Interview & #BookGiveaway with Alexis Goring

Howdy y'all! Crystal here with a sweet new gal to introduce to y'all. Alexis Goring is so sweet she's even giving away a copy of her book to one of the commenters on this post. :) Let's get on with the interview, shall we?

Tell our readers a bit about yourself, Alexis.

I’m a writer at heart who dreams of producing inspirational movies, music and photography that inspires HOPE in the hearts of everyone in the world. 

My first book, Hope in My Heart: A Collection of Heartwarming Stories was released in Sept. 2013. So far, I’ve received good reviews. People say they enjoy reading my book and appreciate that it’s not a heavy read that takes a long time because my stories wrap up under the standard 70K words that it takes to write a traditional novel. My readers have asked me when I am going to publish my next book and my answer is, “God-willing, very soon!”

What is your story about?

My book, Hope in My Heart: A Collection of Heartwarming Stories, is an inspirational romance novella composed of three stories in this order: “Love Unexpected,” “The Best Gift” and finally, “Peace and Love.”

All of my characters are hoping for something or someone. When people ask me, “What is your book about?” I tell them first, “Faith, Hope and Love.” I follow that with examples from the last story in my book “Peace and Love.” I say: There’s Eric. He’s a family law attorney who specializes in divorce cases and he’s a real Scrooge at Christmastime because he’s still reeling from his parents’ divorce which happened when he was younger. So Eric decides it’s time for him to deal with his issues and he decides to reach out to his dad whom he has not spoken to in years. There’s Kristine. She’s adopted and while she loves her adoptive family, she really wants to meet and get to know her birth mom before she (Kristine) gets married to her college sweetheart Derek. And finally, there’s Elle. She’s a starving artist from Michigan who is in the Washington, D.C. area because she has several interviews (in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia) and she’s hoping one of those interviews will turn into a full-time job with steady and sufficient pay.

The goal to all of my stories is to leave my readers with warm hearts hence the subtitle “A Collection of Heartwarming Stories.” I’d love for my stories to inspire hope in every reader’s heart and let them know that no matter how tough life gets, God is still there with you and He is for you. So I encourage my readers to trust God to work all things together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Where did you get the inspiration for your story?

People, places and my God-given imagination! Music is my muse. Here’s what happens when inspiration hits me through a song such as Britt Nicole’s version of “Through the Eyes of Love” (featured in the 2010 movie Ice Castles) or Diana Ross “Do You Know Where You’re Going To” (featured in the movie Mahogany): My creativity is sparked! 

I rush for my computer to create an original fictional story that draws from the song’s theme, melody and lyrics. My fingers fly across my keyboard as I create my latest work with my favorite songs as the unofficial soundtrack to the movie in my mind. All of my stories are written by me in the way I’d like to see it played out on the movie screen or in a television show.

What is your all time favorite scene in any book? 

The end scene to “Rilla of Ingleside” which is the final book in the eight-book series Anne of Green Gables! Rilla is Anne and Gilbert’s youngest daughter and she’s a passionate, sweet and sometimes shy woman with a lisp. And if I remember correctly, at the end scene, Rilla’s beau comes home from the war and proposes to her right there on her doorstep! Rilla says “Yeth” and that was so endearing because her lisp took over (she meant to say “Yes”) but her beau understood and it was such a beautiful ending!

What do you plan to work on next?

I’m working on a book about a chef at a fictional five-star restaurant in Northwest Washington, D.C. There are four main characters and the chef’s passion for cooking, baking and a special someone compose the core of the story.

Where can readers connect with you? Where can readers buy your book?

@pennedbyalex (My official Twitter handle for my book)
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlexisAGoring (My official fan page)
http://capturingtheidea.blogspot.com/ (My blog “God is Love”)
http://goodreads.com/capturingidea/ (My author page on Goodreads)

Last but not least, apart from writing, what is your favorite creative outlet?

Baking! Cupcakes made by me with the help of Betty Crocker (the box) and Duncan Hines icing with sprinkles along with a few “secret ingredients” has always been a crowd favorite.

I love trying new recipes that look as delicious on paper as later on my plate, such as the perfect peach cobbler I used to make from scratch! I say “used to” because I lost the recipe page for it. I also used to make oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies from scratch and I mean down the details even the part where you freeze the homemade dough for an hour or two before taking it out, rolling it up into cookie balls, pressing it flat and baking them to perfection!

I’d love to be paid to bake! Since I’m working on achieving my fitness goals, I have not baked anything in about two years. But once I become fit and fabulous I plan to return to baking but only this time in moderation like for a weekend treat every now and then, holidays and for special occasions!

Thanks for hosting me on your blog today, Crystal! May God bless you and your readers!

It was a pleasure having you here to day, Alexis. Thanks so much. Okay, everyone, here's your chance to win Hope in My Heart: A Collection of Heartwarming Stories. 

Since Alexis loves to bake, here's your question: do you love baking during the holidays? If not, what's your favorite baked treat to eat?

Leave a comment this weekend to enter the drawing. The winner will be announced in next week's Weekly Wind-Up post.