Jo Huddleston is here to chat with me today. Readers, please join me in welcoming her to this site.

Jo, you state on your website that you like to laugh with people, but not at them. Is there something that stands out in your mind that you’ve witnessed to make this so important to you?
I grew up where in winter we had lots of snow and ice. I knew someone then who laughed when they saw someone slip and fall. I thought their laughter was cruel and I had empathy for the one who had fallen. It’s just not right or good to laugh at someone’s misfortune. It’s unkind.

You have also said that you are fearful of snakes. Have you ever encountered one?
No. But one of the family stories that never died was about my aunt who was shaking fruit from a tree when a snake fell from the tree onto her. The snake slithered around and down her body to the ground and then sped away. I cringed every time I heard that story. Still do when I even think about it. I hope that never happens to me.

You are published in many genres: Fiction, nonfiction, articles, short stories, an inspirational newspaper column, to name a few. Which of these is your favorite to write?
Oh, that’s a difficult choice. I enjoyed each genre as I wrote them. Now that I’m writing fiction I find it’s high on the list of my favorites. I don’t plan or outline my stories other than knowing the setting and at least two main characters. I love the way my characters literally write their way into and out of sticky situations.

Jo, what inspires you?
My lifestyle is inspired by Bible scripture. My favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:7-8. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (NIV)

Tell us about your current book, Wait For Me.
Wait For Me is a tragically beautiful love story of a simple yet deep love between two soul mates, Robby and Julie.Can Julie, an only child raised with privilege and groomed for high society, and Robby, a coal miner’s son, escape the binds of their socioeconomic backgrounds? Set in a coal mining community in West Virginia in the 1950s, can their love survive their cultural boundaries?

The American South’s rigid caste system and her mother demand that Julie chooses to marry an ambitious young man from a prominent and suitable family. Julie counters her mother’s stringent social rules with deception and secrets in order to keep Robby in her life. Can the couple break the shackles of polite society and spend their lives together? Will Julie’s mother ever accept Robby?

What was your goals and intentions for this book, and how well do you feel you’ve achieved them?
With every book I write I hope to entertain the reader. I want the reader to feel like it was worth their time invested in reading my book. I strive to have enough tension in the story so that the reader will want to keep turning pages. I place my stories and characters in Christian atmospheres, actions, and conversations and hope my readers will gain pleasure in that. Whether I’ve achieved these goals will be determined by my readers.

Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?
I did most of my research long-distance. However, the first of my research was done many years ago and I’ll share a bit of that. Before I wrote Wait For Me, I had been to a real coal community one time. One memorable time. I went home from college with a friend for a weekend. Her home was in the coal mining region in southern West Virginia. Her daddy owned the coal mine there as does Julie’s daddy in my story.

We had arrived at my friend’s home after dark and I did not see any part of the coal community until the next day. My friend took me to the company store. When we left the store and stood on the porch, I saw the tipple. An imposing structure towering above all else around it. On that visit I learned about the importance a tipple has in a coal mining community. Finally I have a tipple in the story in Wait For Me. All from personal research in West Virginia.

What did you enjoy most about writing this novel?
I love writing about the American South and the people who populate the area. I’ve lived in the U.S. Southeast all my life and I know its people and their motivations.

What makes Wait For Me stand out from the crowd?
One endorser of my book wrote this: “Wait for Me is a feel good story about young love.” No better way to stand out from the crowd of books out there about the dark side of life!

Jo, is there anything else you’d like readers to know about you or your book(s)?
Not until I did research for Wait For Me did I learn about coal miners’ substandard living conditions in their coal communities. When I looked at pictures, compassion swelled within me for the people who lived there and subsequently I was able to write passionately about their home life. When you read my book, please know that compassion oozed from my fingertips as I tapped my keyboard. Hope you enjoy reading about Robby and Julie!

Thank you so much, Jo, for taking the time to visit with me and my readers. It’s been a pleasure.

Buy Links:
Wait for Me is available through Amazon for either Kindle eBook or in print at: http://tiny.cc/xndfwx

Contact Links:
You can find Jo at:

Website www.johuddleston.com
Blog http://www.johuddleston.com
Blog http://lifelinesnow.blogspot.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/joshuddleston
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1615694.Jo_Huddleston
The Book Fun Network, Inc. http://www.bookfun.org/profile/JoHuddleston