Welcome Cathy Bryant, author of "Texas Roads"!!

I am so excited to have author, Cathy Bryant with me this week!  We are talking about her debut novel "Texas Roads".  If you would like a chance to win a signed copy of "Texas Roads", please leave a comment WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS at the end of our book review and interview.  Comments without the email address are not eligible.  Contest ends on Sunday, July 11, 2010, at midnight.  Winner will be notified and announced on Monday, July 12, 2010.  Thanks and God bless!

My review of "Texas Roads":

This is Cathy Bryant’s debut novel and it is awesome! I can’t wait for the next in the Miller’s Creek series. My favorite kind of novel is one you can get lost in…become the characters…become a part of the town. Texas Roads is that kind of novel.


Back home Dani's  daddy and her husband have both died. She is fighting with her mother. It’s time to get away. She decides to visit her aunt in Miller’s Creek whom she has never met, only talked to in an occasional letter. As she gets closer to her destination the unthinkable happens…she runs out of gas.


Steve is on his way home from work when he happens on Dani walking towards town. He offers her a ride and she decides to take him up on his offer. After all, it’s pouring down rain and her keys are locked in the car!


Steve takes Dani into town and she calls her aunt. Turns out everyone knows everyone else in Miller’s Creek. It’s one of those small, Texas towns that are very close knit. She begins to wonder if she will fit in here since she is a stranger. But after meeting her Aunt Beth, all fears are put to rest! Aunt Beth is the type of lady that everyone wishes they knew! Dani falls in love with Miller’s Creek and wants to stay. She decides to do everything she can to help the city bounce back from the financial problems it has experienced. But when bad things start happening around town, Dani is the one they suspect…after all, she is the only “stranger” in town. How can she overcome the suspicions and become a part of the town she loves and feels so at home in?  We can all identify with wanting a place to call home, can’t we?


Cathy does a wonderful job of showing God’s love through the characters, especially Aunt Beth. The characters are very believable and easy to identify with.  Aunt Beth reminded me of my mamaw so much! Full of Godly wisdom and love!  I highly recommend "Texas Roads"!

Cathy, tell us about yourself.
I’m a Texas gal, born and bred, and proud of my Texas heritage. I currently live in East Texas with my music minister husband, Travis. We have two sons, now grown, one beautiful daughter-in-love, and the world’s cutest grandson.

Tell us about your latest book.
Texas Roads is a 2009 ACFW Genesis finalist and tells the story of a disillusioned widow’s quest for home. Here’s a blurb:

Dani Davis longs for a place to call home. With quaint country charm, quirky residents, and load of business potential, Miller’s Creek, Texas seems like the perfect place to start over…except for the cowboy who gives her a ride into town. Then malicious rumors and a devastating discovery propel her down a road she never expected to travel.

Cowboy mayor Steve Miller is determined to rescue his dying hometown. When vandals jeopardize the Miller’s Creek renovation he can’t help but suspect Dani, whose strange behavior has become fodder for local gossips. Can he and Dani call a truce for a higher cause and in the process help Dani discover the true meaning of home?

What inspired you to write TEXAS ROADS?
The theme of the story really came from my own desire to put down roots. For several years, my family and I moved from one small Texas town to another. Just about the time we’d start to feel like we’d found home, God would move us somewhere else. Through the process, He helped me realize that for Christians, true home can only be found in Jesus. Nothing else will ever satisfy that home-sized hole in our hearts.

What are you currently writing?
I’m currently working on Book Two in the Miller’s Creek series, tentatively entitled A Path Less Travelled. It tells the story of a single mother and her desire to make it on her own and in her own strength. Through the course of the story she learns to rely on God. The scripture passage for the story is: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)

What do you hope to be able to accomplish through your writing?
First and foremost, I want to touch people’s heart with the truth of God. I want my struggle and spiritual growth to be a source of healing and learning for others. Truthfully if one person is touched and moved closer to God as a result of my writing, then the hours of hard labor, sweat and tears will be worth it to me. I had one early reader of Texas Roads tell me the story brought healing to her life. I can think of no higher compliment.
I also hope to give readers a brief escape from the pressures and problems of living in this fallen world, and to make them smile and laugh. I want them to get lost in Miller’s Creek, and feel like they’ve arrived in a place that’s vaguely familiar.

Where can TEXAS ROADS be purchased?
E-books copies are available at Smashwords.com. (Readers can read half the book for free at this site.) Print copies are available at Amazon.com or through me. If anyone wants an autographed copy they can contact me at catbry1 (at) yahoo (dot) com.

How can readers make contact with you?
I’m all over the place (hmm…I think that’s the nice way of saying “I’m scatter-brained”). =) You can find me at my blog WordVessel (http://WordVessel.blogspot.com), my website (http://www.catbryant.com/), Facebook and Twitter. I love meeting new friends!!!

Janet, thanks so much for the opportunity to join you and your readers here at your awesome blog!

Cathy, thank you for using your God given talent to write inspiring novels like "Texas Roads"!  And thank you for taking time from your writing schedule to visit here at Janet's Treasures!
Remember to leave a comment with your email address to win a copy of this awesome book!