Seekerville Welcomes Guest Valerie Hansen

There are times when I feel as if I’m having such a wonderful life writing the books I love, I must be dreaming. Then, I realize that if it were a dream I could put off the deadlines for finished manuscripts as long as I wanted! That would not be good for me. I seem to crave pressure.

If you’ve ever written a book you know it’s hard work. The way I look at it, as long as I’m having a blast and really enthusiastic about my job, the labor is well worth it. One glance at my bio will tell you there are a lot of miles on me. LOL. But they’re good, blessed, useful miles and I wouldn’t go back and live my life over again if I could. An author is the sum of her experiences and her books reflect her personal views whether she realizes it or not. She is who she is. I am a wife, mother, grandmother (don’t tell my editors!) and a born-again Christian. I love animals, especially dogs, reside in the rural Ozarks and spend far too much time at the computer when the compulsion to write takes over. I can’t NOT write. It’s so much a part of me I don’t know what I’d do with myself if I weren’t kept busy.
And speaking of being busy…..

A little over a year ago I was offered a multiple book contract by Love Inspired. I nearly dropped the phone when my agent told me it was for 6 books, plus a seventh in a continuity series. Mercy! Of course I said I’d do it but then reality smacked me upside the head and I started to wonder how in the world I was going to manage.
   
Well, I’ve finished four of the seven, so far, and was down to three remaining when I got ANOTHER call asking if I’d like to participate in an upcoming continuity about K-9 cops. There was no way I’d turn that down, so I’m back to owing my editors four more books and have a year to write them. Piece of cake. Right?

All I have to do is get up early every morning, pour a cup of hot coffee and pinch myself to make sure I’m awake and not just dreaming.

 "Law enforcement in Fitzgerald Bay, Massachusetts, is full of Fitzgeralds, from the chief of police to brand-new officer Keira Fitzgerald. Are they tampering with a murder investigation to protect one of their own? Internal Affairs detective Nick Delfino is sent in undercover to investigate the powerful clan. Yet the deeper he digs, the more Nick comes to admire the Fitzgeralds...especially his rookie partner, Keira. When a killer targets Nick, can he maintain his cover, catch his attacker and protect Keira while the looming danger closes in?"




Valerie Hansen’s basic nature is to enjoy every day to the fullest – and that includes her writing. She’s always loved stories about people who have successfully met and overcome life’s challenges, as has she. 

Valerie and her husband now live on an eighty acre farm in northern Arkansas. She loves to hike the rocky, wooded hills behind the picturesque old house they renovated, watch for the wildlife so abundant in the area, and think up new ideas for her many books.



Today Valerie has generously offered to give away a copy of her recent release, The Rookie's Assignment AND her October 2011 release, Nightwatch, both from Love Inspired Suspense. The two winners will be announced in the Weekend Edition. 

Now let's pick this woman's brain. How does she keep all those books straight? What's her writing schedule like? Come on let's get some answers!