Loyalty to a stranger opens her to more danger than she’d ever imagined.
Good
morning, Callie. Thanks for joining us. Let’s start with you telling us a bit
about The Gardener’s Secret. I’m a southern gal inside and out. Life in Georgia was
all I’d known until a college scholarship took me to California. Then, at the
end of my junior year, my father died. I set aside my dream of a journalism degree
and went home to help Mama. Trying to share the burden of expenses, I wrote freelance
for magazines…until the local newspaper posted a job offering. Assuming I’d get
to write gritty articles, I bluffed my way through the interview, only to
discover they needed me to write the gardening column. What did I know about
gardening? Nada, zip, zilch. But I could learn. I’d recently met a new resident,
supposedly a retired gardener, even though his speech and mannerisms indicated he
was anything but. Did he have a secret to hide? Possibly. At least, the town of
Willoughby thought so. However, I needed his help to keep my newspaper job, so
I kept my mouth shut and concentrated on growing, planting, and harvesting. In
time, my friendship with the gardener grew to include that of his daughter and
grandson. The day I stumbled onto the first clue of the secret, the gardener’s angry
response startled me. Looking back, I now realize he was concerned about
protecting his family. And me? He worried that danger would infect my life, too.
What
made you choose journalism as a profession? Daddy used to say I had the stubbornness of a mule and the curiosity of
a cat. I guess you could say those qualities helped my writing. Years ago, as the
editor of the Willoughby High School newspaper, I uncovered a scandal related
to the school district’s food services. A little snooping led to the discovery
of two employees receiving kickbacks whenever they bought from certain
overpriced vendors. My tell-all article earned a special award from the school
board and recognition from the governor’s office. I went on to write other
pieces and entered national competitions. My efforts garnered prizes, but the
prizes were secondary. For me, writing was like a drug—and I was addicted.
Knowing
what you know now, if you had it to do over again, would you stick with being a
journalist or do something different? I
can’t imagine being anything but a reporter. If not that, then at least a profession
that would allow me to write…a novelist, a textbook author…heck, I’d even write
the information you see on cereal boxes.
What
is your biggest fear? My biggest fear
is being found out I’m not as brave as everyone thinks. I can fake my way through
most situations, because I’ve been raised to stand up for myself. But I’m no
dummy, and if running away is required, I can move faster than an Olympic sprinter.
Who
is your favorite fictional character and why? Anne of Green Gables has spunk and gets my vote for a
favorite character. She’s loyal, almost to a fault, and would never desert a
friend. She might get into trouble and cause chaos, but her heart is always in
the right place.
What
is the best piece of advice you ever received? Mama always says, “Don’t get above your raisin’.” Translation?
Be humble, don’t shove people out of your way as you rise to the top in your
field. And don’t become so full of yourself that taking out the trash is
beneath you.
Thank you for spending
time with us, Callie. Now we’d like to chat with Sheila.
Which writer or
character[s], from either books or movies, [or both] have had a major impact on
your writing?
I prefer novels that I can relate to
in today’s world, ones that don’t whack me in the head with suspense. But when scary
stuff finally arrives, I want to be forced to hold my breath. My writing is a
combination of all the authors I admire. Three stand out in particular: Debbie Macomber
for creating everyday humans with flaws; Charlaine Harris for just the right
amount of suspense; and Janet Evanovich for a bit of earthy humor.
With regard to research,
where did you start for this novel? Did that lead you down different paths,
thereby changing the original concept? I’m
a visual person, and an image usually leads my creativity. A glimpse out of a
car window, a magazine photo, or people at a restaurant can make me curious
about the story behind the scene. The Gardener’s Secret started with an
image of a woman walking her dog. I planned to have her fall so she could be rescued
by someone with a secret, possibly a beekeeper wearing his working garb,
looking mysterious behind his mask. Then I checked online to see if any book
titles contained the word beekeeper. Way too many. So, since I knew nothing
about bees anyway, I looked for some other outdoor profession that allowed the character
to be outside and rescue her. And since I’m an avid gardener, I decided to use
that profession. Made sense, and I could use first-hand knowledge to “fill in
the blanks.” Today online, several titles contain the word gardener, but even if
I was just beginning the novel, I can’t imagine him having any other profession.
Tell us a bit about your
publisher. How did you hear about them; what influenced you to submit to them;
how is the submission process; what is the turn-around time from date of query
to date of release? I’d been to several
writing conferences and knew the name of Wild Rose Press, but I wasn’t yet
ready to query. Besides, they primarily published romance writers. I had actually
written a romance, even won a contest’s second-place award, but I knew the
manuscript needed work. I set it aside, planning a future rewrite. Then, since
women’s fiction and suspense are my favorite reads, I decided to experiment
with those genres. Announcement of another writing competition spurred me on to
enter The Gardener’s Secret. After winning a first-place award, I was
contacted by an editor at the Wild Rose Press. No querying necessary…yay! The
rest, as they say, is history. I have a great editor who gets back to me almost
immediately, and she helped me reformat my debut work to Wild Rose Press
standards. My only disappointment was having to wait five and a half months between
final draft approval and the release date.
What are you reading right
now? I’m currently re-reading A
Painted House by John Grisham...one of my favorites. Even though this book
isn’t one of his “legal” tomes, Grisham knows how to make us feel invested in
the main character’s story, and he introduces tension in just the right spots.
What's next for you? Right now, I’m excitedly awaiting the January 29th
release date for The Gardener’s Secret. Several blogs will feature the
book within the next few days, and a book signing is planned for February 17th
at a friend’s café. All the while, I continue to work on the next manuscript.
Experts say, “Write what you know.” Sooo…what do I know? Art. Since I’ve been an artist most of my life, I know a lot about the subject. But my next book won’t be a how-to manual. Runaway Artist is about an aspiring artist, Brooke Arnelletta. After securing an internship in a posh Beverly Hills art gallery, she assumes she’s on her way to learning the business and opening her own gallery. All that is quickly forgotten when she witnesses a murder and must flee or face a killer’s efforts to silence her.
To learn more about Sheila Hansberger (S. Hansberger) and the stories she creates go to: www.s-hansberger.com
Website: www.s-hansberger.com
Facebook: Sheila Hansberger, Artist and Author (1) Facebook
Instagram: Sheila
Hansberger (@sheilahansberger) • Instagram photos and videos
LinkedIn: (24) Sheila
Hansberger | LinkedIn
To purchase The Gardener’s
Secret, go to:
e-book link: https://a.co/d/3rXC7Vr;
paperback link: https://a.co/d/g6M9zcJ
Editorial reviews:
In
Hansberger’s debut novel, a mysterious family of newcomers to a small town
forms a friendship with an aspiring journalist… It all makes for an intriguing
read that will keep readers on their toes. —Kirkus Reviews
