Hi, reader friends! Y’all left such encouraging comments when Serenity Hope by Michael Winstell was featured on First Line Friday and now we have an author spotlight with a giveaway for that title!
about the author
Michael Winstell lives in north Georgia.
When he’s not writing, he enjoys gardening, grilling, hunting, and spending time with his family.
He also writes speculative Christian fiction under a different name.
website | facebook | amazon
five favorites
Favorite book
Michael: My all-time favorite book (besides the Bible) is Lord of the Flies
My reading list leans pretty heavily towards the classics. I read John Grisham
Beth: All readers are free to read what they love!
Favorite time period
Michael: I read (and write) books across numerous genres, but I have a soft spot for the Middle Ages. The castles, the cathedrals, the epic battles…
I know that books and movies dramatize this time period and the reality is that it was a very harsh time, but there is a reason why the Middle Ages flourish in our imaginations so many centuries later. Who hasn’t been in awe of a grand cathedral or pictured dragons in the skies over castle turrets?
Beth: Yes! The Middle Ages is one of my favorite eras, too!
Favorite outdoor activity
Michael: I love the outdoors. I don’t get to spend nearly as much time outside as I’d like, especially after having kids, but when I was younger, I loved camping, hiking, whitewater rafting, and rock climbing.
Now I enjoy hikes through the woods with my family and hunting when I get the chance. I also enjoy gardening and doing yard work. I’m always planting new bushes in our front yard or tending to my small vegetable garden in the back. One of my hobbies is making my own hot sauces so I devote a lot of attention to my pepper plants.
Beth: I enjoy family hikes now and then but I leave the peppers and grilling to my husband!
Favorite time to read or write
Michael: I do all of my writing at night after the kids go to bed. I’ll usually write for an hour or two, and I try to hit 1,000 words each night. Every writer knows how important it is to maintain a steady writing rhythm.
Nighttime is also my usual reading time, though I’ll sneak in a few pages here or there from the Kindle app on my phone, like when I’m waiting for ballet class to finish or sitting in an airport lobby.
Beth: Same here! I love the quiet after everyone else has gone to bed!
Favorite recipe
Michael: My two main areas of culinary capabilities is grilling and cooking Chinese food. I spent nearly a decade in China and I picked up quite a few dishes during my time there. My kids will eat any vegetables that I cook.
My passion is grilling and smoking meat, and I can fire up a mean rack-of-lamb. I’ve also developed a simple yet delicious fried chicken recipe that’s always a hit at parties.
Beth: My husband is the same way but I specialize in sweets and slow cooker recipes.
books
Tell us about your latest release
Michael: I’ve written several books in different Christian genres, but this was one of my favorite writing experiences. The research was fun and the story flowed easily.
Something that makes this book unique is the help I received from my church family. The horse on the cover belongs to the wife of one of our elders, the model is also a friend from church that my kids love and the pictures were taken by yet another church friend who is a talented photographer. It’s the same with the other two forthcoming books in the series. It’s fun to be a part of a project that’s not just me and my computer.
Beth: That’s wonderful! A supportive church family is a priceless treasure.
Serenity Hope by Michael Winstell
Serenity Hope MacAlister loves three things: God, her family, and her horses. Riding across the windswept pastures of north Texas, she finds happiness and contentment. But when an old flame comes back to town, memories of heartbreak and sorrow are stirred up again.
Serenity finds herself torn between the desires of her heart, the path to her future, and the challenges that burden her family. Can she find healing for her broken heart, the courage to hope again, and most importantly – the peace and serenity that only God can provide?
goodreads | amazon
Tell us about your next release
Michael: I’m currently working on book two in the He Calls Me by Name series. The title is Chastity Grace, and while it shares some similarities with Serenity Hope (an all-American girl in the Midwest with her horses), the setting, the conflicts, the romance, and the challenges in Chastity Grace are quite different. This book will be released in May.
Beth: I took a peek at the cover over on your website! So pretty!
q&a
What do you want readers to gain from Serenity Hope?
Michael: I want them to enjoy an easy read that also gives hope and comfort. In addition to the cute family dinners and exhilarating horseback rides and sweet romantic tension, there are some pretty serious issues in the story that many readers will relate to.
The Bible tells us to not be anxious for anything and to cast our cares upon Christ, which is something that Serenity must learn to do. The book’s tagline is “There is peace in forgiveness,” and I hope that readers who are struggling with these issues might find some inspiration from this story about a girl and her horses.
Beth: I love the way Christian fiction simultaneously entertains and encourages.
What book are you reading right now?
Michael: This will sound so dorky, but I’m reading selected writings from the Founding Fathers of our country. Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison, Paine, and others. I collect quality leatherbound editions of famous literary works and I plan to read everything that I obtain, and right now I’m making my way through the writings that founded our nation. I can’t say it’s always gripping or thrilling but it is very enlightening and inspiring.
Beth: Those sound like excellent reading choices.
What is your go-to beverage?
Michael: I’ve never been a coffee drinker but I became a big fan of tea during my time in China. I prefer loose-leaf tea such as red or green tea. I usually drink a cup at night while I write.
Beth: Interesting! I’ve never heard of red tea.
What is your comfort food?
Michael: I love sweets. I’m always baking brownies or cookies, and when holidays like Halloween or Easter roll around, I eat more candy than my kids do.
Beth: Me too. I love baking and sampling the fruits of my labor. Thanks so much for dropping by and sharing some of your favorites with us!
giveaway
Michael Winstell has generously provided a paperback copy of Serenity Hope
a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
Do y’all share any of Michael’s favorites, reader friends?
Faithfully Bookish 
Nice cover,sounds good.
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Thanks! I get almost as many compliments for the cover as I do for the book 🙂
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Thank you for the author spotlight on Michael Winstell. I always enjoy learning more about the authors especially when they are a new author to me. I really enjoyed her answer to the question – What do you want readers to gain from Serenity Hope?
I’d very much love the opportunity to read “Serenity Hope”. Thank you for the chance! ❤
2clowns at arkansas dot net
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Thanks for the encouragement!
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Sounds like a good book. I did not really share any favorites but I do love to EAT Chinese food. I love being outside but have never really had the opportunity to camp or hike. Maybe one day.
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I was quite surprised to discover the vast differences between Chinese food in China and Americanized Chinese food. There’s a reason there are so many Chinese restaurants all over the world 🙂
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I enjoyed reading this spotlight. It seems like the Christian Fiction (especially romance) market is dominated by women and so I love learning about these books written by men.
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Many people told me that I should use a female pen name for these books but I said no. Michael Winstell is also a pen name but I chose to use a male name since I wanted to be able to go to events and book signings as myself (to some extent). I also didn’t want readers who usually read female authors to say “This writer has a woman’s name but he’s obviously a guy.” I’ve always been a bit of a literary rebel and I wanted to take on the challenge instead of go the easy route. I’m sure many people will not read my books because of my male name but that’s fine. Plus, I’m not a trailblazer; plenty of male romance authors have come before me. Have you read any books by Murray Pura? He’s a good friend with a vast catalog of Amish, Western, and historical fiction books, and he writes romance as good as any.
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We love camping too 🙂 I wonder if Chinese food includes SUSHI lol
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Sushi is actually Japanese but there are Chinese variations of it as well. Personally, I like my food cooked 🙂
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Hi! I also enjoy green tea and sweets. I like to go camping and I like to cook. I am a beginning gardener. That was my husband’s thing. He would grow it and I would cook it.
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That’s good to hear! There are plenty of adventures out there.
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Hi 🙂 I also enjoy sweets, a lot!
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Hi,
I do not share any of Michael’s favorites, reader friends
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Hi, This book sounds like a good read!
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awesome
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the book looks great and then i love to read and blog it and then it sound like a good read
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