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You know those stories where the characters don’t feel like characters at all, but like real people we know and love?

That’s how I feel about Wavie, the protagonist in Hope in the Holler by Lisa Lewis Tyre. This story handles heavy topics of grief and abandonment, and yet, Lisa tells the story with an abundance of hope, wit, and charm.

Just read this blurb for Hope in the Holler (Amazon Affiliate Link):

“Right before Wavie’s mother died, she gave Wavie a list of instructions to help her find her way in life, including this one: Be brave, Wavie B! You got as much right to a good life as anybody, so find it! But little did Wavie’s mom know that events would conspire to bring Wavie back to Conley Hollow, the Appalachian hometown her mother tried to leave behind. Now Wavie’s back in the Holler—and in the clutches of her Aunt Samantha Rose. Life with the devilish Samantha Rose and her revolting cousin Hoyt is no picnic, but there’s real pleasure in sleeping in her own mother’s old bed, and making friends with the funny, easygoing kids her aunt calls the “neighborhood-no-accounts.” With their help, Wavie just might be able to prevent her aunt from becoming her legal guardian, and find her courage and place in the world.”

I also loved Lisa’s debut novel, Last in a Long Line of Rebels (Amazon Affiliate Link).

In the interview below, Lisa talks about the inspiration behind Hope in the Holler, how stories bring us together, and the important reminder that we have all been created with a hope and a future.

Read on to learn more about Lisa and her writing!

What inspired you to begin your writing journey?

Lisa: “I’ve wanted to write for as long as I can remember! I loved stories as a child—the ones I read, the ones my grandparents told me, etc., and I knew early on that I wanted to create some of my own.”

Photo on left: Even then, Lisa knew she wanted to be a writer.

What inspired your most recent story?

Lisa: “My latest book Hope in the Holler was inspired by the adoption of my daughter. There are so many stories about children finding their birth families. I wanted to twist it a bit and write about a girl who, after a family tragedy, decides to find the family that almost adopted her.”

Why do stories matter?

Lisa: “Stories are a way for us to connect with each other through shared experiences like grief, loss, love, fear, hope, etc. in ways that transcend our many differences. That was a fancy way of saying stories bring us together.”

What is a message you’re particularly passionate about sharing with your readers?

Lisa: “I love writing stories for the underdogs, the outcasts. I believe that everyone was created with a ‘hope and a future.’ Hope, love, family, friends—it’s out there. As the mother in Hope In The Holler tells her daughter, Wavie, ‘You have as much right to a good life as anybody, so find it!’”

What have you learned about God, our Creator, through your personal creative process?

Lisa: “I was so scared while writing Hope in the Holler. I would toss and turn in bed every night, sure I’d never get it written. I kept repeating to myself, ‘God Is Faithful, God is Faithful.’ He was! He is! I also consider writing a holy experience. Genesis 1 begins with, ‘In the beginning, the Lord created…’ Since we’re made in His image, I believe we’re also made to create!”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lisa Lewis Tyre is the author of two books, Last in a Long Line of Rebels and Hope in the Holler, middle-grade fiction, published by Nancy Paulsen Books (a Penguin imprint). She is also a founding member of The Middle-Grade Mojo, a blog dedicated to celebrating middle-grade books and authors, and the creator of The Bertie, an annual short-story contest for middle-schoolers.

You can follow her on Instagram @lisalewistyre, connect with her on Twitter and Facebook, or visit her website, http://www.lisalewistyre.com/.

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