Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Penny Frost McGinnis

Talkshow Thursday: 

Welcome Penny Frost McGinnis!

Grab your favorite beverage, pull up a chair, and get to know author Penny Frost McGinnis and her fabulous books! Spoiler alert: She was a librarian for twenty-four years! My kind of people!

What was your inspiration for the story?

For many years, my husband and I traveled to the Lake Erie islands, on the northern shores of Ohio. We’d visit Marblehead Lighthouse and often take the ferry to Kelleys Island. On the way home from one of our trips, I realized an island would be the perfect place to set a story with romance, a dash of mystery and the promise of hope. Abbott Island was born and it’s modeled after Kelleys Island. The nature trails and quaint town inspired the characters and the hurdles they overcome in life.

What sort of research did you do for your story, and was there an exceptionally interesting tidbit you knew you had to include?

For the series, I researched how people lived the island life, the pluses and minuses and how the economy stayed afloat. For Home at Last, book three in the series, I researched hidden treasure, farming, the Klondike Goldrush, and baseball. I discovered that many women went to the Klondike, some with spouses, some left their families behind, and some went alone. They were resourceful and opened restaurants and outposts to accommodate the gold rushers. I’m not sure I would have been so brave.

Tell us about your road to publication.

My road to publication has been long. I studied the craft, wrote as often as possible, and attended conferences for twenty-five years before I was published with a small press. I’d been interested in writing from a young age but hadn’t taken the steps to pursue the serious side of writing. After much work, my first novel, Home Where She Belongs was published in 2022, when I was sixty-four years old.

If your book is part of a series: Did you set out to write a series? Why did you decide to write a

series?

Abbott Island is a series of three novels. I chose to write a series to highlight three friends on the island whose lives intertwine. It was fun to see the characters develop and interact with each other. Sadie, Marigold, and Lucy support and encourage each other as they face obstacles and decisions. If you were to write a spin-off book about one of your secondary characters, which one would you choose and why?

I’ve actually written a novella focused on Levi and Charlotte, both secondary characters. The story is included in Christmas in Ohio or can be purchased as the standalone e-book, Home for Christmas. I enjoyed bringing their story to life and getting to flesh out their characters a bit more.

What is your process for writing? (do you outline, have a special place or time of day you write, etc.) What is your favorite part of the process?

I’m a pantser, meaning I write by the seat of my pants. I generally have an idea of where I want the story to go, but I enjoy letting the story develop. I love when the characters speak the story to me and guide the journey.

How does/did your job prepare you for being a novelist?

Pixabay/StockSnap

For twenty-four years, I worked in libraries. I spent half of those years as a children’s librarian and half as a copy cataloger. Being around books brings me joy. I grew to understand the publishing process and the creation of books from an interesting perspective. I had learned to make physical books, so I understood binding and as a cataloger learned about the ISBN, and Library of Congress description. The first time I saw my book on a library shelf and the catalog record my heart fluttered a little.

What is one thing you wish you could do?

I wish I could teleport. It would be great to be able to simply be where I wanted to be without driving or flying. It sure would make research trips fun. What is your advice to fledgling writers?

Never give up and seek guidance from God who created you and gave you the talent and desire to write. I had to surrender my will and seek God’s to continue my journey.

What writers or books have influenced you?

Deborah Raney is one of the kindest and most encouraging writers I’ve met. Simply seeing her journey as a writer has encouraged me to keep going. My critique partners, Kathleen Friesen and Kim Garee, have been great and are wonderful authors as well.

What was your favorite childhood book and why?

I loved Little Women and Marguerite Henry’s books. Dr. Seuss books were also a big part of my childhood. I still love rhymes and poetry.

What is your next project?

I’m currently switching gears a bit and working on a cozy mystery series. Cozies are one of my favorite genres, so I want to try my hand at one. It’s a bit of a learning curve, but I’m enjoying it.

Thank you for having me on your blog. I appreciate your support and encouragement.

About Penny: Penny Frost McGinnis, author of the Abbott Island series and picture book, Betsy and Bailey, has lived in the world of books most of her life. She retired from the library life, then launched her writing journey. She and her husband live in southwest Ohio with their golden retriever, Rosie. She enjoys her family, fiber arts, and baseball. Her life's goal is to encourage and uplift through her writing.

Website: https://www.pennyfrostmcginnis.com/

About Home at Last: Lucy Grayson grew up on Abbott Island. From the age of fifteen, she worked at the General Store. When she bought the business at age twenty-four, she had no idea how much time she would spend working. Now nearing thirty, she finds herself at a crossroads. Tired of the grind at work and convicted by God to make a change, she considers selling the store. If she sells, then what? She loves her family, but she's lonely. The island is small and few job or dating opportunities exist. She's had a lifelong dream tucked in her back pocket for years. Could now be the time?

Owen Miller moved to the island to live on his aunt and uncle's farm after his short-lived professional baseball career ended in injury. Bitter after his ex-girlfriend ditched him for someone with more money, he focuses on his future. He has been keeping a low profile while he works out a plan to help the farm thrive. Using his college degree, he creates a landscaping business and ideas for a Christmas tree farm. The last thing he's looking for is a relationship.

In the spring, mysterious holes pop up on the island and throw Lucy and Owen together, literally. Owen rescues her from a hole in her yard. As they consider why holes are being dug on the island and who is behind it, Owen's uncle shares a story about island people and Klondike gold. Whether the tale is true, Lucy and Owen want to discover who is behind the hole digging and why. In the meantime, will they discover more than the answer to the mystery? Will Owen's walls around his heart come down? Will Lucy have the insight she needs into her future?

Abbott Island book 3 takes the reader on an adventure and digs into the island's history, as Lucy and Owen discover their future.

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/u/bOdP5A