Author Interview | Getting to Know Meghann Whistler

Posted byJenny Blake @ausjenny 41 Comments on Author Interview | Getting to Know Meghann Whistler

Today we are getting to know Meghann Whistler who’s new book releases next week.

Thanks for visiting with us Meghann. Come back tomorrow for a review of Their Unlikely Protector.

Can you tell us something others may not know about you?

I played competitive badminton as a child and teenager. Only stopping when I moved to the U.S. because no one here plays!

As a child did you have a favourite book or author?

When I was in elementary school, I loved all the Nancy Drew mysteries. As well as the Babysitters Club series and the Sweet Valley Twins series. (The middle school version of Sweet Valley High).

Did any of your favourite authors growing up influence you?

In the sixth grade, I read a book called Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey, and I identified so much with the main character! The characterization in that book (and the entire series!) was phenomenal. Ever since, I’ve done my very best to make my characters as real and unforgettable as the characters from those books.

When did you know you wanted to be an author?

When I published my first short story in my elementary school’s anthology—so around third grade. 😊

Outside reading and writing do you have any hobbies or passions?

I enjoy rollerblading, walking, and playing board games and card games with my kids.

Do you have a favourite place to set your books?

The books I’ve written for Harlequin’s Love Inspired imprint have all been set on Cape Cod. My grandparents owned a beachfront inn on Cape Cod, and my family visited them there every summer. I have so many fond memories of my time there, and it’s been a pleasure to revisit those memories as I’ve written these books.

Where did you get the inspiration for Their Unlikely Protector?

I’m a character-driven writer, so all of my books start with one of the main characters. This one was driven by the hero, Brett.

He has a big personality, and I knew I wanted to start this story off with a bang! When I read a news story about a young man who ran into a burning house in the middle of the night and risked his life to save the strangers inside, I knew that Brett was going to follow in his footsteps and do something breathtakingly heroic in the very first scene.

What do you hope readers take away from this book?

Honestly, I’ll be thrilled if reading this book reinforces Luke 1:37 for my readers: For with God nothing shall be impossible.

That’s the verse that inspired the story, because the hero and heroine have a very difficult history. The heroine was bullied by some of the hero’s friends in high school, and he didn’t stand up for her. When they meet again at the beginning of Their Unlikely Protector, she can barely stand to be in the same room with him.

It was a challenge to bring them together over the course of the book, but God showed up for both of them in a big way. 💕

A fun question. If you could have a meal with any 3 living people in the world who would you choose and why?

  1. I’d love to have dinner with Becky Wade. Her books are amazing, and I had the pleasure of attending a talk she gave at an online conference, and she had so much good advice, as well as a wonderful perspective on how her faith influences her writing.
  2. I think it would be really interesting to have dinner with MacKenzie Scott. She’s most famous for her role in helping her ex-husband, Jeff Bezos, build Amazon, but she’s a philanthropist and a novelist, too, and she studied under Toni Morrison! Our dinner conversation would be fascinating!
  3. It would be super fun to have dinner with Dolly Parton! She’s led an incredible and inspiring life, and she’s also extremely charitable and philanthropic. Plus, I love that she worked with Zach Williams on the duet “There Was Jesus,” which is an amazing song!

Finally can you tell us about your latest release. Where can buy the book and where can we find you on the web?

I love this book so much! I’ve been thinking about it since I first met the main character, Brett, in my debut novel, Falling for the Innkeeper, so he’s been in my head, patiently waiting for me to tell his story, since 2018!

When my husband read an early draft of Their Unlikely Protector, he had to leave the room when he got to the last few chapters so our kids wouldn’t see him tear up! And he’s not a guy who cries easily—in our twenty years together, I can count on two fingers how many times he’s cried.

Knowing that this book tugged on his heartstrings made me hopeful that it would do the same thing for my readers—and it has! The early reviews have been incredible, and I’m excited for the book’s official release on July 23!

Here’s the blurb: The last person Valerie Williams expects to rescue her and her toddler twin brothers from a fiery blaze is Brett Richardson, her high school nemesis. But with her house burned down, Valerie is forced to stay at the same inn as Brett and work with him on the town festival. Now Brett has the chance to make things right, but can Valerie let go of the past to make way for a future together?

You can buy the book anywhere you like to shop online. If you’d like a shortcut, you can start here: https://books2read.com/TheirUnlikelyProtector

To visit me on the web, you can find me here: https://MeghannWhistler.com

(If you sign up for my newsletter while you’re on my website, you’ll get a bonus epilogue for Their Unlikely Protector!)

Author

  • Jenny Blake @ausjenny

    Jenny Blake (Ausjenny) is a cricket fanatic who loves reading although not reading as much as she use to. She loves to be able to help promote good Christian books and support authors. In her spare time she is enjoying the company of her two cats, enjoys jigsaws and watching cricket.

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Published by Jenny Blake @ausjenny

Jenny Blake (Ausjenny) is a cricket fanatic who loves reading although not reading as much as she use to. She loves to be able to help promote good Christian books and support authors. In her spare time she is enjoying the company of her two cats, enjoys jigsaws and watching cricket.

41 replies on “Author Interview | Getting to Know Meghann Whistler”

  1. Hi Meghann, Welcome to ACW. I didn’t realise badminton wasn’t a thing in the US – that would have been so disappointing. The premise of your new book sounds fascinating and it’s on my to-buy list. Thanks for visiting with us. 😊

    1. Thanks for commenting. I didn’t know badminton wasn’t a thing in the USA either.
      I would also like to be a fly on the wall of the dinner party. Its great to see some creative and well thought out answers to this question.

    2. Thanks, Narelle! You can find a little bit of badminton here, but it’s WAY more popular in Canada. I was on my high school’s badminton team all through high school, and it was quite competitive, but practically no one I’ve met in the States has ever played badminton–or if they have, it’s just been in the backyard. 🙂

  2. I loved Nancy Drew books as a child. And Becky Wade is also a favorite author of mine. I think it’s so interesting that you played badminton. It’s true that very few people in the US play. I only really learned about it when I taught ESL to Asian students. Many of them played and it was so fun to learn about. They were also really into table tennis (ping-pong).

    1. Thanks for commenting in Australia there are alot who play badminton as its in the Olympics. We didn’t have competition in our town but we did have to learn it during PE. (not sure what you call it over there but the sport lesson.

  3. I’d love to meet Dolly Parton . She’s so down to eRth and loves helping people shine espec the less fortunate

  4. I love the Bible verse Ms. Meghann! With God NOTHING is impossible. I can’t wait to read this book and hope my stores have their book sections finnished buy the time I am in there next.

    1. Thanks for stopping buy and I think you will enjoy this book

  5. I didn’t know they had competive badminton. I too read Nancy Drew mysteries.

    1. Thanks for stopping by I never read Nancy Drew may have been a bit old (we got more English books as a kid) but I did see some of the movies and not sure if there was a series, (not the new one thats just strange) I know we saw some of the Hardy Boys.

  6. Great interview! I didn’t know people stopped playing badminton in the U.S.

  7. Loved the interview and learning more about this author. Can’t wait to read her book!

  8. You have such a wonderful life, from the start! What talent and so much fun.I’m impressed.
    This is a very hard question. I haven’t thought about before and it’s hard to narrow it down to three. I think it would be fun to have you for one. I like to be around fun and positive people. Princess Catherine would be another one. I’m very impressed how she handles a very difficult life. I would like to ask her how she does it. Melanie Trump, how she jungles so many roles. All the way to First Lady.

    1. Hi Kathy. I love seeing answers to who you would have. I like the different answers. Mine has had to change as I use to have Gilbert Morris and he is now in heaven.
      I would still have Michael W Smith, My favourite ex cricketer (hes now retired) Neil McKenzie and for the author that would be a toss up of several.

    1. I really liked the book cos I could relate to the heroine in some ways (not the job but things that happened in high school although different to the heroine)

  11. I did not realize badminton was a thing either! Your new book sounds amazing! I am new to Inspired Books and I look forward to reading more!

    KirknHeidi on FB:)

    1. I didn’t know about badminton either but the book really is good.

  13. I have enjoyed the Dragon singer, Dragon song and dragon drum books the Harper hall series by Anne McCaffrey. I do like your answer to the dinner question also and would also like to chat with Dolly Parton. Great interview.

    1. Thanks Vickie we have a few others on the site. I enjoy doing them and learning new things.

    1. Glad you are enjoying it. I found it really relatable especially the high school bullying part.

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