Author Spotlight: Morgan Tarpley Smith
Today it is my pleasure to welcome Morgan Tarpley Smith, as she shares more about her writing and her latest release, A Louisiana Christmas to Remember. Welcome Morgan!
- Tell us about your latest release.
Three women from the same family face Christmas in a small town where everyone knows everyone and their pasts. Enter three men who shake up their world and open up a chance for love if these women can only step out in faith to seek restoration not only for the town but their own hearts. These stories are like wrapping in a cozy blanket with hot chocolate by a fire on a cold day.
- What inspired your current novel?
At its root, this novella collection was inspired by a 2021 social media post. An avid reader of Christian fiction was compiling a list of Christmas books set in all 50 U.S. states and hadn’t listed one for Louisiana. I was tagged in the post, but I couldn’t think of a single book. Then, someone commented, “why don’t you write one,” and my mind was whirling!
Not long afterward, Lenora and Betsy were graciously on board, and the characters of Mattie, Jolene, and Adale drifted into our lives like a Christmas snow. We had the best time planning and writing these stories and adding to our Pinterest boards too.
- Did you choose your genre or did it choose you? Why?
I think my genres of choice chose me. I write both contemporary and historical fiction and like to combine the genres to write dual timeline fiction. I love any story that connects the past to the present in some way, which honestly is nearly every story. It’s particularly why I love reading and writing dual timeline fiction. I was hooked ever since I read my first novel in this style back in early 2012.
Some nod to history always finds its way into my writing. Even in these Christmas novellas, we have history woven within the pages with our main characters being part of the town’s founding family from France who built a beautiful chapel that is a focal point of the town.
- What inspired you to start writing? Have you always written?
I love getting lost in the story world and how my characters come alive on the page. The brainstorming and plotting process is a lot of fun for me. I think my beginning in writing is rooted in storytelling. I would make up and tell stories before I could even write.
My grandfather is known in his community as a storyteller, and I spent so much time hearing his very animated stories growing up. It’s just engrained in me. I have wanted to be an author since I was nine years old, and I wrote my first novel at age 12, but I didn’t seriously pursue publication until after I graduated college.
- Which of your characters most reflect your personality or is most like you? Why?
The heroine in my novella is Mattie. She is named for my maternal great-grandmother who I share a birthday with. I thought it was a special tribute to her, and the name stuck to my character from the beginning. She had to be Mattie.
Mattie and I share a similar background. She’s a small-town newspaper reporter and I worked as one for almost 14 years. She is also a take care and get things done kind of person, and I am too. It was fun to explore this character especially since we shared a few similarities.
- Do you have a hobby or interest that would surprise us?
I’m not sure about it being surprising, but I absolutely love to travel, and my stories are infused by first-hand accounts from these experiences as well as passion for history, culture, and languages. I’ve visited over a dozen countries and gone to several of them more than once. Besides traveling and the obvious ones like writing and reading, I also enjoy doing genealogy research, acting in plays, singing, photography, and visiting coffee shops and bookstores.
Thank you so much for having me as your guest today, Leagh!
About the Book
Title: A Louisiana Christmas to Remember
Release Date: September 1, 2023
Publisher: Barbour
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Christian Fiction
Type: Novella Collection
Bio:
Morgan Tarpley Smith is a world traveler who weaves stories of history and heart. She loves to write inspirational fiction that transports readers to faraway places and intertwines past and present to explore questions of truth and faith. Morgan is an award-winning journalist, freelance writer, and author assistant, who lives in Louisiana with her husband and son. For more information, visit www.morgantarpleysmith.com
My website: www.morgantarpleysmith.com
Link to Book with purchase options: https://morgantarpleysmith.com/fiction/a-louisiana-christmas-to-remember/
Connect with Morgan:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MorganTarpleySmith/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20500529.Morgan_Tarpley_Smith
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/morgan-tarpley-smith
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writerchic86/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/writerchic86/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/writerchic86
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAivwJkT5W99jyRn6dS9V1g