TODAY is the last day of the contest in which five commenters will win a signed copy of Follow the Heart. Be sure to get plenty of comments in today—remember, each comment earns you an “entry” in the drawing!

You asked, now I answer . . .

Janella asked: Without giving too much away, how is the inspirational message woven into each book?

Janella, each book has an inspirational message that is as individual and unique as the stories and the characters. Since this is something that I’ll want to focus on with each book separately, I’ll refer you to the next questions/answer for the message in Follow the Heart.

Dora asked: A few authors which I read base their books on scripture that is woven throughout the story and upon which the entire story is built. Is there a certain passage or biblical theme upon which you build your stories? If so, upon which particular scripture is Follow the Heart based?

Emma asked: I second Janella on the faith question. Since, this is inspirational fiction, how do you weave faith into your novels? Do you start with an idea, or do you just write and just see where the story goes?

Women, especially, tend to look at our choices as a series of obligations—we do what we feel we are obligated to do for the sake of our families, not necessarily what we feel our hearts are telling us to do. I believe, and it’s the theme of this book, that we spend too much time worrying about how we can fix/help/support our families (or those around us at work or in friendships) and not enough time listening to and trusting God. When we pray, we tend to tell God what’s wrong and ask him to fix it. But do we ever really take the time to just be still and listen to what God is trying to tell us? And can we really let God take care of those we feel responsible for and let go of that burden of responsibility that may not, in truth, be ours to bear?

The key passage of scripture for this book is Matthew 6:25–32.

Did I set out with this theme/scripture in mind? Thematically—yes. The story was based on the question of whether or not a woman would follow her heart into a romance that could mean continued deprivation for her family or marry for money and sacrifice her own happiness for her family’s well-being. The scripture passage came to me organically (pardon the pun) because Kate loves the outdoors and all growing things, so, naturally, a verse that focuses on lilies would appeal to her.

Elaine Key wrote: Give me a brief synopsis of Follow the Heart. Who are the characters? Make me interested in the book.

I’ll try my best, Elaine! Here’s the pitch line I used in the proposal:

An American woman is sent to England to marry wealth, but finds herself torn between the poor man she loves and the viscount who offers the wealth and stability that can save her family.

And here’s a snapshot of each of the four main characters:

Katharine “Kate” Dearing: An American spinster whose father has gambled away the family fortune so sends her to England to find a wealthy husband. Kate finds love for the first time in her twenty-eight years, but is he the man who can save her family?

Christopher Dearing: Recently finished with law school and an apprenticeship at a law firm in New York, Christopher finds himself bundled off to England with his sister. His hopes lie not in marrying money, but in making it in the booming English railway industry. He finds love, but following his heart could mean forcing his sister to sacrifice her own.

Honora “Nora” Woodriff: Sent out to find work to support her family at a young age, Nora has resigned herself to the solitary life of a governess. That is, until a brash, dashing American comes to stay at her employer’s home. Can she risk her heart and her future security on a young man with no prospects of inheritance?

Andrew Lawton: After seeing his mother die in the poorhouse of lung rot when he was only eight years old, Andrew has spent his life working to avoid ending up there himself. The posting to redesign the gardens and park at Wakesdown Manor for Sir Anthony Buchanan is his first as an independent landscape gardener. Andrew desperately needs to prove himself in order to secure his future, but falling in love with his employer’s niece may cost him everything.

Anonymous e-mailed to ask: How do you work, teach, and write at the same time?

It’s hard—and I have to admit that in the first six to eight months after going back to work full-time and starting to teach part-time, it was hard trying to figure out a balance. But once I put myself on a strict schedule—and started making myself meet a word-count goal daily—it started getting much easier. I do much better when I have too much to do than when I have not enough.

Megyn emailed this question: I know you’re working on the other books in this series right now, but are you already planning for what you’ll write after you finish this?

I posted a little while back about all of the story ideas that I’ve got running amok in my head. Right now, I’m not leaning one way or another as to which one I’m most passionate about—because that would require pulling too much focus away from getting The Heart That Waits written. But I’m sure as soon as I figure it out, I’ll be letting everyone here know!

Here’s a question from me that everyone can answer—as a way to get more entries in the drawing!

If you were to star in a romantic movie, would it be contemporary or historical, drama or comedy, and what actor would play your leading man?

If I were to star in a romantic movie, it would be a humorous contemporary. Melissa McCarthy, Queen Latifah, and Adele would play my three best friends with whom I share a large house in the ’burbs of Nashville, and Oded Fehr would be a highly respected (and wealthy) surgeon at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and he would fall head-over-heels in love with me. Of course, tomorrow, I could be an independent Englishwoman who travels to New Zealand in the early 20th Century there to meet the handsome, charming Karl Urban and, after some humorous misunderstandings and miscommunication, we live happily ever after on our sheep farm.

On May 1, I will be giving away FIVE signed copies of Follow the Heart.

Today is the last day—so get your comments posted! I’ll be announcing the winners in tomorrow’s post.

Comment early, comment often!