Author's Chat with Author Gina Conroy

Gina Conroy is an ordinary mom, serving an extraordinary God. She is learning and growing in her faith, parenting, and writing (among other things) while she home schools two out of four high-spirited children. She is the founder of Writer...Interrupted , the Writer...Interrupted Community, and she blogs about her triumphs and failures at balancing life at Portrait of a Writer...Interrupted.


Camille Kleidysz:Welcome to Inspiration Today where are you from?

Gina Conroy: Thank you for having me. I grew up in New York, but moved to the Midwest for college, got married and stayed. It's hard to believe I've been here over 20 years now.

Camille: I have to tell you that I absolutely love the title of your book, “Anytime Prayers for Everyday Moms”. I truly believe in having a connection with our Heavenly Father throughout the entire day. But… how does a mother who has a plethora of responsibilities even attempt to stay prayerful throughout the day?


Gina Conroy: Thank you. I was glad to be a part of the project. I wish I had an easy answer. For me, long devotion times were never something that worked in my life. Even when I managed to get up really early in the morning (on those rare occasions) my mind could only focus so much before the day's responsibilities crept in to crowd my thoughts. But what does work for me is little snippets of prayer throughout the day. Before I'm even fully awake, I thank God for my family and life and whatever comes to my mind. Sometimes I read a short devotion, or write one. Then throughout the day I try to pray. It's nothing formal, and sometimes it's a prayer of desperation or gratitude to God, but it's still prayer. Many of them like the ones found in my book.


Camille: Why is prayer so essential to a mother’s life?


Gina Conroy: Prayer helps put my life and my mothering back in focus and helps me react in a positive way toward my children. When everything around me is spinning out of control and I feel myself "losing it," prayer helps me do and say the right thing to my children. I wish prayer was my first reaction to things, but that's not always the case. Thankfully, though as I get older and I'm more experienced in this mothering thing, I'm able to ask God for guidance throughout the day instead of relying on my own parenting skills or lack of parenting skills!


Camille: Are experiences in your book based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Gina Conroy: "Anytime Prayers for Everyday Moms" was a work for hire project which means I was asked to write about thirty prayers in the book (pages 74-134.) The most amazing thing about the prayers I was given is that almost all of them were things I was already dealing with in my own parenting. The prayers were so easy to write because they came straight from the heart. God truly blessed me by giving me such an easy assignment and I think the prayers are able to touch others because they were so authentic in my own life.


Camille: What are your current projects?


Gina Conroy: Currently I'm working on my fiction career. I've finished two inspirational mysteries and my agent, who signed me last year, is shopping them around. I'm truly blessed to have someone who really believes in me and my writing and is working hard to get my stories published.


Camille: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?


Gina Conroy: Balancing life...Mothering, homeschooling, and this fall I'll be teaching two writing classes, is the hardest part of writing. It's taken me about five years to finally get to the place where I think my priorities are almost in order. It's not an easy task writing with kids, but I know it's possible. I started a group blog several years ago at http://writerinterrupted.com to try and figure out how so many writing moms are successful at writing and raising kids. I've learned so much over the years and it's been a great source of encouragement.



Camille: Do you have any advice for writers?

Gina Conroy: Find others writers who understand why you write. Encourage one another and never give up. Writing is a lonely profession. It's much more fun when journeyed with friends!


Camile: Thank you for sharing with us today, tell us where we can purchase “Anytime Prayers for Everyday Moms"?

Gina Conroy: You can buy my book on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Anytime-Prayers-Everyday-Moms-Author/dp/0446579351/ref=sr_11_1/102-5715084-2210561)



Camille: Complete this sentence I am blessed because….

Gina Conroy: God's love for me is unconditional and even if I mess up as a mom, God can still grab a hold of my children's hearts and clean up the mess I made!



Camille: I would like to thank author Gina Conroy for sharing with us today. Mothers who desire to have a harmonious, Christian home should utilize "Anytime Prayers for Everyday Moms". The prayers featured in the book will encourage and give mother's a guideline on how to remain prayerful throughout the day.

Until the next Author's Chat...Peace and Blessings Camille Kleidysz