Writer Wednesday with Kelly Irvin

Today on Writer Wednesday we welcome Kelly Irvin, author of Over the Line.

Enter below for a chance to win a copy of Over the Line! Winner announced right here next week. Congratulations to, Jennifer K,  the winner of Rachel McMillan’s Murder in the City of Liberty! Please e-mail my assistant Christen with your mailing address! Note: This post contains affiliate links.

Writer Wednesday with Kelly Irvin: A Day in the Life

About six months ago my husband and I moved to the country. We’re about twenty minutes from San Antonio, the tenth largest and one of the fastest growing cities in the country. We were tired of all the growing pains of traffic congestion, noise, and crowded neighborhoods.

I’m so in love with my new home on almost an acre of land. My office space has two huge ceiling-to-floor windows and a skylight. I look out to see an open field across the road filled with big, old Live Oak trees.  Every time I look up (which is often, I admit) I see a different species of bird hanging out on the tree branches just outside the windows. Cardinals, sparrows, blue jays, mourning doves, yellow finches, and hummingbirds visit. Occasionally I see green lizards zipping along the branches. I love it when they stop and their red chins balloon. In this setting, it can be hard to concentrate.

Being a creature of habit, I get up every morning and drink a cup of decaf coffee, eat a slice of chunky peanut butter toast, and sit so I can look out the bay window at our backyard. Today, a wily squirrel has figured out how to jump onto the bird feeder. He’s hanging upside down and helping himself to the bird seed. My husband will not be happy! The battle continues.

After breakfast, I head to my office where I read my devotion. I’m working my way through Paul David Tripp’s New Morning Mercies A Daily Gospel Devotional. After that I read my daily poem from Poem A Day edited by Lauri Sheck. It’s my way of adding an extra dose of beauty to an ugly world. I say my prayers and start my writing day.

I try not to get bogged down in social media at this point unless I have a specific marketing chore to complete. Always thinking I’ll just take a minute to browse, and we all know how a minute turns into two hours on Facebook.

I’ll write until noon when I stop for lunch and the local newscast. It’s my way of not being so isolated. I check out the weather and see how the Spurs are doing. If I need to do chores like empty the dishwasher or fold laundry, this is that time. This is also my social media check-in time.

Then it’s back to writing. Right now, I’m on deadline for a romantic suspense novel due July 1. I’m also editing an Amish romance so my writing schedule is tight. Because of health issues, I have a lot of doctors’ appointments. I also lead a Community Bible Study group on Fridays. Otherwise, writing takes top billing.

At five o’clock, it’s time for supper and the national news. Then I do about an hour of exercises, take a shower, and I get to read whatever I want or watch a TV show with hubby. Right now, I’m reading Ann Rule’s The Stranger Beside Me about her friendship with serial killer Ted Bundy. Yes, it’s research for the romantic suspense novel I’m currently writing. It’s also fascinating if gruesome, bedtime reading. Sometimes my husband and I sit out on our deck and watch the fireflies and grin at each other.

Living the life. Living the dream. Blessed.

Kelly Irvin is the bestselling author of the Every Amish Season and Amish of Bee County series. The Beekeeper’s Son received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, who called it a “beautifully woven masterpiece.” The two-time Carol Award finalist is a former newspaper reporter and retired public relations professional. Kelly lives in Texas with her husband, photographer Tim Irvin. They have two children, three grandchildren, and two cats. In her spare time, she likes to read books by her favorite authors.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

More about Over the Line

“You have something we want. We have something you want.”

Gabriella has never forgiven her former fiancé, homicide detective Eli Cavazos, for breaking her heart. Then a man she’s never met shows up at her restaurant, a bullet in his chest and her brother’s name on his lips. Gabby soon realizes this man is connected to a powerful ring of criminals who know far too much about her.

Against her better judgment, Gabby turns to Eli for help in finding her brother. When she receives a cryptic text from her brother’s cell phone, she realizes she is in deep and may be dragging Eli down with her. With her brother nowhere to be found and pain from her past threatening to overwhelm her, Gabby wonders how she will make it through this unexpected quest unscathed—or alive.

Taking us into the heart of Laredo, Texas, the secrets of a gun-smuggling ring and the tensions on both sides of the border, Over the Line will keep you guessing until the last page.

Purchase a copy of Over the Line
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | CBD

Are you new here? Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Read full privacy policy here.