Interview with Ann Marie Bryan

When Chandler Peynard staggered into Sabrina Benjamin’s life, he was desperate for an escape route. Battling feelings of isolation, he erects barriers around his heart, often times leaving a trail of broken dreams behind him.

Sabrina’s happily-ever-after was ripped away months ago, but she hadn’t
given up on finding love. Still, she was caught off guard by her feelings for Chandler, a man who could hardly be described as a model man of God. As an unexpected bond develops between them, she wants more– a lot more than Chandler is prepared to give, because falling in love and putting down roots are not a part of his plan.

Touched by Sabrina’s kindness and faith, Chandler makes a life-changing
choice. However, complication is inevitable when the past he’d long thought was buried, pushes him to confront matters he would have given
anything to forget. As he struggles to release himself from his past and
embrace the future, he offers Sabrina a place in his heart, but she demands all of it.

In a season that brought so many changes, Chandler longs for peace in his soul and yearns for love. Will he trust God with all of his heart to overcome his past? Will he be able to testify that God’s grace wins every time? Will he find the strength to take a chance at life and love with Sabrina?”

And won’t He! So thankful for that. Let’s talk about the beginning of your writing days. If you could give advice to your younger writing self, what would it be?

Writing a book was not on my list of things to do. In light of that, my advice to my younger writing self would be – You are a writer. God gave you the ability to write. Your writing will bless more people than you can imagine, so keep writing. God takes you out of your comfort zone to stretch you and show you that you can accomplish far more than you think. He blesses you so that you can empower others.

Amen! Sometimes stretching can be uncomfortable, but I’ve always learned something from the process. What are three elements that are always present in your writing?
 
The three elements that are always present in my writing are a central theme, a major event that has changed the protagonist’s life (the character’s story), and conflict.
 
The central theme in A Place For My Heart is God’s grace. Grace is God’s gift to us. No matter who we are, we can be beneficiaries of God’s unlimited grace through His son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ transforms lives and brings hope in the midst of despair.
 
The protagonist’s story is vital. The occurrence of a major event in the life of a protagonist will show his/her true nature. A Place For My Heart focuses on the transformation of the protagonist as he deals with an event.
 
Conflicts move the plot forward in A Place For My Heart. In the story, conflict is unavoidable because two people who cannot stay away from each other, refuses to acknowledge that they are in love. In a season that brought so many changes in their lives, they must find the strength to take a chance at life and love.
 
Wonderful elements! What is next in your writing journey?
 
Currently, I am planning to write the fourth book in the “Encounters of the Heart” series. This novel will detail the story of Tyler and Madison. It will be released in early 2018.
 
I am excited about my writing journey, and I am thankful for the opportunity to share with others.  I believe in working together, the exchanging of ideas and sharing of resources, so I hope that my writing journey takes me all over the world to share at conferences, seminars and workshops.