Alison, describe yourself for our visitors.
Reading and writing are two of my favorite pastimes. (How blessed I feel to have a job that requires I do both!) Other than that, scrapbooking is my newest passion–lots of it to do, too, now that I have a baby! I sing at church with the worship team. Singing has always been one of those things I’d love to do as a “dream” job.
How do you find time to connect with God?
Right now my God-time is scattered throughout my day. Before I fall asleep, while nursing Abby, while driving–whenever my brain has the chance to disengage from baby-care. 
Tell us about your journey to publication.
It was a total God thing. I had written “Worlds Collide” just for fun, and didn’t think to even try pursuing publication. I thought it was too secular for the Christian world and too Christian for the secular world. I mentioned it to my parents and my mom read it, but that was it. Then, about three weeks later, Waterbrook publishing contacted my dad to talk to him about publishing fiction with them, and during the course of his conversation with one of their editors he mentioned my book. They asked if I’d sent it anywhere yet, and if I’d let them see it. I sent it away, not expecting anything to actually come of it, and then one day I got a call from the editor saying they wanted to pursue it. It went through the editorial board and they loved it, then through the publishing board and they loved it. October 8, 2002, I received a call from them offering me a two-book deal!
Tell us about your current book?
“Violette Between” poses this question: If you had the chance to reconnect with someone you’d lost to death–a spouse, a parent, a child–would you take that chance, even if it meant giving up your future? Violette lost her husband early in their marriage, and then, while in a coma from an accident, finds herself back with her husband–but only in her memories. She’s then faced with a choice: to stay with her husband in her memories, or to let him go–again–and move foward with Christian, a man she’s come to love.
How did you come up with ideas for your current release?
It was an unfortunate event, actually, that gave me the idea. I heard through a friend that one of our high-school girlfriends had lost her husband. He died, at age 30, from an undetected heart defect. About the same time that this happened, I heard Norah Jones’s first album,
which has a song on it called, “The Painter Song.” One of the lines says, “If I were a painter I would paint my memories, if that’s the only way for you to be with me.” These two things came together in my mind to give me the idea of a painter who reconnects with her dead
husband when she “falls” into one of her paintings. The final version of the story is quite different, but that was the original concept.
List your most recent books.
“Worlds Collide” was my first novel; it was released in March of 2005.
“Violette Between” is my second.
What’s next for you?
More writing, I hope! I’m hoping to get a contract soon for my spiritual autobiography, as well as for another novel based on two women who are best friends, despite their huge differences in things spiritual.
Where can visitors find you online?
My website is alisonstrobel.com. I have a blog through there (which can be reached directly at blog.alisonstrobel.com) and I try to post a couple times a week at least, although it’s sometimes hard to find the time! My website also has links for both my books to Amazon.com where folks can buy them.
Thanks for the questions!
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