About the Book

Book: A Deeper Love

Author: Heidi Gray McGill

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Release Date: October 31, 2023

What was that movie line about relationships built on intense experiences?  Oh, yeah. They never work.

I get paid to do my dream job, usually by wealthy men who thrive on adventure. But when their adrenaline rush is gone and vacation is over, I’m still here, on a tropical island, with people who mostly leave me alone. And I like it that way.

Except for this guy. Seriously, Dan is the last man I want to get involved with. If he got Decompression Illness, the doctors would likely call it Mercedes Bends. He’s privileged and entitled and would never leave his city life behind for the challenges of living on a remote island. Which is a total relief, I’m telling you.

Don’t get me wrong—he’s prime shark bait, but I’m not ready to fall deeply in love with someone who won’t stay. There’s no such thing as going “too deep” where spiritual things are concerned. But when it comes to relationships, I’ll stay at the surface and snorkel rather than dive into the depths.

Take a trip to the Suamalie Islands where palm trees sway, the sand and sea pulse with life, and the people will steal your heart.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Whether historical or contemporary, you will find Heidi’s Christian Fiction works to be full of God’s redeeming love.

Everything Heidi writes is purposeful. She believes in bringing a reader into the awareness of who God is to them and how He interacts with them on a personal level. She does this by crafting characters so relatable you feel part of who they are.

Heidi reaches deep into the reader’s heart through masterfully written words and offers ways toward healing by seamlessly applying God’s Word throughout her stories.

Heidi and her husband of 30+ years live in South Carolina. Besides writing Christian fiction with relatable characters in life-changing stories, Heidi relishes time with family and friends. She enjoys scrapbooking, playing games, traveling, and building bridges with her grandsons that must fall with a loud crash and usually involve a monster truck.

More from Heidi

My husband and I are scuba divers. I prefer clear water, bright fish, live coral, and the gentle swells of the ocean. I also enjoy the peaceful cenotes of Mexico, where being above water is just as stunning as being under. My husband has taken me to some remote and beautiful places.

My favorite scuba trip was to the Island of Dominica in the Caribbean, where my parents served as volunteer missionaries. On that trip, I saw a baby octopus and felt the boiling water from the active volcano vents as it bubbled up from the ocean floor.

My husband prefers diving for shark teeth and treasure in murky, fast-moving, brackish water. He thinks running into alligators, catfish the size of large dogs, and snapping turtles is part of the adventure. He also is an extreme cave diver, relishing the challenge of seeing places few have ventured. Small places and dark water are not my thing.

Owning a scuba shop seemed like the natural choice for my main character in A Deeper Love. Being able to share the underwater world and beauty of a tropical island through words became my next challenge.

Alicia Garry, affectionately known as Algae, is as formidable as her military father. She’s adventuresome and intelligent unless it comes to love. Then, she lives up to her family name, which means watchful in French. Relationships with clients never end well since they always leave, so she keeps things professional with her customers.

That is until she meets Daniel McMaster. Like most of Alicia’s clientele, Daniel is a businessman who craves adventure from his dull life. He comes from money, makes and spends money, and is way out of her league.

When she has feelings for Daniel, she wonders if she’s swallowed a bit too much seawater.

In A Deeper Love, you’ll meet a boat captain with cheesy jokes, a kind neighbor child who melts hearts, and a God who knows the future. Throw in some Little Mermaid quotes and songs, and this story comes alive with romance and Algae’s desire to be part of Daniel’s world.

Book a trip today with Scuba Deux Adventures Dive Shop, where you’ll embark on an adventure far beyond the ocean’s depths.

Interview with Heidi

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

Let me start by saying the easiest thing to write is something you know. Such is the case with “A Deeper Love.” My husband and I are scuba divers. I like clear water, bright fish, live coral, and the gentle swells of the ocean. I also enjoy the peaceful cenotes of Mexico, where being above water is just as stunning as being under. My husband has taken me to some remote and beautiful places.

Owning a scuba shop seemed like the natural choice for my main character in “A Deeper Love.” Being able to share the underwater world and beauty of a tropical island through words was an exciting challenge. I used my experiences from visiting the island of Dominica in the Caribbean to create the Isle of Tiga. My parents served as missionaries in Dominica, and I loved the people and the island. It was easy to incorporate their hearts and their land into my story.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I am blessed to live only fifteen minutes from my daughter and family. Keeping two boys, ages four and two, is a challenge for this Grammie, but one I love. We enjoy the pool and playground in the summer and anything outdoors in the cooler weather. Both boys like playdough and cooking, so my kitchen table is always busy.

I also am active in my neighborhood. We moved in 2023 to a 55+ community where I am part of the Writer’s Guild, Christian Women’s Fellowship, a Bible study, and various activities that keep my body moving. I enjoy an occasional scrapbooking weekend and always find time to get away with girlfriends to the mountains for a hike, games, and good food.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book?

In “A Deeper Love,” I reference the children’s movie, “The Little Mermaid.” I must have watched that dozens of times with my girls when they were little. It surprised me how much of the story I had forgotten and had to look up to verify facts. The sweet neighbor child in “A Deeper Love,” TuTu, is my girl’s age when the movie was popular. The fun memories that surfaced made writing the character of TuTu pure joy.

Do you have any suggestions to help someone become a better writer? If so, what are they?

To become a better writer, you need to write. It sounds so simple, but when you are staring at a blank screen or feeling overwhelmed at the thought of 85,000 words, it is anything but easy. When I started, I had no training and certainly was not strong in grammar. I let the story come out like I would tell it verbally, with long, run-on sentences that jumped all over the place. When I felt my story was in some semblance of order, I critiqued myself and must have read my work dozens of times. Each time I tweaked it a little more. Then, I entrusted it to my siblings, who I knew would tell me the truth in love.

One key thing, and most likely the most crucial thing I unknowingly did to help me on my journey, was I surrounded myself with individuals who loved me so much they would never let me walk around with toilet paper on my shoe or lipstick on my teeth. I trusted them not to let me publish something I would be embarrassed about later.

Then, when they were honest with me, I listened. That is another critical component. Don’t ask for advice if you aren’t going to consider it seriously. When three or more individuals told me the same thing, I changed it—even if I disagreed. In every case, they were right. You have to be teachable.

What’s your favorite part about being a writer? Research? First Draft? Editing?

I’ll start by saying my least favorite is research. It isn’t because I don’t enjoy learning because I do. It’s that I have no understanding of how the internet works. Seriously. I can give numerous examples of where I worked for thirty-plus minutes trying every set of keywords possible to find a detail, only to have my husband ask what had me frustrated and give me a new set of words. His search finds the information every single time.

Surprisingly, I enjoy developmental edits. A developmental editor looks for inconsistencies, plot holes, world and character building, and sees the big picture. I have two I work with, and each always finds something my mind can see but doesn’t get translated into words on the page. They help me grow and learn new ways to make a plain sentence exciting, a dull character unique, or a lifeless world come alive with color, smell, and texture. It is tedious work to correct their suggestions, but seeing a much better finished product is very fulfilling.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

I’m confident readers will find my answer surprising. I don’t remember wanting to be a teacher, veterinarian, or singer like my girls. But sometime around middle school, I became fascinated with highways. Had I owned matchbox cars and track, it would have been elaborate and filled my room. I had a rude awakening when I realized building highways meant strong math skills—something I still do not possess.

Instead, I got a degree in Office Management and became a secretary, then an event coordinator, then a scholarship fundraiser for universities, and eventually worked for the American Red Cross as South Carolina’s Disaster Fundraiser. After my girls finished school, I got my certification to teach English as a Second Language and learned I enjoyed the administrative side more than the teaching. I started a ministry that served over 129 individuals from 38 countries.

In every job, I wrote, but never in story format. Writing came out of necessity when my ESL program closed. What is most interesting is that of all my jobs, I find this career most gratifying.

What project are you working on now, and how do we find your books?

I’m currently finishing book four in my Discerning God’s Best series. This Christian Historical Romance tells the story of Thomas, the young boy everyone fell in love with in the first book, “Desire of My Heart.” His story starts in the prequel, “Deep in My Heart,” which is available for free to anyone who signs up for my newsletter.

All of my published books are on Amazon and available on Kindle Unlimited. I’m excited to announce that several of my books are now available for free on YouTube as audiobooks. I’d be honored to have readers subscribe to my channel and follow me on social media and reader sites. Supporting an author with a simple follow is thoughtful and encourages us greatly.

Social Media LINKS:

https://heidigraymcgill.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@authorheidigraymcgill/?sub_confirmation=1
https://heidigraymcgill.com/free_book/
https://heidigraymcgill.com/blog/
https://www.amazon.com/author/heidigraymcgill
https://www.instagram.com/AuthorHeidiGrayMcGill/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20851872.Heidi_Gray_McGill
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heidi-gray-mcgill?follow=true
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHeidiGrayMcGill

Blog Stops

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, January 15 (Author Interview)

Lighthouse-Academy, January 15

She Lives To Read, January 16

Texas Book-aholic, January 17

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 18

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, January 19

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 21

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 22

Sylvan Musings, January 23 (Author Interview)

The Lit Lady, January 23

Simple Harvest Reads, January 24 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For Him and My Family, January 25

Holly’s Book Corner, January 26

Karen Baney Reviews, January 27

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, January 28 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Heidi is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon Gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2979f/a-deeper-love-celebration-tour-giveaway