t be as idyllic as I like to think, but I’d love to explore a variety of towns and countrysides there to find out.
What was the most challenging part of writing/publishing/marketing your Springtime in Surrey story–and how did you overcome it?
The most challenging thing about writing Cottage was earning that final chapter. I knew from pretty early on that Moira would get a beautiful coda (grand finale), but early drafts left that particular scene feeling like an add-on rather than a crucial piece of the puzzle of Moira’s journey. Overcoming this challenge meant softening up Moira earlier than I had originally planned. Turns out, the final version of Cottage held the exact tone I had desired in the first place, and it’s resonated well with readers so far. The struggle was definitely worth it.
What advice would you give to authors who are interested in joining an anthology?
I have several pieces of advice, but specifically for anthologies: be active in the group and do your part. It’s a team effort, so the more you put in, the more everyone gets out of the project. Plus, it’s a lot of fun getting to know one’s collaborators–participating in anthologies is a great way to build writing friendships!
What are you working on now?
I’m working on several different projects at the moment. My next story to be published is Melting-Pot Thanksgiving (MPT), which will be one of the short stories in Wild Blue Wonder Press’s next anthology, Novelists in November. MPT is about an imperfect daughter who is tasked with creating the perfect Thanksgiving while balancing a tight writing deadline and guiding her two foster children through difficult life events.
One of my favorite things about writing this story was seeing all the various relationships take shape. Grandmother and granddaughter, foster siblings, adult siblings, mother and daughter, and friendship are all featured, and they were a blast to explore.
How can people keep updated on you and your writing?
The best places to keep up to date on my career, life, and faith journeys are my blog and newsletter.
Remember, Springtime in Surrey is currently available on Amazon. You can also purchase a copy directly from us here.
But as I mentioned, we’re having a CELEBRATION here … and that includes a giveaway!
How to enter? Simple – participate in A Year of Springtime in Surrey, our ongoing (casual) blog/social media/email list tour!
HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN A YEAR OF SPRINGTIME IN SURREY
- Make a post between July 15th-July 26th that features Springtime in Surrey in some way.*
- Enter the giveaway! The instructions are here:
HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
- Post to any social media, website/blog, or share about Springtime in Surrey or one of our authors (mentioning Springtime in Surrey) July 15th-July 26th, 2024.
- This can be anything (a review of the book*, interview, guest post, spotlight) as long as it in some way features Springtime in Surrey.
- When your post is live, fill out this form to claim your points. If you have posted more than once or to more than one website, please fill out the form an additional time for each post. The form will remain live until July 30th.
*If you are interested in providing an honest review, I can provide a free ebook copy. Please email contact@kellynrothauthor.com to claim your ebook copy of Springtime in Surrey in exchange for an honest review!
However, it is very important that you do not claim any points for posting the review to Amazon, Goodreads, or any other review website or bookseller, and further, the content of this review must be your honest thoughts and include the proper disclaimers. Any attempt to claim points for posting a review to Amazon, Goodreads, or any other review website or bookseller will be immediately removed from the giveaway entries.
NOTES ON POSTS
They can be guest posts from the authors, interview, or simply a book spotlight/review. If you’re interested in a review copy, please send an email to contact@kellynrothauthor.com (see above).
The date of the post is unimportant as long as it’s between July 15th-July 26th, and you can post on any social media channel, blog, or even send this information to your email list to count. You do not have to give us prior notice before making this post. Simply fill out the form once your post is live. The form will remain live until July 30th.
Need a media kit? Please check out this one!
THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER WILL RECEIVE:
- A paperback copy of Springtime in Surrey
- A mug with the heroines’ names on it
- Special tea (of your choice)
- A $20 (USD) gift card from the online store of your choice
- A journal and pen
- Far too many rubber ducks
Open to international and US entries.
Please fill out the form to claim your prizes!
We can’t wait to see what you come up with!
TTFN!
~Kell~
Are you interested in getting to know me & my books better? Join my email list!
