Janice Hanna ~ Interview + Giveaway!

*You can earn up to 2 entries in this giveaway. Read below for details*

Today author Janice Hanna is telling us about her new book, Love Finds You in Camelot, Tennessee (March 2011). She has offered an autographed copy of her book to one lucky commenter. She will also be stopping by throughout the week to answer your questions! So if you have anything you want to ask her, you can leave a comment on this post to find out the answer!

Here is Janice's author bio:
Award-winning author Janice Thompson also writes under the pseudonym Janice Hanna. She got her start in the industry writing screenplays and musical comedies for the stage. Janice has published nearly seventy books for the Christian market, crossing genre lines to write cozy mysteries, historicals, romances, nonfiction books, devotionals, children’s books and more. In addition, she enjoys editing, ghost-writing, public speaking, and mentoring young writers. Janice formerly served as Vice-President of CAN (Christian Authors Network) and was named the 2008 Mentor of the year for ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). She was thrilled to be named the 2010 Barbour/Heartsong Author of the Year, with three books on the top ten list for that house. Janice is active in her local writing group, where she regularly teaches on the craft of writing. Her online writing courses have been helpful to many who want to earn a living with their writing. Janice is passionate about her faith and does all she can to share the joy of the Lord with others, which is why she particularly enjoys writing. She lives in Spring, Texas, where she leads a rich life with her family, a host of writing friends, and two mischievous dachshunds. She does her best to keep the Lord at the center of it all. You can find out more about Janice at http://www.janiceathompson.com/ or http://www.freelancewritingcourses.com/.

Welcome, Janice! Tell us about your salvation experience.
I grew up in church and felt the Lord’s tug from the time I was young. I committed my life to Him at age eleven and have never looked back!

How do you handle disasters/BIG problems? Do you have a funny or interesting story showcasing how you handle them?
I try to laugh my way through every situation. It doesn’t always happen, but I try. When I went through a particularly difficult season several years ago (multiple deaths in the family, all in a row) I found myself turning to Robin Jones Gunn’s light-hearted books. There’s something about comedy (or light-hearted stories) that really lifts my spirits.

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
I bake wedding cakes on the side. It’s true! I’m not the best decorator in the world, but I can bake a mean cake.

What is one book that you recently read and would recommend to your readers?
I loved One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. Her beautiful literary style blew me away, but the content of the book is really what sealed the deal. The book is a personal expose on living life with an attitude of gratitude, no matter what you’re going through.

What is your favorite time of day to write?
I write all day long, but my best time of day is in the late hours of the night. I’m a night owl, so this just seems to work best for me.

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in your books?
Hmm. I’ve been told my writing is a bit like Lisa Wingate’s. I think it could also be compared to Kristin Billerbeck and/or Robin Jones Gunn. I write light-hearted romance that’s definitely G rated!

What are you working on now or going to write next?
I’m writing Love Finds You in Daisy Oklahoma, while marketing Love Finds You in Camelot, Tennessee, (which just released).

Back cover blurb:

Steve Garrison is the newly elected mayor of the tiny town of Camelot, Tennessee. When his childhood friend Amy Hart comes up with a plan to revive the town’s economy, he jumps onboard. The townspeople will perform the musical “Camelot” in the city’s park, drawing in nightly crowds. While excitement is high, talent is lacking. Amy casts several of the parts but is stumped when it comes to the role of King Arthur. In desperation, she turns to Steve. Will he pull the sword from the stone and save the day? Steve reluctantly agrees—on one condition. In exchange for his willingness to wear tights, Amy must play the role of Guinevere. And when a handsome newcomer cast as Lancelot takes an interest in Amy, the stage is set for a little tension—and perhaps love.

What research did you have to do for this book?
I went to college in East Tennessee, so I was pretty familiar with the Knoxville area. The story is close to my heart, because I performed in the musical “Camelot” while in college (less than two hours away from the area where this story takes place).

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?

I would choose Reese Witherspoon for Amy and Hugh Jackman for Steve.

How can readers get in contact with you?
Follow Janice at:
Website: http://www.janicehannathompson.com/
Writing Courses Website: http://www.freelancewritingcourses.com/
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/jhannathompson
Reader’s Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Janice-Hanna-Thompsons-Readers-Page/303537684650
Blog: http://janiceathompson.com/blog/?cat=1

Is there anything you would like to add, or tell your readers?
I love writing romantic comedies and I love musical theater, so combining both of these elements in Love Finds You in Camelot Tennessee was such a blast. The story was especially dear to me since I attended college in Tennessee.

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**USA addresses only, please**

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of Love Finds You in Camelot, Tennessee!

TO ENTER:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win). The comment is mandatory. You will not be entered unless you leave a comment AND your email address.

*If you leave a comment you will be entered unless you specify that you do not want to be entered.

*Here are the ways to get entries:

(First entry) The mandatory comment saying you would like to be entered with your email address.

+1 Become one of my followers OR subscribe to my blog by email.

**You can earn a total of 2 entries if you do all of the above entry options. Make sure to tell me in your entry comment on this post which of the things you did to get extra entries. (You can put them on one comment if you want to, you don’t have to separate each entry into its own comment or anything like that.)**

*The contest will run from today (March 11) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (March 17). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner either directly after choosing him/her or on Friday the 18th, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.