Winnie Griggs' "Home for Thanksgiving"

Title: Home For Thanksgiving (a novella in the Once Upon A Thanksgiving anthology)
Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired Historical

Cover blurb: All that stands between Ruby Anne Tuggle and a fresh start is an escort to Tyler, Texas. Rancher Griff Lassiter is too kind to refuse, but too wary of being hurt again to offer anything but protection on the journey.

Then a fever forces an unexpected detour and a chance to find the place they both belong...

1) How did this story come to you?
I’d previously written two books that featured Griff Lassiter’s siblings in lead roles. When my editor asked me to pen a novella with a Thanksgiving theme I immediately thought about Griff and how I’d like to write his story. After that it was a matter of figuring out his backstory and finding a heroine to complete him.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
As I mentioned above, my editor invited me to write a novella, so the journey to getting a contract was pretty simple. Writing the book was another story. While Griff had appeared as a secondary character in three other books, he was still a bit of a mystery to me. He was such a guarded character that it took a while for me to ‘figure him out’. But it was totally worth the effort - I absolutely fell in love with him as I wrote the book.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I have a BS degree in Mathematics, I’m a total brain teaser nerd, and I’m a recovering hoarder.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I just turned in a book that will be the third in a three book continuity for Love Inspired Historicals called the Irish Brides trilogy. The series features three sisters who immigrate to America in 1850 and settle in the Boston area. The series kicks off in April 2012 and my book, A Baby Between Them, will release in June 2012. I’m currently working on the proposal for a brand new three book series set in the East Texas area in the 1870s. The connecting thread in these books will be that all three women are survivors of a single accident and will show how the accident impacted their lives.

5) Parting comments?
I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes: “Successful writers are not the ones who write the best sentences. They are the ones who keep writing. They are the ones who discover what is most important and strangest and most pleasurable in themselves, and keep believing in the value of their work, despite the difficulties.”~ Bonnie Friedman

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
I love to hear from readers! My website is http://www.winniegriggs.com/ .
You can also find me on Facebook.