Heidi Gray McGill Interview Published on: 18, Jan 2023

When I was eight, my parents took me on my first trip outside the US. We visited Haiti, where my father led a team of volunteer construction workers. My job was to take my turn pumping water, mixing cement with a small hand shovel, and gathering the nails the local women pulled out of the boards so we could reuse the nails and the boards to build a new worship center for the people. These people were hungry for God’s Word. Even though I did not speak the language, I learned early on that smiles, laughter, and hugs create a universal language—a language spoken from the heart.

International travel continued into my teen years. Unlike many of my peers who took vacations to places like France, where they saw the Eiffel Tower and Louvre, I went to the jungles of Nicaragua, stayed in homes with no running water in Puerto Rico, and slept on pallets in Costa Rica. I didn’t see the major attractions of these magnificent countries, but rather the beautiful people who made up cultures that exposed me to more than I could have ever learned in a book.

As a child, I struggled to sit long enough to listen to a book, even with pictures. I acted out stories—complete with the voices. Baby dolls, stuffed animals, and eventually, a live pet kept my imagination active. Rather than listening to or reading stories of other people’s adventures, I created my own. Having an active imagination has helped me as I get into each character’s mind when writing, and I experience the story from their point of view.

My answer to how my writing journey began is unique. For years, I happily served as a beta reader for several authors. I enjoyed thinking through the details of whatever book kept me thoroughly engrossed. I wondered—can I do this? Can I write the way I like to read? When Covid-19 hit, my schedule became free because the ESL program I was directing closed. I had no excuses and started writing. I had never kept a journal or written for a school newspaper. I set out to tell others what I felt God would have me write—purposeful words that would bring a reader into the awareness of who God is to them and how He interacts with them on a personal level.

I started writing my debut novel in March 2020 and published it in November of the same year. Although I had an editor who caught all the spelling and grammatical errors, it was my precious readers who kindly and in love shared areas where I could improve my craft. In January 2022, I fixed several point-of-view issues and made some other tweaks to make Desire of my Heart worthy of those who take the time to read it. As far as my age when I began writing? Let’s just say I am the proud Grammie of two precious grandsons.

Having nothing to lose was a gift when I self-published my first book, giving me the freedom to choose my path. I knew my purpose was to glorify God. Whether five or five-thousand people read what I published didn’t matter. Independent publishing seemed like the best route for me. I could focus on writing the book rather than on a proposal. My learning curve was steep, but I only had to climb a few steps at a time and at my pace. Publishing as an Indie Author also gave me a support system of other writers who graciously gave their time and talents to walk with me on this journey.

My husband and I are scuba divers and have spent time on remote islands away from the tourist areas. My research mainly was from personal experience, although I enjoyed researching and learning about American Samoa, for which we modeled the fictional Suamalie Islands. Because the Suamalie Islands series is a multi-author project, we collaborated in our research and shared what we learned, making the process fun and much broader than I could have done on my own.

As I began my debut novel, seasoned authors encouraged me to write what I knew. I started with Christian historical fiction because it is my favorite genre. The story flowed easily, and I published it nine months after fully committing to being an author. The main character, Rachel, gave me an outlet to share my feelings while making her loss different from mine. Supporting characters were fun to create. Grammie, one of my reader’s favorites, is based on my mother, a tremendous prayer warrior and example to other women. Thomas is five in this first story, and I thought of what my grandson might be like at that age. So, it isn’t that I had some amazing ideas for this book. It is more that individuals shared a piece of themselves with me, and I grew a character out of that knowledge.

Singing Bird is an Arapaho Indian who overcomes difficult circumstances beyond being a Native American in the 1860s west. Her life was hard, and her choices were not always the best, but her decision to trust in the One greater than herself allowed her to see her past trials as stepping stones to a new life. Every woman deals with seasons of life that weigh her down. Sometimes removing oneself from a situation and seeing similar circumstances play out in a character’s life can give us hope that we, too, will come out on the other side of our trial gloriously renewed.

This is a great question. Many romance stories involve the two main characters and focus on getting to their Happily Ever After. It is easy for these two characters to become one-dimensional. Supporting personalities can enhance the storyline and help develop the main characters. Know your characters but know their friends and family too.

My brain doesn’t kick in for a few hours after waking, so unlike many authors, I’m not creative in the morning. My day starts with devotions. Spending time with God first reminds me this is His business, and I am His steward and need to treat my writing as such. I take care of myriad administrative tasks—emails, social media, and marketing use up most of my time.

I walk when the day’s details are out of the way. Being outside clears my mind and prepares me for getting words on the page. I do my best thinking when walking and often use voice-to-text to capture the moment—which doesn’t always work. I should probably keep a list of the hysterical translations I read when I get home, ready to write. When I walk, I often listen to audiobooks, and sometimes I sing. My neighbors think I’m a little off—key and in my mind. My husband works from home, so while he is on conference calls, I spend my afternoon on edits or research.

The evening is my best time of day to write. After washing the supper dishes, I listen to instrumental piano or guitar and get creative. I average 1,200 words a day during the week and rarely write on weekends, so I can make my family a priority.

To answer this question, you need to know something unique about me. I am legally blind and have only 5% of my vision remaining. My diagnosis of Retinitis Pigmentosa in 2001 was devastating. There is no cure, and there is no surgery. But that does not mean there is no hope. I still have value.

Those who do not know me well often don’t realize I have low vision or zero vision in a dark room. We humans are amazingly adaptable, and I do a decent job covering up my disability. My friends have learned to watch out for me and alert me to potential pitfalls, some better than others, which is always good for a laugh. I use a cane when I’m navigating alone.

Which brings me to one example of stepping out of my comfort zone. In 2019, I flew to China to meet a Chinese friend, and my white cane was my only companion. Airports without English signs, massive crowds, queues at every entrance and exit, and unfamiliar bathroom facilities created constant new challenges. The memories from my youth that smiles, laughter, and hugs cross all language barriers kept me sane and pointed me in the right direction. Mostly.

Navigating anything technical is light years outside my comfort zone. I use Word for my writing, but I have a ¼” mouse with a ½” tail, making it easier for me to find the pointer on my screen. I work in brief spurts, so my eyes don’t get overly tired. Easy-to-use websites like AllAuthor are a huge blessing to me. Unfortunately, there isn’t a white cane when learning to navigate new software or platforms.

Leaving a review is like tipping your waiter. I wouldn’t dream of leaving the table without saying thank you, even if the service was mediocre. The author who wrote the book I devoured put hours, days, weeks, months, and sometimes years into providing me with the reading experience. Even if it wasn’t my favorite book, there is always a way to find something kind to say. Always be kind.

Those individuals who took the time to leave reviews for me in the early days changed how I write. When readers mentioned a specific area where I could grow, I took the time to improve my craft in that area. Reviews keep me going, whether positive or negative, and each plays a role in my author journey.

The next book in my Discerning God’s Best series will come out in late 2023. It is Thomas’s story. That precious five-year-old boy we met in book one now studies medicine back east. The timeframe is the late 1870s when Native Americans still did not have even the same privileges as the newly freed slaves. Gabe, an Arapaho half-breed who is Thomas’s best friend, plays a significant role in this story. It is a tale of prejudice, torn allegiance, and love. You can expect the same wholesome values in this Christian historical romance as in my other books.

AllAuthor has helped broaden my reach to new readers. I appreciate how the AllAuthor Pro plan helps me by providing marketing opportunities through Twitter. The platform also offers excellent graphics and software to transform a flat image into a realistic and easy-to-use image. Connection with like-minded authors and readers makes AllAuthor a must-have, especially for new authors.