Meet Author Phyllis Wheeler

Since my writing journey began, I’ve met some fantastic authors. It’s exciting to see Christian authors write in many different genres. In my younger years, I was a huge fan of time travel stories. Recently, I became acquainted with Phyllis Wheeler. Join me as I get to know Phyllis and learn about her writing.

Hello Phyllis! I’m excited to hear about you and how you began writing, but first let’s get to know a little about you. Tell us about your family.

My husband, Steve, and I have four grown children, and so far, no grandchildren. Not even grand-dogs or cats. Our miniature poodle Meggie is the boss of our household!

How long have you been writing?

Since I was thirteen, so a long time!

You can tell a lot by what a person likes to read. What are your all-time favorite books?

I re-read certain books repeatedly because I love the characters so much. These include Pride and Prejudice, Jill Williamson’s By Dankness Hid, and Cinda Chima’s The Demon King. Jill Williamson, author of the fantasy series, Blood of Kings, is my favorite living author.

Can you give us a behind-the-scenes look at what you are writing now.

Writing teachers tell you to write what you know, so I set my time-traveling heroes in my own St. Louis suburb of Webster Groves, specifically the modest side of town where I live. In my book that publishes Nov. 1, (Guardians of Time Book 1: The Dog Snatcher), I take the twins on a quick trip to Lyon, France, in 1680, to chase the guy who kidnapped their dog.  Lyon is where I spent several days in 2019 and got a good feel for this unique city. For the next book, we’re likely to head to someplace I’ve never been! It’s a secret where it is. But I have been able to find a number of videos online of people walking around there, sharing their experience, and I’m so glad of that! Hint: it has a mysterious history.

That sounds exciting! My fascination with time travel has me ready to get my hands on this book. Where do you write these exciting stories? Do you have a favorite place?

My office, actually a large spare bedroom. It has lots of windows and room to spread out.

The book in our giveaway is titled The Long Shadow. Congratulations on winning the Purple Dragonfly Award and the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award. You also have a free unit study available for this book. Tell us about The Long Shadow.

Sure, but first, here are what a few fans have to say.
“Searching for a new favorite book? Look no further than The Long Shadow by Phyllis Wheeler. This is a great book for fans of To Kill a Mockingbird but with a time-travel twist. Richie grabs your attention and doesn’t let go until the very end.”—Elsie G, age 13.
“Full of interesting characters . . . [The Long Shadow has] heart, humor, and a great overall theme. . . . Complex subject matter, woven into enjoyable fantasy. . .”—John Hendrix, NYT bestselling illustrator, and author.

The Long Shadow

Richie, age 14, doesn’t expect to time-travel. He just wants to go camping.

Aunt Trudy never wanted kids. Now that she’s Richie’s guardian, she makes his life miserable. Richie wants to escape, so he seeks refuge in the deep Missouri woods he loves so much.

Looking for a campsite, he wanders between two cedar trees. Suddenly it’s not summer, but late fall. All the vehicles on the road look like they’re going to an antique-car show. Even so, Richie doesn’t realize at first that he’s traveled back in time fifty years. After a freak storm, he’s freezing. The person who saves him is Morris, a mysterious black woodsman.

So, why is a policeman soon chasing Richie? And why is Morris so determined to hide from everyone? Richie and Morris both long for home. But getting there seems impossible.

Then Richie realizes that the key to bringing Morris in from the cold could be a trip further back in time—to try to prevent a terrible crime.

Phyllis also has another book releasing soon. The Dog Snatcher (Guardians of Time, Book 1) looks like another fantastic time travel adventure. Click here to preorder on Amazon. It releases on November 1, 2022. Be one of the first to read her newest book.

If you’d like to learn more about Phyllis and her work, click here to see her website. If you homeschool, you’ll find some cool stuff on her sight also. You can also receive a FREE short story introducing her new series, Guardians of Time when you visit. Or connect with her on her social media. Twitter or Instagram

Thanks Phyllis for a great interview. I look forward to many more books to come.

Enter for a chance to win a copy of The Long Shadow. Contest runs from October 4, 2022 to October 25, 2022. Open to US residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway