It’s a pleasure to have Davalynn Spencer back with us today, to tell us about herself and her new book Mail-Order Misfire. This is the second book in her Thanksgiving Books & Blessings Collection.
What age did you realize you loved books and when did you start writing?

In the sixth grade, I wrote a short story my teacher used as a “play” on skit night at science camp. You’d think that would have set me on the sci-fi path. It didn’t. The story was a romance, and here I am a few years later writing Western romance. Okay, so it’s more than a few years.

Tell us about Mail-Order Misfire.

Recently widowed dressmaker Etta Collier is a half-step ahead of the banker who carries a lustful eye for her as well as the note on her home. When her pastor encourages her to answer an unusual letter from a little girl, hope opens an unexpected door—right into the home of Sheriff Bern Stidham, widowed father of a letter-writing child who didn’t bother to tell him about the bride coming his way.

Mail-Order Misfire tugged on my heart because of Gracie – the little girl who misses her mother and is wise enough to see that her sheriff-preacher papa needs a “helper.” It’s not an easy road for Bern and Etta, but is it ever? Etta grows in her understanding of trust, forgiveness, and second chances—three areas in which I continue to develop on a daily basis.

Do you normally use an outline for the books you write, or do you just start with a few ideas?

Typically, I sit down and start writing because there is a scene banging on my brain trying to get out. The story plays out like a movie, and I write as I watch. After about fifty pages or so, I have a good sense of where things are going (though sometimes I know the ending before anything else) and I lay out a framework of what needs to happen along the way.

What was something that surprised you in the way this book unfolded? What character do you like best?

The ending surprised me the most in this story. A happy ending is a given in the romance genre, but I didn’t know things would work out quite like they did. It’s always fun when I’m surprised by my characters. I hope readers will enjoy that surprise as well.

What was your inspiration for starting this book or series?

I was invited to be part of the Thanksgiving Books & Blessings collection by author Caryl McAdoo with the promise that what I wrote could be part of a personal series That’s exactly what I did. Mail-Order Misfire will be the prequel for my Front Range Brides series.

How do you feel writing has affected your relationship with God?

Writing is a faith-walk for me. I trust the Lord to pour out the story as I work on it, so it’s a team effort. Long ago He impressed upon me that He would “pour it in” as long as I “poured it out” – like the widow of 2 Kings 4 and her jar of oil. He’s been faithful every step of the way.

Can you share with us a book you have read recently, are currently reading?

A series I enjoyed immensely is the Belle Meade Plantation Collection, by Tamera Alexander.

What project are you working on now and how do we find your books?

I’m working on Book 3 of the Front Range Brides series, but a new Christmas novella will release in November, so that’s on my mind right now. I’m getting advance peeks from the cover designer and I’m pretty excited about what she’s come up with for Just in Time for Christmas!

Where do we find your books?

My books are available from online retailers everywhere with options easily accessible via my website at https://davalynnspencer.com/davalynn-books/  

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