Margaret Daley is an award winning, multi-published author in the romance genre. One of her romantic suspense books, Hearts on the Line, won the American Christian Fiction Writers' Book of the Year Contest. Recently she has won the Holt Medallion, Golden Quill Contest, FHL's Inspirational Readers' Choice Contest, Winter Rose Contest, and the Barclay Gold Contest. She wrote for various secular publishers before the Lord led her to the Christian romance market. She currently writes inspirational romance and romantic suspense books for the Steeple Hill Love Inspired lines. She has sold sixty-six books to date.
Margaret is currently the Volunteer Officer for ACFW. She was one of the founding members of the first ACFW local chapter, WIN in Oklahoma. She served as vice-president for two years in WIN-ACFW and is still on its board as an advisor. She has taught numerous classes for online groups, ACFW and RWA chapters. She enjoys mentoring other authors.
Until she retired two years ago, she was a teacher of students with special needs for twenty-seven years and volunteered with Special Olympics as a coach. She currently is on the Outreach committee at her church, working on several projects in her community, and on the Vestry.
You can visit her web site at http://www.margaretdaley.com and read excerpts from her books and learn about the ones recently released and soon to be released.
Visit Margaret Daley online
Margaret is currently the Volunteer Officer for ACFW. She was one of the founding members of the first ACFW local chapter, WIN in Oklahoma. She served as vice-president for two years in WIN-ACFW and is still on its board as an advisor. She has taught numerous classes for online groups, ACFW and RWA chapters. She enjoys mentoring other authors.
Until she retired two years ago, she was a teacher of students with special needs for twenty-seven years and volunteered with Special Olympics as a coach. She currently is on the Outreach committee at her church, working on several projects in her community, and on the Vestry.
You can visit her web site at http://www.margaretdaley.com and read excerpts from her books and learn about the ones recently released and soon to be released.
Love Lessons
Home schooling his daughter is new to devoted single father Ian Ferguson. To ensure his child gets a good education, the busy CPA hires a temporary tutor to help him through tax season. Twenty-three-year-old college student Alexa Michaels is too young--and too pretty--to be right for the job. Yet his daughter is coming out of her shell and learning. Still, Ian is traditional, and sweet Alexa--who graduated from the school of hard knocks--is challenging some of his old-school ways. Can this dad learn some valuable lessons about love, family and faith from the least likely teacher?
- ISBN: 0373814682
- Publisher: Steeple Hill
Interview With Margaret Daley
Margaret Daley has had a very long and interesting career in writing to this point in time. Having sold at least 66 books, she has the kind of staying power that most authors dream of. Her real life crosses over into her writing many times, and I have enjoyed some of her Love Inspired books that deal with learning disabilities such as she has helped children overcome through the years as a Special Education Teacher. Light in the Storm is one of my favorites, even though the learning disability was just a small aspect of the storyline. Margaret doesn't waste words in her writing – everything she writes is valid in moving the story forward and drawing you farther in to the lives of the characters. Truly a gift for any reader.
Margaret, you have become a very prolific writer and I personally have enjoyed many of your books. I know that your being a special needs teacher for many years has crossed over into many of your books. Your new book Love Lessons centers around Alexa who applies to be a nanny for a 10 year old, Jana, who is being homeschooled. What made you decide to choose homeschooling as subject matter for this book?
That's easy. My publisher asked me to do a series with homeschooling as the backdrop.
Reflecting back, what do you see as most significant to your publication journey?
When Steeple Hill bought my first inspirational romance in 2000. Before that I had written for the ABA but something was missing. The Lord gave me a story that had to be told with a faith message. That started my journey into writing Christian fiction.
What's your biggest challenge in balancing writing time with your other responsibilities?
Not saying yes to everything I wish I could do but don't always have the time. I need to learn to say no more, but that isn't always easy.
And how do your faith and spiritual life play into the picture and affect your storytelling?
My writing comes from the Lord. I am where I am because of his guidance.
What do you consider the greatest moment of your writing/publishing career?
Nothing surpasses the first time you sell a book. That is something you only do once, and it validates all the hard work you've put into your story.
Who/What spurs you to write? Where do your story and character ideas come from?
My stories just come to me. I often think from the Lord. When I hit a snag in my story, I turn to him, and not long after that, a solution will come to me. It continues to amaze me how He works.
Sometimes a story on television or in the newspaper will spark me or another time I will come up with a character who wants me to tell her story or a location I want to use in a story.
What do you think makes your style of storytelling unique?
I put a lot of plot into my stories. I like things to happen.
Finish this question. My goal with writing for an audience is to......be entertained and leave with an uplifted feeling."
Any parting words?
Never give up. Keep working. Rejections are hard, but I have a ton of them. I had an eight year dry spell after selling twenty books. If I had given up, I would never have written for the Christian market."
Thanks for sharing with us, Margaret!
Margaret, you have become a very prolific writer and I personally have enjoyed many of your books. I know that your being a special needs teacher for many years has crossed over into many of your books. Your new book Love Lessons centers around Alexa who applies to be a nanny for a 10 year old, Jana, who is being homeschooled. What made you decide to choose homeschooling as subject matter for this book?
That's easy. My publisher asked me to do a series with homeschooling as the backdrop.
Reflecting back, what do you see as most significant to your publication journey?
When Steeple Hill bought my first inspirational romance in 2000. Before that I had written for the ABA but something was missing. The Lord gave me a story that had to be told with a faith message. That started my journey into writing Christian fiction.
What's your biggest challenge in balancing writing time with your other responsibilities?
Not saying yes to everything I wish I could do but don't always have the time. I need to learn to say no more, but that isn't always easy.
And how do your faith and spiritual life play into the picture and affect your storytelling?
My writing comes from the Lord. I am where I am because of his guidance.
What do you consider the greatest moment of your writing/publishing career?
Nothing surpasses the first time you sell a book. That is something you only do once, and it validates all the hard work you've put into your story.
Who/What spurs you to write? Where do your story and character ideas come from?
My stories just come to me. I often think from the Lord. When I hit a snag in my story, I turn to him, and not long after that, a solution will come to me. It continues to amaze me how He works.
Sometimes a story on television or in the newspaper will spark me or another time I will come up with a character who wants me to tell her story or a location I want to use in a story.
What do you think makes your style of storytelling unique?
I put a lot of plot into my stories. I like things to happen.
Finish this question. My goal with writing for an audience is to......be entertained and leave with an uplifted feeling."
Any parting words?
Never give up. Keep working. Rejections are hard, but I have a ton of them. I had an eight year dry spell after selling twenty books. If I had given up, I would never have written for the Christian market."
Thanks for sharing with us, Margaret!
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