Interview with Megan Besing & a Giveaway

I’m excited to introduce Megan Besing, a new-to-me author. Megan shares about her writing and new Romantic Suspense release, Rescued Heart.

Be sure to comment below by May 20 for a chance to win a copy of her book! (US residents only. Winner’s choice of format.)

Welcome to my blog, Megan. Start out by telling us how and when you started writing.

Unfortunately, I didn’t discover how awesome reading fiction was until my mid-twenties. But after I found a book that hooked me—thanks to my husband—I quickly made up for lost time, reading all the things. (Which is why I now tell my middle school classroom that if you don’t like reading it’s because you haven’t found the right books yet.) 

A couple of years into my reading-is-great adventure, I read a book that did not glorify God. In fact, it made fun of Him. The next morning, I work up determined to write a story that did bring Him honor. 

I’m so glad you found the joy of reading … and writing! How do you incorporate Christ and hope into your stories?

Christ is the only true hope, and no matter what genre of story I’m writing, I want the reader to see Him through the characters and as the ultimate “Happily Ever After.” I’ve been thinking about what my author tagline should be, and I’ve been leaning toward: “Stories Rooted in Hope.”  

I’m all about hope, and I think that’s a wonderful tagline! I’d love to know what you enjoy most about being a writer.

My favorite part is probably when the finished book arrives in the mail. All the hard work proves worth it. But I also like having a place for my creativity to flow through.

I’m looking forward to experiencing that special mail delivery at my house one day! What advice would you give an aspiring author like me?

Keep going. Keep writing. Keep reading. But most of all, keep Christ first in ALL you do. His will and timing are way better than anything we think we can do on our own.

Excellent advice! Now, for a super important question. Do you have a favorite drink or snack you indulge in while writing?

I wish water is what helps my creativity, or something as healthy, but usually I’m drinking a hot tea or a coke. As for snacks, something crunchy and salty like Chex mix or chips. But I’m also a fan of chocolate and cheese. However, sometimes I’ll find my snacks are already gone far before many words are written.

Can’t go wrong with crunchy and salty. Let’s talk about your new release, Rescued Heart. What is the premise of the story?

Fire. Family. Faith.

A protective hero. An actress in danger. A fake dating deal will give them both what they want. Until vengeance and their hearts have different plans.

Ooohh, it sounds good! Which character was easiest for you to write and why? 

I loved writing the kids on the youth baseball league, especially Scarlette—the youngest and only girl on the boy’s team. I’m around children a lot, so they tend to be easier for me to write, but I hope readers will fall in love with the entire team like I did.

Which character presented the biggest challenge?

Probably my heroine Bianca just because she is an actress, and I had to do the most research surrounding her. Also, her personality was more difficult to show on the page because she was so used to pretending and hiding who she really was from the world. But I think the reader will find a piece of themselves within her too. 

Pretending and hiding … yes, I’m sure many readers can relate to that. What is one of your favorite quotes from Rescued Heart?

“Forgiveness is more than feelings, honey. Emotions aren’t always based on truth. But you know what is?”

Bianca inhaled. “God’s forgiveness.”

Amen! What do you hope your readers take away from the story?

Life is filled with brokenness, and yet no matter what the world or even our hearts tell us, we are seen and loved and can be forgiven by a holy, awesome God. Our identity, hope, and joy are found in Him. He alone is our rescuer. We can trust in His ways and timing.

Those are wonderful takeaways! Let’s touch on reviews. Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

I know there’s lots of opinions on whether authors should read their reviews or not, but yes, I do read them. All of them—the good and bad ones. I’m actually hoping to teach a class in the future about how to deal with different reviews and feedback. 

With unpleasant reviews, I try to see if there’s any wisdom I can apply to my future writings. Sometimes there is. Sometimes not so much because every book isn’t for every reader. And every reader doesn’t know things the author and editors discuss behind certain scenes. But if I find myself too down because of a certain review, I’ll dig into the Word and remember where my true identity rests in—the Lord. 

That’s a great way to deal with hurtful comments, whether from a book review or any other avenue. I have two closing questions. Do you enjoy marketing and social media? Which platform are you most active on? 

My favorite platforms are Instagram and Facebook. I enjoy making fun videos, whether they’re about my pets, creation, or my books. Usually, you’ll find humor sprinkled in most of them because I think we need to smile more.

We could all use more smiling, so thank you for making us smile today by sharing about your writing journey and new novel, Rescued Heart, and for offering a giveaway! May God bless you as you continue writing stories that honor Him.

Join the conversation. Are you a Romantic Suspense fan? Does Rescued Heart sound like a book you’d like to read? Do you like Megan’s book takeaways? What questions or comments do you have for Megan?

Be sure to comment below by May 20 for a chance to win a copy of Rescued Heart! (US residents only. Winner’s choice of format)

Please share Megan’s interview on social media to help spread the word about her new release!

If you missed Debra DuPree Williams’ spotlight on Grave Decisions last week, FIND IT HERE.