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Welcome to Author Spotlight! Each week will feature a different author. We’ll get the scoop behind their writing life and dish a little. The authors will also be giving away a copy of their latest book. FUN.

The winner from the last Author Spotlight giveaway of A Promise Kept is Sharon Holweger! Please email info@suzannewoodsfisher.com with your mailing address to claim your prize.

This week we are featuring Cara Putman! To enter to win a copy of her book, Shadowed by Grace (B&H Books), leave a comment on this post.

CaraPutmanShare a little bit about yourself. Married with kids? Empty nester? Do you work full-time and write when you can squeeze it in? 

I am married (18 years this month – my husband robbed the cradle ;)) and we have four children ages 13 to 3. It’s a fun and crazy time at our house. I homeschool our kids, teach graduate classes at Purdue University, and do a bit of law. Then I write.

And share something about your writing. What’s your genre(s), your areas of interest…

I’ve split my writing between WWII romances and contemporary romantic mysteries/suspense. I love bringing little known stories from the war to life for readers, and I love contemporary books with more than romance, which is why I write romantic suspense/mysteries.

How did you get started writing? Did you have a dream of being a published author? 

I’ve wanted to write since I was a teenager. I tried writing books at that time, then started college, got married, and life got busy. But the dream never died. God blew fresh life into it in April 2005 when I met Colleen Coble. Two years later my first book released, and Shadowed by Grace will by my 17th novel.

After you started writing seriously–how long was it before you were published?

I received my first contract a year after I started seriously writing and saw that book release in October 2007.

Aside from a cup of good, strong coffee, what helps you get all of your “brain cylinders” firing so you can write well? Do you have any favorite places and routines when you write?

Almonds. Peppermint Hershey kisses. Peanuts and M&Ms.ShadowedbyGrace

How many hours a day do you spend writing?

When I’m deadline, I’ll spend 1-4 hours a night writing. When I’m not on deadline, it’ll be on the lower end of the spectrum.

What was one of the best moments in your career and what was one of the worst?

The biggest moment was when I received my first contract at the ACFW conference at the opening session. AMAZING! Worst moment was when I learned B&H was closing their fiction line, so Shadowed by Grace would be a stand-alone instead of the first in a series.

Pretend I’m a customer at a bookstore looking for a good book. Give me a one or two sentence promo to convince me to buy your book.

Rachel Justice is searching through war-torn Italy for her father. Scott Lindstrom, a Monuments Man, is searching for lost art stolen by the Nazis. Where will their search lead them.

What’s on the book horizon for you?

After Shadowed by Grace releases January 1, I’m looking forward to a WWII collection that will release in October 2014. Tricia Goyer, Sarah Sundin and I are writing a collection.

Last question, how can readers find you and your books?

WebsiteFacebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads

[Tweet “Get to know @cara_putman, author of #ShadowedByGrace, on @SuzanneWFisher’s blog!'”]

More About the Author: Cara C. Putman graduated high school at 16, college at 20, and completed her law degree at 27. An award-winning author of seventeen books with more on the way, she is active in women’s ministry at her church and is a lecturer on business and employment law to graduate students at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. Putman also practices law and is a second-generation homeschooling mom. Putman is currently pursuing her Master’s in Business Administration at Krannert. She serves on the executive board of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), an organization she has served in various roles since 2007. She lives with her husband and four children in Indiana.

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Good news!! I’ll be on tour January 15th through the 20th to various locations in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Check out the details here. I’d love to meet you!!

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