Welcome Stephanie Humphreys

I'd like to introduce you to another writer friend of mine - Stephanie Humphreys, who gracious let me interview her.

How did you pick the genre you write in?

I write whatever comes to my head. As I wrote Finding Rose, it surprised me when it came out a romance. The stories that usually spin around my head are usually suspense/mystery.


That's great to know! I too, love a good mystery! Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants?

I do both. I like to have a general idea of where the story is going, but I don't write too many details down before I begin telling the story. I am trying to get better at outlining because makes for fewer changes when I go back to edit. It seems to be a fine balance - if I don't plot, then the story wanders, but if I plot too much, then it feels like the story has already been told.


I hear ya! I'm the same way. If I plot too much I feel like I've already written the story. lol  So, what drew you to the subject of FINDING ROSE ?
Finding Rose was inspired by my great-great grandparent's lives. In the 1890's the LDS church had a contract with the Canadian government to bring men to Canada to help build the irrigation canals. My grandfather was called by Lorenzo Snow to do this and brought his family to Alberta. The beginning of Finding Rose shows Rose and her family dealing with a similar situation. Because there is such a large LDS population in Alberta,I wanted to write for them and tell a story showing LDS characters who leave Utah.


That's so awesome! I didn't know about that. Did you encounter any obstacles in researching it?
Not really. The hardest part about the research was not letting myself become distracted and forgetting to write the book. There are so many interesting historical events and people to read about.


I know what you mean. I LOVE doing research for my historical stories. Could you describe your book for the readers?

On his deathbed, Rose Sterling’s father asks her to consider Miles Crandall as a suitor. Then Rose is sent to live with an uncle in Spring Creek, Montana, far from her carefree life with her family in Utah. Miles is returning to his hometown of Spring Creek to set up a medical practice, so Rose is certain her being sent there is a setup. When Rose captures the attention of Miles’s younger, flamboyant brother as well as the town sheriff, Miles retreats even further from any attempt at courtship. How can Rose honor her father’s last wish if Miles doesn’t even try to court her? Will she have the courage to put her heart on the line and fight for the one she really loves?

This really sounds like a great story. What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

What I enjoyed most was seeing the story unfold. I wrote this book as part of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and I didn't do any advance plotting. I loved letting the characters tell their stories.


I love NaNo! It really helps writers to kick out that story quickly. So, what do you consider your strengths in terms of your writing?

My biggest strength is being able to write clean copy the first time through. This makes the editing process much easier. It allows me to focus more on the characters and story when I edit.


I'm so jealous! I wish I could do that. What do you consider your weakness and what strategies do you use to overcome it?

My weakness is plotting. I overcome this by keeping tons of notes. If I catch something that needs to be fixed I write it down so I can return to it later. That way I don't interrupt the flow of my writing time. With the book I am working on right now, I am trying to do more plotting in advance and fill in the holes and weaknesses of the story before I begin writing.


I love plotting! lol Where can readers find you and your books?

I would love to hear from readers. They can find me at

http://www.facebook.com/l/2dde3EOXzRG401Kt7ieLdnUbvvA;shumphreys.blogspot.com. They can purchase Finding Rose at http://www.facebook.com/l/2dde37VIUGQTR-ZP8CCDfn-zV4Q;DeseretBook.com
http://www.facebook.com/l/2dde3E9lAhO_agYU6a0-L2S5ROA;Amazon.com, or at their closest LDS bookstore.