Welcome Guest Blogger Salena Stormo


Interview

Salena, what is your favorite thing to write about, (i.e., forgiveness, rebellion, etc)?
Definitely forgiveness. Like all of us, I have faced moments in my life where I had the choice to hold onto anger and resentment or let it go. I knew that God wanted me to let it go. I didn’t want to live a life full of bitterness or teach my child to hold grudges so after much prayer I learned that forgiveness is a very powerful thing and whether the person accepts it or not isn’t always the issue. It’s what you do with your life going forward for the glory of God that matters. I want people to read my books someday and say “WOW, forgiveness IS powerful! It can change people and draw them closer to Him.


What do you hope readers will take away from this story?
With this story, I hope the reader will get a glimpse into the life of a truly amazingly sweet woman who left her mark on this world and impacted the people around her through the simple act of love.


If you could travel back in time when and where would you go?
I would love to go to the mid to late 19th century. This country was changing drastically with the end of the Civil War, the formation of the basic civil rights, reconstruction, the creation of the cowboy, and taking industry to new heights. It is hard to imagine the amount of emotion and drive people had back then to fix the problems and get back on track to making this country something to be proud of.


What project are you currently working on?
I am working on a series of books set in the hill country of Texas immediately following the Civil War. It is about Tyler, a Yankee soldier and his young daughter who move south after the war, and after the loss of his wife. He meets Faith and realizes he saw her during the burning of Atlanta, Georgia. It is a story about how their lives intertwine to bring about a healing process and a love so strong that no battle lines could destroy it.


Excerpt from Quilted Love, by Salena Stormo

      The memories flood my mind as my eyes grow heavy. I close them and drift off to a familiar and happy place long, long ago. I'm sixteen again. My auburn hair is being teased by the Texas wind as I struggle to pull it into a bun and pin it in place. My calico dress whips against my legs as I place my bonnet neatly over my head to block out the intense morning sun. This is the land I love; the land of my ancestors and it is embedded with history I will forever carry with me, no matter where life takes me.
      I see the covered wagon as it sits beneath the tall oak tree at the bottom of the hill. It is exactly as we left it when we stopped to rest for the evening. I arose early to wash the clothes at the nearby creek before we continue our journey west. We have only been traveling a few days and yet home already seems so far away. My husband is hitching the team to the wagon and securing our belongings. He is meticulous as he checks everything one last time. Still a boy in so many ways and yet advanced for his years. We are both young, really. As ma said we were to young to be married and heading west to start a life for ourselves. But we are full of dreams and ambitions so we smiled and comforted our families as we made our plans to go to New Mexico.


Quilted Love was inspired by my great-grandmother and originally I wrote it for my mom. She loved it so much she encouraged me to get it published. I sent it off to one place, Harpstring Magazine, and wouldn't you know they published it in thier December 2011 magazine.


Quilted Love is about a lady who, during her last moments, reflects on her life and all the blessings God bestowed upon her. Her love of quilting is intertwined in the story because my great-grandmother loved to make quilts. I will always remember her sitting in her favorite chair by the window with her latest quilt over her lap. 

Also, don’t miss the release of another short story “The Gift of Yesterday” that will appear in Harpstring Magazine’s February 2012 issue.


You can purchase Quilted Love at: http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/308785

Stop by http://throughhiseyestoo.blogspot.com/ and read about some talented Christian authors.
Category: 3 comments

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Paula, thank you for having me a guest on your beautiful blog! I hope everyone will check out Harpstring Magazine. Written World Communications has done a phenomenal job creating many different types of venues for new and established authors.

Pat Jeanne Davis said...

Enjoyed this interview with Salena. Thank you, Paula, for the chance to get to know her and her work better. We both have a short story in Harpstring for Feb. I'm honored to be included there with Salena.

Unknown said...

So sorry that it's taken me this long to respond! Salena, you were a dream guest! I'm praying that your work bears fruit and receives the recognition it deserves.

Pat Jeanne, I wish everyone that visited this blog would take a moment to let me know if what is posted speaks to their heart. If you're interested in being a guest blogger email me at Paula@paulawordsmith.com

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