Welcome to the Hearts Through History Author Spotlight, Debby! Why don’t you start us off by telling our readers a little about yourself and what you write.

Debby: Thanks to HTH for having me here today! My name is Debby Lee. I’m happily married and have five children. We’re all from southwest Washington, state. I love nature, history, reading, and the Seattle Seahawks. I write mostly Inspirational Historical Romance, but I’ve also independently published a little Inspirational Contemporary Romantic Suspense.

HTH: Do you write full-time or part-time?

DL: I have a part time job, but I still carve out a good 30 hours a week for writing. That includes plotting, writing proposals, and marketing. If only there were more hours in the day.

HTH: What drew you to write in the historical romance genre?

DL: I love history, all different time periods, and historical romance is my favorite genre to read. So it made sense to write what I love.

HTH: What’s your favorite historical movie?

DL: Gracious, it’s impossible to pick just one. How about a few of my favorites? I love the North and South trilogy by John Jakes, the mini-series from the 1980’s with Patrick Swayze and James Reed. I also like Roots, Gone with the Wind, Pearl Harbor, and Last of the Mohicans. My favorite westerns are Young Guns I and II, and Dances with Wolves. Wait you did say pick just one, right? ☺

HTH: Who’s your favorite historical figure?

DL: In fiction I’d have to say Scarlett O’Hara, Jo March, and Jessilyn Lassiter from Jennifer Erin Valent’s Fireflies in December series. My favorite fictional heroes include Atticus Finch, and Jake Brigance from John Grisham’s A Time to Kill. Real life historical figures I admire are Martin Luther King, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Corrie ten Boom, who worked the Dutch Underground during WWII and helped smuggle about 800 Jews to safety.  

HTH: If could meet anyone in history, who would it be?

DL: Maya Angelou and Harriet Tubman for their inner strength, and Janis Joplin, because she not only wore her weirdness with pride, but she made it work for her.

HTH: If you could time travel, what era would you visit?

DL: Call me crazy, but I think The Great Depression and the WWII eras, because I believe great strength can come from enduring and overcoming hardships.

HTH: Are there specific books or authors who have influenced you as a writer?

DL: Jerry Jenkins and John Grisham and DiAnn Mills

HTH: Tell us about your latest release and what’s coming next for you. 

DL: The Underground Railroad Brides released with Barbour Publishing on June 1. It’s a collection of nine novellas set in different locations during the time of the Underground Railroad. My story takes place in Indiana and focuses on the Martin family (a fictional family) who build a home with a space to hide the freedom seekers. The hero is a carpenter who helps build the house, and falls in love with the Martin’s young daughter. They face a lot of danger and make many sacrifices to fight for what they believe in.

I’ve included a link to the Levi Coffin House. Reading about this historic home helped me gain insight on how the family in my book would have built their home.

HTH: That sounds like a fascinating subject, Debby! Thanks so much for joining us today. You can find out more about Debby and what she writes at the links listed below.

www.booksbydebbylee.com

https://www.facebook.com/booksbydebbylee/

DEBBY LEE was raised in the cozy town of Toledo, Washington. She’s been writing since she was a small child, but never forgets home.

The Northwest Christian Writers and Romance Writers of America are two organizations Debby enjoys being a part of. Her fifth novella collection with Barbour Publishing releases in December 2018. The Courageous Brides and Mountain Christmas Brides both made the ECPA Bestsellers list. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steven Laube Literary Agency.

A self-professed nature lover, Debby feels like a hippie child who wasn’t born soon enough to attend Woodstock. She wishes she could run barefoot all year long, but often does when weather permits. During football season Debby cheers on the Seattle Seahawks with other devoted fans. She’s also filled with wanderlust and dreams of traveling the world someday.