Find a Christian store

Interview with Penny McGinnis

When did you feel called to become an author?

The tug to be an author pulled on me for years. I finally took the pull seriously in my late thirties. At the time, I worked as a children’s librarian and thought I would be writing for kids, but God had another plan. He placed stories on my heart for women. I had no idea how to write a novel, so I dug in and learned. It took twenty-five years from the time I started writing to the time book one of the Abbott Island series was published. I was sixty-four when my book entered the world.

What did you learn while writing Home at Last?

I learned to press on and persevere. During the writing of Home at Last, I had Covid, the flu, two cataract surgeries, and the holidays while I drafted the story. God gave me the strength to keep on writing.

What is the toughest part of writing a romantic mystery?

The toughest part was keeping the mystery elements straight. My critique partners and editor helped me along the way. I’m truly grateful to them for their input.

If someone were to look at your Google search history (all for research of course!), what types of things would we find?

For the series, I researched how people lived the island life, the pluses and minuses and how the economy stayed afloat. For Home at Last, even though it is contemporary, I researched hidden treasure, farming, the Klondike Goldrush, and baseball. I discovered that many women went to the Klondike, some with spouses, some left their families behind, and some went alone. They were resourceful and opened restaurants and outposts to accommodate the gold rushers. I’m not sure I would have been so brave.

If you could have coffee with an author, dead or alive, whose work you admire, who would that be? What would you ask him or her?

I’d love to chat with Louisa May Alcott and ask her about her growing up years. The American Bloomsbury group, including Alcott, Emerson, and Thoreau were an interesting sphere of writers.

What’s your go-to drink while writing?

I enjoy coffee with creamer in the morning, and tea and honey in the afternoon, or water.

If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

I wish I had started my writing journey sooner, but I know God’s timing is perfect. I’d tell my younger self to relax and listen.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?

You’ll often find me taking walks with my husband, Tim, and our dog, Rosie May, or enjoying our grandkids’ events and sports. I also like to crochet and embroider, and of course read.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I have several cozy mysteries and a couple of biographies, plus Amanda Dykes' latest book.

What can we look forward to next?

I’m planning my next series set in Seldom Seen, South Carolina. The stories will lean more toward the mystery genre. I’m excited to be fleshing out the characters and creating the setting.

Thank you for chatting with me today!

Thanks so much for this opportunity to share about my writing.




For more great interviews, visit our Author Interview Archives.

ACFW Members, click here to apply for an author interview!


Developed by Camna, LLC

This is a service provided by ACFW, but does not in any way endorse any publisher, author, or work herein.