Gwen_4[1]Gwen, describe yourself for our visitors.

I am 36 years old and I am married with three children, ages 8, 6 and 1.  I live out in the country in my hometown of Ozark, Arkansas, surrounded by animals and trees.  My brother and his family live next door, and my parents close by, which is how I like it. 

I write cards for DaySpring, teach literature at a local college, and teach Sunday School and play the piano for my church.  My hobbies are cooking, music, travelling and reading.  I love classical music, many old hymns, jazz and rock.  My current favorite singer is my five-year-old niece, Madeline, who takes voice lessons from me.

How do you find time to connect with God?

My whole life is an exercise in prayer and searching the Scripture for survival.  I’m never not connected.

Who are your favorite authors? Favorite books?

Authors–Jane Austen, John Steinbeck, Roy Lessin, Elisabeth Elliot, Ian McEwan, Edith Wharton, etc.

Books–Jane Eyre, The Age of Innocence, A Wrinkle in Time, etc.

Tell us about your journey to publication.

My first publisher was my fourth grade teacher, who put little books I wrote on our classroom shelf.  After college and a year of law school, I found my way to DaySpring Cards, where I started getting paid to write.  I was also mentored there by a great writer, Roy Lessin, who is one of DaySpring’s founders.  When I moved back to Ozark, I started my own column in the local newspaper, and also got a few articles and essays published.  My first official book was a gift book called God’s Heart Through You.  A few years later when I got my master’s degree I wrote a novel instead of a master’s thesis.  A friend in publishing who was familiar with that novel suggested I send a proposal to Summerside for the Love Finds You series.  I did, and it was accepted.  Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado is my first novel.

Love Finds You_RomeoTell us about your current book?

Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado is about a college professor named Claire who loses her husband, and moves "home" with her five-year-old son to Romeo.  They live with her Abuelita, a funny and feisty character who is also a spiritual rock for Claire.  When her son is rushed to the ER, she meets Stephen Reyes, the local doctor with a sketchy past.  The story is a lovely romance between Claire and Stephen, but beyond that, it speaks to the experience of letting go of past hurts and trusting God.  Claire must come to terms with the One who is Love before she can learn to love–and be loved by–another man.

How did you come up with ideas for this book?

It was important for me to keep the setting authentic, so I consulted with a writer who lives in the area near Romeo, who gave me lots of information about the culture there.  I also drew from people I know and experiences I’ve had to create the characters.  For example, the little boy closely resembles my precocious little son, and Abuelita is a lot like my Granny and my mother.

List your three most recent books.

That’s easy, since there are only three so far!  God’s Heart Through You, Love Finds You in Romeo, Colorado, and A Beautiful Life.

What’s next for you?

I have a devotional book (A Beautiful Life) coming out with Summerside in February 2009.  And I hope there will be more fiction and non-fiction in the future!

Where can visitors find you online?

They can email me at gfaulkenberry@hotmail.com.

I’m also on the Summerside website and a site for the Love Finds You authors, www.lovefindsyou.wordpress.com