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Author Interview,  Giveaway,  Hope-filled Fiction

Urcelia Teixeira: Adventure, Suspense, Inspiration, a Giveaway and More

July 20, 2022 /

I’m happy to introduce you to my Facebook author friend, Urcelia Teixeira, who writes Christian Suspense. She’s graciously offered THREE ebook copies of her novel, Vengeance is Mine, as giveaways. Be sure to comment on her interview by July 26 for a chance to win!

Welcome, Urcelia! Tell us a little about yourself and your family.

We’re originally from South Africa and emigrated, first to Portugal, then to England in 2018. My husband, who is Portuguese, and I have been married for twenty years and have three beautiful boys. Our eldest turns eighteen this month, our second is fourteen, and our youngest turns ten this year. So… our house is full and our fridge is nearly always empty!

I can only imagine what it takes to feed three growing boys. Do you have any hobbies? What do you do for fun?

I read, of course, —lately mostly non-fiction, but I do enjoy reading mystery suspense books in between writing projects. Before moving to the UK I did a lot of horse riding, but a silly fall has me second-guessing whether to get back on a horse again now that I’m fifty. So, I play it safe with other hobbies that include collecting all things stationery, walking, watching movies, and spending time with my boys!

I’ve never been a fan of horses, so I relate more to the “safe” hobbies. LOL. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

There were three careers I dreamed of: Journalism, Flight Attendant, and supermodel (who didn’t?)! Needless to say, I became none of these, but looking back the common denominator in all three is adventure!

And writing is certainly an adventure! How and when did you start writing? 

As a child I kept journals, wrote poems and devoured books, but I never once thought of writing one. In my opinion, it was an unattainable honor reserved for the literary greats. In South Africa, we didn’t even know eBooks existed until about 2014, and even then it was a foreign concept.  

A friend introduced me to self-publishing for the first time back in 2017. She’d already published several books and was doing very well. The notion of writing and publishing a book intrigued me, so I naively added it to my bucket list. I dipped my toes in the water with two short stories, both hopelessly terrible, but the writing bug bit and I set about writing my first novel, The Rhapta Key, at night, after work and once the kids were in bed—I was a real estate agent at the time.  

A few weeks after it released in December 2017, I got a message via Facebook from a complete stranger asking when the second book in the series was out. I had no intention of writing another book, let alone a series!  But I am a bit of a people pleaser, and when a week later two more readers sent me the same request, I threw my hands in the air and obliged. What I couldn’t have guessed at the time was that God’s plan was set in motion to where it unfolded to a brand new and exciting purpose for my life. 

It’s cool to see how God brings about His plan in people’s lives. What genre do you write and what inspired you to write that particular genre? 

Personally, I love reading books from the Mystery/Suspense genre. I love twists, hold-your-breath suspense, and a little bit of clean action that moves the book at a fast pace. I don’t really enjoy romance, which is why I also don’t add this element to my own books. My books always grip you from the first page, hold twisty mysteries, and keep you hanging until the end. And there is always a biblical message to encourage my readers.

Suspense and a Biblical message is right up my alley. How do you incorporate Christ and hope into your writing?

Before I decide on a writing project, I seek God in it first. This involves prayer and Bible study until I am certain God approves. Throughout my writing, I allow the Holy Spirit to direct the plot. The verse I lean on is Zechariah 4:6. The last thing I want is to misrepresent the Word or lead anyone astray, so it is very important to me that I get the Biblical message right. I also like to listen to worship songs while I write and include a list of them in the back of each book.

I love your process of relying on God in each step of your writing. Are any of your stories inspired by true events or personal history?

My Alex Hunt Archaeological Adventure Thriller series is entirely based on actual historical events. These are included throughout each book and backed by facts.

As far as my other series’ go; looking back on each book I can definitely see how God took me through some of the Spiritual elements so that, I believe, I can convey the message better. 

Do you have any pets? Do they find their way into any of your stories?

You bet! We have a gorgeous Ragdoll cat/person who forced his way into my most recent series, Valley of Death. I even dedicated the last book in the series to him because he kept my feet warm while writing it.

What does a typical day in your writing life look like?

I’m an early riser, usually 5 a.m. That’s the best time of the day and also when I meet with God over a cup of coffee. Getting the kids up and off to school is normally a tornado-like experience before I am able to sit down at my desk. I will then write and work on my business until they come home around 3 p.m. It’s a quick catch-up with them and hubby while I prepare dinner after which I go back to the office to answer emails and then often lose myself in prettying up my planner.

Five in the morning is definitely early! How long, on average, does it take you to write a book?

Since I don’t plot out my books and plan as I write, it takes a couple of months. But it all depends on what life throws at me and how the plot comes along. My most recent book took double the time because the entire house got Covid in the middle of it.

A couple of months to write a novel is fast. Good for you! What does your writing space look like?

Unfortunately I don’t have a dedicated office so I write from our bedroom. I have a small desk in the corner of the room. Every conceivable wall is taken up with task lists, a wall calendar, a faith board, and last but not least, a plotting board above our bed! Although there’s a lot going on in there, my space is clean and pretty, and luckily, my husband is okay with it all!

It’s great that you have a supportive husband. Thanks so much for sharing about your writing with us, Urcelia. I pray God will bless you as you continue to obey Him in your publication journey.

Join the conversation. Do you like reading suspense novels? What do you love about them? Are you an early riser or a night owl? Do you have any questions or comments for Urcelia?

Be sure to comment by July 26 for a chance to win a digital copy of Urcelia’s book. Keep scrolling to find the comments section.

Vengeance is Mine by Urcelia Teixeira

Click the book cover for purchase link

She’s the one they hired to get the job done. Now they want her dead! Meet Jorja Rose, master art thief.

Twenty years ago, Jorja Rose was at the top of her game. An artisan, supremely skilled, greatly sought-after, and the one who got the job done, no matter the stakes. Only, she catches her crooked business partner double-dealing with the world’s most ruthless mogul and things take a deadly turn for the worst. Forced to expose them, she gives up her identity and takes refuge in a small coastal town in the south of England.

But when a prominent member of the community’s murdered body turns up in the woods behind her house, the message is simple: They’ve come for her, to settle the score, to take revenge.

With limited options, holding onto the secrets of her past and desperate to escape those she burned, she turns to God, who seems to be the only way out.
But redemption isn’t as easy as she had hoped it would be.

And while the stakes mount, forced to face those who will do whatever it takes to exact revenge, turning the other cheek proves to be even harder. What ensues is an emotionally thrilling edge-of-your seat suspense that plunges you deep inside the dangerous underbelly of art crime.

Urcelia Teixeira is an award-winning author of faith-filled Christian Suspense Thrillers that won’t let you go! ®

Readers have said her books are addictive and impossible to put down! They describe her work as being “prolific and well written stories that keep you in suspense,” and love “her imagery and attention to detail” that swoop you into the minds of her characters “as if watching a blockbuster movie!” Many of her readers appreciate the clean action scenes and love that “her faith shines through in her writing as she stays true to herself, giving pause to contemplate.”

If you enjoy books with mystery, twists, turns, and all the nail biting suspense to get you hooked from the very first page, then this is where you click the buy buttons on Urcelia Teixeira’s Amazon page.

Connect with Urcelia: Website / Amazon / Facebook / Twitter / BookBub / Goodreads

Please share Urcelia’s interview on social media to help spread the word about her books!

If you missed last week’s interview with Sarah Hamaker, find it here.

As a Jesus girl for more than thirty years, Deena Adams understands how important hope is to daily life, which fuels her passion to inspire others through hope-filled fiction based on true to life stories. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency and is a multi-award-winning writer, an active ACFW member, and ACFW Virginia president. Connect with Deena through her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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