Interview with Author Terri Kraus

Today I am pleased to present an interview with author Terri Kraus.

Terri, welcome to Patti's porch. I understand your new release, The Renewal, is the second in a series. Tell us about both of your books.

The series is called The Product Restoration Series, published by David C. Cook. It is set in the world of building restoration. I love the metaphor of restoration, which is why I came up with the idea for the series-stories that would follow both the physical restoration of a building and emotional/spiritual restoration of a character. And because I'm an interior designer and have done many such projects, both personally and with my clients, it's something I've always wanted to write about.

Book 1 - The Renovation
It is the story of Ethan Willis, who has made a career out of restoring old houses like the Carter Mansion, so he's an expert with door and windows. Tragically widowed and left with a young son, he's done the best he could, but now that Chase has become a teenager, that best somehow isn't quite good enough. For his part, Chase doesn't know what he'd do without baseball, his best friend Elliott and the secret hideaway even his dad doesn't know about. What he does know is that the reporter lady who suddenly started chatting with his dad can't be a good thing. In a small town where everyone knows everything, does an outsider, a young, cute, ambitious reporter-kind-of-outsider like Cameron Dane even have a prayer of getting to know the handsome but moody builder? Does it matter that they both hold secrets from their pasts? And can Chase ever be freed from the hidden guilt of his mother's death? Only time, and a special kind of patience, will tell.

Book 2 - The Renewal
Single-mom Leslie Ruskin and her 5-year old daughter, Ava, are starting over in a new town-Butler, Pennsylvania-where her ancestors once lived, after a devastating divorce turned their world upside-down. As Leslie tries to provide a stable life for little Ava, she struggles to manage her own anxiety. She buys a landmark building in the historic area of town, which she is strangely drawn to. As the new owner of the Midlands Building, with its architecturally stunning first floor, Leslie is in need of a master carpenter to renovate its neglected interior. Jack Kenyon seems to be the perfect man for the job. He's starting over, too, after leaving Franklin, Pennsylvania, where he worked for Ethan Willis on the restoration crew of the Carter Mansion. But Jack is struggling to master his own demons. Haunted by loneliness, his past failures, and the lost relationshp with his own young daughter, Jack finds it difficult to maintain his sobriety. As the Midlands Building is transformed from the rundown former home of a locksmith shop, with its own secrets, into a vibrant cafe bistro, the relationship between Leslie and Jack becomes the catalyst in their journey towards the renewal that their lives so desperately need...and unlocks the love they are destined to discover.

Panic attacks and alcoholism are two subjects that are addressed in The Renewal. Have you had personal experience with these life-challenging conditions?

I have not personally had experience with these conditions, but am close to peole who do. As director of women's ministries for 6 years at our church, I've seen women go through all sorts fo challenges. These two can be very devastating.

You have co-authored several books with your husband. Were they fiction or non-fiction? What was the subject matter?

Jim and I wrote historical fiction - a series called Treasures of the Caribbean (3 books, Tyndale) and a series called Circle of Destiny (4 books, Tyndale) - pluas a 3-book contemporary fiction series called Stories From MacKenzie Street (Barbour).

Do you find it easier to write with a co-author or by yourself?

I enjoy it either way. We work well together, and have very complimentary skills. Jim has written some books solo as well, but we both help each other out on every project.

It sounds like you are a full-time interior designer. Is writing a sideline for you?

I worked full-time in Interior Design before my 11-year-old son was born, and taught it at the college level. Since becoming a mother, I've only done part time consultation work, and so have time to write.

How long have you been writing?

Since I was a little girl, but I've been a published author since 1995.

Any advice for beginning writers?

Write, write, write! Read, read, read! Find a great critique resource - someone who is published and has advanced skills - and who will be brutally honest.

Thank you, Terri. It has been a delight to have you here today. May God bless you on your writing journey.

Thanks very much for having me!

Thanks for reading my blog!