Come join me for a chat with Reveca Seitz author of Sister's Inc.

Rebeca Seitz is Founder and President of Glass Road Public Relations. An author for several years, PRINTS CHARMING was her first novel.

Rebeca cut her publicity teeth as the first dedicated publicist for the fiction division of Thomas Nelson Publishers. In 2005, Rebeca resigned from WestBow and opened the doors of GRPR, the only publicity firm of its kind in the country dedicated solely to representing novelists writing from a Christian worldview.

Rebeca makes her home in Kentucky with her husband, Charles, and their son, Anderson.


Rebeca graciously took time out of her busy schedule to share a few moments with me here. Enjoy the view from Rebecca's "window"!!

1. You are a writer who wears a few unique "hats" in life! PR specialist and business owner, published author with multiple book deals, wife and mother. With the publication of Sisters, Inc and its contracted sequels now beginning, how do you juggle all of your responsibilities? Are you a planner or a seat-of-your-pants kind of gal?

I’m a bit of both. J I’ve always been someone who loves to have a gagillion things happening at once. Downtime isn’t a gift for me, it’s an opportunity to do something! I know I have a very limited amount of time on this earth and there are many, many things I want to do and be while I’m here. So, that means doubling or tripling up on things. Thankfully, I have an amazing husband who is at home full-time with me and our 2-year-old, Anderson. He’s the calm, quiet one in our marriage. When we first met, I was working a 60-hour-a-week job, going to law school at night, working on a novel, and had just purchased my first home that was in need of renovation. He said God brought us together so that he could teach me to relax. And I have to admit, his ability to just stop for a little while and enjoy that spot on the journey for a few moments has been a miraculous gift in my life.

As for how I do it all – you know, I have no idea. I just get up each morning, eat a quick breakfast while watching the news, and get to work on what needs done that day. Whether it’s the grocery shopping (which Charlie is doing as I type!) or directing the women’s ministry at church or writing a novel or working for the GRPR clients or teaching at a writers conference or being Mommy (translation: doing silly stuff with my kiddo) – whatever it is, I get on it. I don’t stop until it’s time for bed. I trust that God’s ordering my day, that He’s bringing into my life exactly what I need to do that day. Of course, I plan the things that have deadlines. But the other stuff I do as He gives me time and attention.

2. Scrapbooking is very important to you for a number of reasons. Can you share a few of those that are most important to you at this particular stage of your life? How do you find the time?

Scrapbooking is extremely important because it helps me capture the story of my life that God is weaving. I can look back and see His faithfulness and provision when I look at my scrapbooks. It’s also important because it gives me time with my sister and girlfriends. I’ve never been one to just sit around and talk. I get fidgety and start making To Do lists on the coaster or nearest source of paper! But if I’m scrapping while I’m talking, then I’m multi-tasking. And that’s great!

As for how to find the time – the time finds me. I’ll find myself with a free Sunday afternoon or a couple of hours in the evening when there’s not enough time to start a big project but enough time to whip out a layout. Or I’ll schedule to do an all night crop for a store and get my cropping done while making a public appearance.

3. Do you love to take pictures? What kind of camera do you use? Has this been a life-long passion or a newly acquired hobby?

I’ve been a scrapper for over a decade. Last year for Mother’s Day, my hubby got me the digital Canon Rebel XT I’d been wanting for a year. It ROCKS! I really like working with a digital camera and its ease of use and almost non-existent delay between pictures makes it perfect for me. I find I take more pictures now because I can easily delete the ones that didn’t turn out quite right. My sister, though, is the professional photographer in the family. You can check her out at www.christiericketts.com.

4. In one interview about your first novel, Prints Charming, you stated that your publicist seemed more excited about your becoming a published author than you were. Has that changed with a multi-book contract? How do you feel about this new project?

You’re close! J It was my mentor that was more excited – she’d shepherded me through the process, so it made sense that she was stoked! But I couldn’t catch her excitement at the time. Not at the level she had. I get it now. I’m very excited about being a novelist and I know that God had a little more living for me to do before I’d have something of value to write. Being able to use my life experiences to create stories I’m thrilled to author is VERY exciting!

5. Do you own a Basset Hound? Where did that "character" come from?

I own three. J They’re all basset mixes that we rescued. I adopted Wilson Wellington when I lived in Orlando. He weighed about 5 ounces (a tiny thing!) when I got him at 5 weeks old. He was all ears and paws, half basset and half corgi. The rescue worker said that he wouldn’t get much bigger than that. Um, Wilson now weighs 50 lbs. I’d say he’s a bit bigger! When I met Charlie, Wilson immediately took to him. That was a big indicator to me of Charlie’s character because Wilson never took (still doesn’t take) kindly to men. Charlie and I started talking about finding Wilson a brother or sister, so I went on www.petfinder.com and started looking for more basset hound mixes. I found a baby girl with the same coloring as Wilson about an hour and a half from our home. We went to adopt her and the rescue worker was smart enough to bring out her brother, too. Charlie just couldn’t bear to part them, so we went home with TWO puppies instead of one! That’s how we got Cole Porter and Sophia Loren, who are half basset and half chow.

6. Are the sisters representative of your own sibling relationships? What was the basis for this unique blend of folks becoming family?

One of the sisters is based on my real life sister, Christie. The others are based on close friends I’ve had or have, other family members, and a lot of people-watching. When I lived in Orlando, I attended Bible study at the home of one of our assistant pastors. They had a beautiful family comprised of two birth children and multiple adopted children of various ethnic backgrounds. I remember stopping in their hallway once to stare at a family portrait. There they sat – all smiling from such a place of honesty that it took my breath. I thought, “That’s how it’s supposed to be. Forget what color we are or where we come from. We’re all made in His image.”

7. You talk about your love of chocolate and even share a recipe at the end of Sisters, Inc. What is your favorite chocolate treat?

I don’t think I can pick just one! Ha ha! If it’s fast chocolate I need, then Fudge Rounds from Little Debbie are great. For chocolate I have to work at, I like homemade double chocolate chip cookies and chocolate caramel brownies (which I make at Christmas). I also love a plain old chocolate cake from a box with chocolate icing!

8. Can you tell us what exciting things God is doing in your heart as you begin this journey with Sisters Inc? Any parting words of encouragement you have gleaned from the journey so far?

Oh, wow! I could write another novel here. God’s been so awesomely gracious to me throughout my life. I’m a headstrong person who’s spent many years learning that, while it’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission, the hurt that causes those around you doesn’t make the ease worth it all the time. I can be so selfish – demanding that Charlie be a certain way or that my family act in a certain manner toward me or that co-workers and industry professionals conform to my idea of perfection. He’s spent the past few years teaching me to pause before I adopt a thought as truth. To wonder if maybe the other person’s way of being or acting is better or even worse, but acceptable. I’ve especially learned this by becoming a novelist and having a kiddo. Anderson looks just like his daddy on the outside, but he’s completely me on the inside. He’s opinionated and willful and hilarious and loves life and is constantly squeezing more into every second he can find. That means practical things like getting out of the shower when we’re all clean don’t work for him. Why get out? The water’s warm. There are toys. And he doesn’t have anything else to rush off and do! So, I’m learning to see the world through his eyes and to enjoy it as he does. Besides, when else can I go jumping in mud puddles and not get strange stares from the adults? J As a novelist, I’m learning to let go of a lot of control. Any novelist will probably tell you that, once that book is published, you’ll need to let the promotions department do their thing. It’s been doubly hard for me to do that since I make a living promoting novels and have strong ideas and experience in that area. But I’m slowly (as I’m sure my B&H publicist will attest!) learning to listen to my publishing house’s ideas as well, to not take it personally if they don’t do something I think is necessary to the success of the book, to acknowledge that they have reasons for their thoughts and opinions just like I do. It’s definitely not something I’ve mastered yet, but I’m working on it!