Trish Perry's "Tea for Two"

We're happy to have Trish Perry with us today talking about her book Tea for Two. To learn more about Trish and her book, read on!

Title: Tea for Two
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers

Cover blurb: Zack Cooper tries his best to raise his children, but he's losing his grip on them in their teen years. They've both had scrapes with the local law.
Tea Shop owner Milly Jewel has the perfect woman in mind to help Zack. Counselor Tina Milano meets weekly at the tea shop with her women's group. Milly encourages Zack and Tina to work together to draw the teens back before they get in even hotter water. Milly never thought things might heat up between Zack and Tina. Or did she?
Tina's connections with the Middleburg police department prove a mixed blessing for Zack and his kids. Both her best friend and old boyfriend are officers on the force.
And when Tina's women's group gets wind of her personal pursuits and clashes, they want to help. The group's meetings at the tea shop take on a slightly different flavor. Tina wonders who, exactly, is counseling whom.

1) How did this story come to you?
This book is a follow-up to The Perfect Blend, the first book in my Tea with Millicent series with Harvest House. After my editor first suggested the series to me, I put together a few story ideas that could revolve around Milly, the tea shop proprietress who figures in all the books. I already planned to have a women’s group that met regularly at the shop, so this book focused on the counselor in charge of that group. And because Middleburg is a town with a wide socio-economic spectrum, I wanted to incorporate someone from farming or horse breeding into the plot. So our hero’s connection to the shop is the produce he provides. After that, it was a matter of getting the young farmer and the busy counselor together so they could fall in love!

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
This series concept wasn’t my idea. My editor contacted me with the suggestion, and I loved the character and storyline possibilities. Since I’ve already worked on a number of books with Harvest House, I provided one-page summaries for Tea with Millicent, as well as a number of different series ideas. This was one that came to fruition, and I couldn’t be happier.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
a) I met Telly Savales at a disco in Washington, D.C. in the 80s. He was a charming gentleman.
Even though I had been thoroughly warned ahead of time, I almost fell prey to a pickpocketing ruse in Rome. b) It was the forewarning that finally came to mind and foiled the attempt.
c) I once had dinner at a restaurant in Jamaica while a donkey stood outside, repeatedly poking his entire head in through the window by my table.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m finishing up devotionals for Summerside Press’s Your Grace is Sufficient But Decaf is NOT, a follow-up devotional to Delight Yourself in the Lord…Even on Bad Hair Days, which released March 1. Then I’ll write Labor of Love for the Barbour collection The Midwife’s Legacy, releasing March 2012.
And I recently turned in my manuscript for my Christmas novel, ‘Tis the Season, which will be coupled with Debby Mayne’s Deck the Halls in Summerside’s September release, Love Finds You on Christmas Morning.

5) Parting comments?
Lately I’ve come across a few fellow authors who have received some pretty harsh online reviews on their books. We’ve all received them—that’s just part of this business. But if you’re a writer, I want to encourage you to stay focused on what the Lord puts on your heart to write, and then do the very best you can with the talent He’s given you. You can’t do any more than that. And if you’re a reader, I want to encourage you to remember that most novelists pour their heart and soul into what they write—especially those who try to serve God and entertain readers with their writing. And all of them are people, just like you and me.

6) Where can fans find you on the Internet?
My site is http://www.trishperry.com/. I feature fellow inspirational fiction authors twice a week, and they give away signed copies of their latest releases to readers who comment.
I’m also on Facebook as Trish Hawley Perry and on Twitter as TrishPerryWrtr.