We're honored to host Rachel Hauck on Mind Chocolate today! Rachel is a sweet friend and fellow Floridian, a wonderful writer and worship leader. Love this lady!  Rachel is an award-winning, best-selling author of the Low Country novels. She's also big part of the ACFW conference as well as Susan May Warren's My Book Therapy.

So, Rachel, do you have a favorite chocolate indulgence?

No, just chocolate in all forms!
 
Give your own definition of chick lit/lit fiction.

Oo, good one. A woman's journey toward a goal or destiny that involves, faith, friends, family, career and hunky man. :) 
 
You taught about chick lit at the ACFW conference a few years back. Could you give us a workshop in a nutshell? :-)

Oh, girl, what are you thinking? Um, be funny. Be deep. Create a wide stage with a humorous supporting cast, don't be snarky or mean, tell the story with dialog, don't be introspective.  How's that?
 
Do you have any chick lit-like moments from your own life that you could share?

Well, I was a career woman for many years before I was married. I traveled the world and the country for four years before moving to an in-house job. One winter, I was in Spain, and my interpreter decided he was in love with me. Oh, mercy! He was married. I wasn't. And he gave me the willies. He flew to his home city over the weekend and about nine that night, a note was slipped under my door by a hotel staffer. It started out, "Dear Princess..." Oh no oh no oh no!

I felt sick, and slimed and a bazillion miles away from my friends. I just prayed. It was all I could do! And what a privilege to be able to pray. Monday morning, he tells me how he thought of me all weekend. He was with his family! More oh no oh no oh no!

A few nights later, our cab driver went insane or something and got lost taking us to our hotel. By then even I knew the route! So we're driving around Madrid and I preached to my interpreter the entire time. Gave him the Gospel of Jesus Christ straight up and full on. End of crush on ole Rachel. ;) God be glorified!
 
Do you have any writing quirks?

You mean writing itself is not a quirk? 

I do tend to pick last names that start with H or W. I have to have a Diet Coke or two to get started. I have to run through email and social media before writing. And call Susie Warren. Sometimes I read before I take up my own project.

You've already co-authored a series with Sara Evans--which we're going to have to talk to you about later on! But is there someone else you would love to write with? Why?

I'd love to write with Debbie Macomber. She's such a warm, fabulous story teller. I've learned a lot from her. I'd like to write with Susie because we practically write each other's books anyway. But writing with a co-write is not easy. Sara and I have done extremely well together, and I don't take that lightly. Once you start getting into story and plot, how to write and what to write, all the rules change. Sara and I have our partnership divided in clear lines so we don't step on each other's toes. 

Really, I'd love for one of my own books to just take off to the moon!!
 
What are one or two of your favorite lit novels from the CBA?

Well, got to bow to the master Kristin Billerbeck. She writes great stuff. I think her Ashley Stockingdale series is fabulous. My other favorite lit author would probably be Siri Mitchell.
 
Where would you go on your dream “research” trip, and would you take anyone with you? Who?

Whoa, you used dream and research in the same sentence. I'm not sure that's allowed. My dream trip would be to a ranch in Montana, or a beach house in Fiji. If I happened to get some research done, then so be it. I'd take my hubby for sure.
 
If you could live in a novel, which one would you choose?

Live in a novel? Hmmm... Maybe in Mitford, Jan Karon's great North Carolina world. 
 
If you weren’t pursuing writing, is there another dream career you might be chasing?

This is it. My dream career. All my "eggs" are in this basket. 

Finally, share two pieces of advice—one writing-related and one not. 

Writing advice would be to take it one day, one book at a time. Don't get ahead of yourself but stay tuned into the industry and publishing. Get involved in writer's groups, work on your craft, work on networking.

None writing related would be to really, really, really get a hold of the fact Jesus loves you. He's declared you are worthy. Don't let anyone steal that from you. And take care of this matter before really trying to do the matter of writing.

Thanks for having me! GREAT questions. :)
It was truly a pleasure having you here, Rachel! Thanks for joining us. To learn more about Rachel and her writing, check out her website. To celebrate the release of Dining With Joy, her latest Low Country book, there's a FANTASTIC give-away on her blog, so go check it out! (I'm about to. This is one I can actually enter!)