Teresa Pollard – Romantic Character Interview – Part 1 of 2

Shannon here: Teresa Pollard shares insight into her characters’ romance plus a chance to win a copy of her cozy mystery, Not Ashamed. Comment or answer the question at the end of any post dated July 6 – 8 to enter the drawing. Deadline: July 18th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Teresa:

Interview with Charity Wright in Not Ashamed:

• Are you open to your own romance?

Oh, I’m so open to romance. I’m an eighteen year old girl who’s lived in Africa all her life, and I’ve never been in love. I’m looking for Mr. Right. I met Ben Chase at the hospital the other day, and he’s soooo dreamy. He looks just like Brad Pitt. My heart just melted! I’ll admit he’s a bit old for me, but I’ve always been drawn to older men. It does make me feel bad that I lied to my grandma, well, not lied exactly, just didn’t tell her about meeting Ben. After all, he told me he did date my mom

• What’s the number one quality you’d require in a mate?

The number one quality has to be that he loves the Lord. My daddy taught me that. By my daddy, I mean Joe Wright, the man who raised and adopted me, not my biological father, the evil man who raped my mother back when she was in college. Everybody tells me my biological father is a good man now, that he’s a preacher who loves the Lord with all his heart, but I don’t believe it for a minute. Some people never change. When I found that body in the woods, I just knew he did it. I don’t know yet if Ben loves the Lord, but I intend to find out when we go on our first date to the movies. He’s taking me to a Brad Pitt movie. Did I mention Brad Pitt makes me swoon?

• What’s the number two quality you’d require in a mate?

Someone who’s kind. Ben was so nice the other day when he offered to carry all my grandpa’s flowers home from the hospital for me. There were way too many to fit in my little compact car. I don’t know why Uncle Peter and even his own sister are so down on him, warning me that Ben never does anything kind unless there’s something in it for him. I just don’t believe that!

• Where is the best place you can think of to find a mate?

I’d always thought the best place to find a mate was at church. At least that’s what my parents always taught me. But my first Sunday at Windspree Church, my grandpa was trying to throw this young pre-med student named Josh Armstrong at me. Josh is too young for me. Like I said, I’ve always been attracted to older men. I can find my own mate. Ben looks just like Brad Pitt!

• What would be a reason to end a potential romance for you?

I’m a strong Christian woman. My parents taught me well. No one will ever make me compromise my beliefs. Sex is for marriage, and I’m not giving in, or settling for anything less. Anybody who tries something with me is going to regret it, I promise you. After my mom was raped, she swore that nothing like that would ever happen to another member of her family again, so she got a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and she taught me everything she knew. I have a second degree black belt too.

• Where do you dream of getting married?

Maybe of going back to Africa so my daddy could marry us. I’ve always been a daddy’s girl in spite of the circumstances of my birth. Daddy taught me to play baseball when I was just a tot, and now I’m here at Windspree College on a softball scholarship.
About Teresa: Teresa Pollard is from Richmond, Virginia, and was saved at a young age. She has a Master of Arts degree in English and Creative Writing from Hollins College, and has served as a Sunday School teacher and children’s worker for most of the last forty years. She is the co-author of Not Guilty and Not Ashamed (due July 7), and the author of Tokens of Promise and Woman of Light, (also due out from HopeSprings Books in October).
Married for forty years, she was devastated by divorce and the death of her youngest daughter, but God has blessed her with a new home and another grandson, and she now resides in Dacula, Georgia. She blogs every Tuesday at http://teresatalkstaboo.wordpress.com. Follow her on Facebook at Teresa Pollard, Author.
About the book – Not Ashamed: Charity Wright is ashamed of who she is. She just found out she was born of a brutal rape. Now, everyone tells her that her biological father has changed. They say he’s a good man who only helps people. They say she must forgive him. But do people really change? Especially when they’ve done something so heinous? Is forgiveness even possible?
Before she can confront her father with his crime, she almost literally stumbles onto another crime. In the same place. Has the rapist also become a murderer? Can Charity discover the truth before the killer strikes again? Or will her fury destroy her?
Question for readers: Is there an actor who makes you melt?

Come back July 8th for Teresa’s Excerpt!