Welcome to Author Spotlight! Each week will feature a different author. We’ll get the scoop behind their writing life and dish a little. The authors will also be giving away a copy of their latest book. FUN.

The winner from last week’s Author Spotlight with CJ Darlington is Judy! Please email my assistant Amy with your mailing address. (amy@litfusegroup.com)

This week is Mel Starr is in the Spotlight! To win a copy of Mel’s latest book, A Trail of Ink, leave a comment on this post!


Share a little bit about yourself. Married with kids? Empty nester? Do you work full-time and write when you can squeeze it in?

My wife Susan and I have been married 46 years in June! We have two daughters and seven grandchildren. I have several hobbies—too many. My wife and I like to travel with our travel trailer. I enjoy golf and fishing, and making things with my hands. I built a Pennsylvania flintlock rifle in 1976 to commemorate the bicentennial, and a few years ago I made a hammer dulcimer for my wife for Christmas. I enjoy model railroading, also, and any machine which moves has always held my interest—trains, planes, boats, cars. I am a volunteer docent at the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum; the Air Zoo. But amid all that, I still make time for writing.

And share something about your writing. What’s your genre(s), your areas of interest…

I taught history for 39 years before becoming a published author, so historical fiction and non-fiction are my primary interests. As a teacher, I taught US and World History. My MA is in recent US and European History (1914 to 1950), but the longer I taught medieval history the more interested in that period I became.

How did you get started writing? Did you have a dream of being a published author?  

I think all avid readers dream of one day becoming a writer, seeing their name in print. I planned to write after I retired from teaching, as there was not enough time to be a full-time father, husband, teacher, and write as well. Now that I am retired, I have more time to focus on—and enjoy—writing and publishing.

It’s difficult to say what inspired me to begin in the first place. I have seven grandchildren—they are always a source of inspiration. I like writing stories for them—and I like to think that my writing will help provide funds so that they may (if they wish) attend Christian colleges one day.

Like most writers, I suspect, there are days when I do not feel particularly inspired. I do not write every day, but when I do I will spend three to five hours at a time.

After you started writing seriously–how long was it before you were published?

It took me about three years after the completion of THE UNQUIET BONES (The First Chronicle of Hugh de Singleton) to find a publisher.  I was turned down about 60 times!

What has been the biggest help to you in the journey to publication? Writers’ conferences? Writing groups? Your mom as your first draft reader?

The greatest help to me has been having someone “in my corner.” For me, that someone is a professor of English and creative writing at Spring Arbor University who asked me to speak to a class about the trials of a rookie writer. The professor then sent three chapters of my first book to a friend in the UK who was an editor with Monarch. I wouldn’t have gotten published without his referral. Having someone who wants to fight for you is important.

What are your biggest distractions?

My biggest distraction is reading other books! I read historical fiction, mysteries, and histories. I recently read a Tom Clancy novel that somehow escaped me when it was first released. I read a biography of Herod the Great a few weeks ago, and am currently re-reading Shelby Foote’s three-volume history of the Civil War.

What do you least like about being a writer? Most like?

I enjoy research into medieval life and devising plots. I detest typing the final manuscript.

What’s on the book horizon for you?

I recently submitted the manuscript for my fourth book, UNHALLOWED GROUND, and have begun #5, tentatively titled THE CHAPMAN’S COIN. I’m eager to see where Master Hugh is going next. For more info, please visit www.melstarr.net.

Welcome to Author Spotlight! Each week will feature a different author. We’ll get the scoop behind their writing life and dish a little. The authors will also be giving away a copy of their latest book. FUN.

The winner from last week’s Author Spotlight with Joanna Weaver is Jennifer Pederson! Please email my assistant Amy with your mailing address. (amy@litfusegroup.com)

This week is CJ Darlington is in the Spotlight! To win a copy of CJ’s latest book, Bound by Guilt, leave a comment on this post!

Share a bit about yourself. Married with kids? Empty nester? Do you work full-time and write when you can squeeze it in?

I am happily single with a full time job as a used and rare bookseller. It’s been my family’s business now for over twelve years, and it keeps me busy. I’m also the co-founder of the Christian entertainment website TitleTrakk.com and a contributing editor at Family Fiction magazine. But even though I have many obligations, fiction writing is my first love. It’s my goal to write five days a week, usually in the evenings.

And share something about your writing. What’s your genre(s), your areas of interest…

I write contemporary novels. A theme that seems to pervade all of them is that no one has ever fallen too far for the grace of God to touch them. I love writing about hurting and broken people—those who aren’t perfect by any means, make mistakes and need redemption.

How did you get started writing? Did you have a dream to be a published author?

I remember being eight years old typing at my dad’s old word processor. As a kid I always enjoyed writing little stories, but it wasn’t until I was a teenager that I entertained the idea of being a published writer. But the bug hit hard then. I started my first novel Thicker than Blood when I was fifteen. My apprenticeship in writing began at that point, and I devoured every writing how-to book I could find.

After you started writing seriously—how long was it before you were published?

I started seriously considering writing as a teen, but didn’t really commit to it until I was eighteen or so. My first short story was published when I was twenty, my first novel when I was thirty. I’m thankful I wasn’t published in book length right away because there was so much to learn during that time.

Aside from a cup of good, strong coffee, what helps you get all of your “brain cylinders” firing so you can write well? Do you have any favorite places and routines when you write? How many hours a day do you spend writing?

Coffee or tea certainly help! There isn’t any one thing that makes writing easier. Often it’s just a matter of sitting my butt in the chair and going for it whether I feel like it or not. Sometimes I’ll feel in the zone, other days it’s like pulling teeth to get out a paragraph. What usually helps me is just diving in and going for it. When I overthink things is when I often get in trouble.

What has been the biggest help to you in the journey to publication? Writers’ conferences? Writing groups? Your mom as your first draft reader?

My mom as my first draft reader is a HUGE help to me. She has a wonderfully keen editorial eye and helps me in every draft to pinpoint what’s working and what isn’t. I’ve also been blessed to have some kind mentors in other authors who’ve taken the time to answer my questions and offer advice.

Is the “writer’s life” what you thought it would be? 

I think one of the biggest misconceptions I had as a beginning writer was that getting published would change my life. It didn’t. I’m still the same person I was when I was submitting manuscripts to editors as I am today. Nothing magically changed. So I guess I did think it would be more glamorous than it is. That said, I am incredibly thankful and blessed to have my work read by others. It’s such a joy to hear from someone who’s taken the time to read a story I’ve written. I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but it helps to understand that unless your name is J.K. Rowling, the writing life really doesn’t change your life all that much.

What are your biggest distractions?

Hands down, the internet. What’s hard is that things like Facebook and Twitter and blogs are all useful tools as a writer. But used excessively they become a drain on creativity. I really don’t need to be checking my FB page ever five minutes. And checking Amazon rankings of my books? A complete waste of time. But do I do it? More often than I should.

What was one of the best moments in your career and what was one of the worst?

There was nothing like sitting in the audience at the Writing for the Soul conference and hearing Jerry B. Jenkins announce my novel as the winner of Operation First Novel. That was amazing. But now that I’m further down the road of this journey, what impacts me the most is when I hear from a reader who was somehow touched by something in my stories. It’s so important to remember being a Christian writer is more than a career. For me it’s a ministry, and I never want to lose sight of that.

A low point in my career was when I almost gave up on my first novel. I had been submitting it to publishers for four years, and I was feeling discouraged. I was beginning to wonder if it was time to put it in a drawer and move on to something new. Thankfully, the Lord intervened and prompted me to enter Operation First Novel two weeks before their cut off deadline for entries.

What do you least like about being a writer? Most like?

There are some days when the marketing aspects of the job are overwhelming, but really there’s not much I don’t like about it. I most enjoy hearing from readers.

What is the role and importance of an agent?

This will vary from writer to writer, I think. Some authors despise anything to do with the business and negotiating side of things. For those, I think an agent is important. They need someone to be their advocate and help them through the process. Some writers don’t have a family support system, and an agent can be a huge encouragement on the days when they feel like throwing in the towel.

Then there are other authors who don’t mind tackling the business end of things. I fall into that camp. I don’t have an agent. Maybe someday I will have one, but for now I’m happy with how things are coming along.

What advice would you give to new writer?

As I get further along in my career, I’m realizing something that is enormously important for new writers, and that is this: Write the book of your heart. Don’t worry about publishers, marketing, editors or readers AT ALL in the beginning. You’ll paralyze yourself. Instead, search inside and listen to that still small voice leading you to the story only you can tell. If you aren’t passionate about your story, it will show on the page. Then, once you finish your first book, get moving onto the next! Then whenever you do receive interest from a publisher you’ll have more than one thing to show them.

Pretend I’m a customer at a booktsore looking for a good book. Give me a one or two sentence promo to convince me to buy your book.

Bound by Guilt is about a teen girl desperate to fit in and a female cop searching for justice. One fateful night both their lives are changed forever.

What’s on the book horizon for you?

I’m just now finishing the rough draft of my next novel. Revision time!

Last question, how can readers find you and your books?

My website is full of info: www.cjdarlington.com 

Welcome to Author Spotlight! Each week will feature a different author. We’ll get the scoop behind their writing life and dish a little. The authors will also be giving away a copy of their latest book. FUN.

The winner from last week’s Author Spotlight with Judy Baer is Karen! Please email my assistant Amy with your mailing address. (amy@litfusegroup.com)

This week is Joanna Weaver is in the Spotlight! To win a copy of Joanna’s latest book, Lazarus Awakening, leave a comment on this post!

Share a little bit about yourself. Married with kids? Empty nester? Do you work full-time and write when you can squeeze it in?

Well, it’s hard to believe, but I’ve been married nearly thirty years to the most wonderful man in the world! It’s not the wonderful part that is hard to believe – it’s the thirty years. Wow, time goes so fast. But it just gets sweeter and sweeter.

We have three kids – a twenty-five year old son, John Michael; a twenty-two year old daughter, Jessica; and a sweet little surprise named Joshua who joined our family eight years ago.

And share something about your writing. What’s your genre(s), your areas of interest…

While I love reading fiction, I feel called to write nonfiction for Christian women. I really believe God wants to transform us in the deepest places of our hearts. But we’ve got to give Him access.

Though I’m a pastor’s wife and grew up as a “good girl” – obeying rules and doing my best to please God – I’m just as messed up as the next woman. And just as in need of a Savior! But as I’ve let God get His hands on me, I’ve changed. That’s my prayer for the women who read my books.

How did you get started writing? Did you have a dream of being a published author?  

I never grew up thinking I’d be a writer. The possibility of creating a book never crossed my mind. But during a transitional time in ministry, things kept coming out in my journal like essays or article-type musings. God began to awaken a desire to write that went beyond my usual hobby-hopping tendencies. I went to the library for books on writing, took a magazine-writing class at the community college and then began sending out queries to magazines.

After you started writing seriously–how long was it before you were published? 

Over that first year, I was rejected regularly. Which is really tough for a “performance/success driven” kind of personality! But by then, God had confirmed that this was His idea and not mine. That gave me the tenacity to keep trying. He had called me to write. It was His job to get me published!

About a year and a half after that initial call, I attended Mount Hermon’s Christian Writer’s Conference. God gave me favor with editors there and an agent asked to represent my work. With her help, I shaped the proposal for my first book, With This Ring: Promises to Keep. Two weeks later, she placed it at WaterBrook Press – and the rest is history!

Aside from a cup of good, strong coffee, what helps you get all of your “brain cylinders” firing so you can write well? Do you have any favorite places and routines when you write? How many hours a day do you spend writing? 

What a good question! I’ve discovered that there are some times of the day that are better than others when it comes to writing. For me, from mid-morning to mid-afternoon seem to work best. For this last book, I averaged 4-5 hours of writing and then I was done. Kaput. Nothing else to say. Even when I tried.

But I’ve also discovered that I work best in a very ordered, undistracted and undisrupted environment. Which, to be honest, does not always describe my own home! I can research and edit in the middle of a busy life, but when it comes to the actual writing – especially the first draft – I have to get alone somewhere. I’m blessed to have a friend who has some guest houses she lets me use.

I usually spend the first half hour or so in a quiet time with the Lord. Journaling what He’s said to me in the Word that morning, then going over what I would be working on, asking the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance. Sometimes, I turn on worship music and just soak in His presence. I’m learning that apart from Him I can do nothing.

Now that is NOT to say that I feel intensely inspired when I write. For me, the majority of my writing – probably 90% – is just an act of faith. Doing my best to walk in obedience and utter dependence, and then putting down words that I can only pray the Holy Spirit breathes life into.

What has been the biggest help to you in the journey to publication? Writers’ conferences? Writing groups? Your mom as your first draft reader?

I’ve already mentioned the Christian writer’s conference I attended. I really believe the conference I attended shaved at least three years off my journey to publication. It took the mystery and fear of the unknown out of publishing, but more importantly, it gave me friends who understood the process. It also provided an opportunity to put my project before actual editors. Instead of being a manilla-envelope submission sitting in an editor’s slush pile, I was able to get limited, but instant feedback. Some positive, some negative, but all of it helpful.

God was also kind to give me a local writer friend who was a little further along on the journey. Tricia Goyer has been an invaluable source of information and encouragement. She was my first reader in those early years as well and has become one of my dearest friends.

Is the “writer’s life” what you thought it would be? 

Yes and no. It’s a whole lot harder than I thought it would be. I kept expecting that it would be a kind of “holy dictation.” I would suddenly hear a voice from heaven telling me what to write – or at least, brilliant thoughts rolling through my brain in such a way I knew it was God. Instead, as I’ve mentioned it has been an intense walk of faith.

This last book, Lazarus Awakening, was the very hardest of all. (Just when I thought it would get easier!) Instead of having my mind filled with ideas and thoughts, my head was so quiet it felt as though I was entombed without creative breath. Locked down and shut up. I had to keep returning to the words Jesus spoke to Martha as they stood before Lazarus’ tomb. When Martha balked at rolling away the stone for fear of what lay behind, Jesus said these amazing words… “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”

So that is what I’ve been trying to do during these long two and half years it’s taken me to finish this book. Believe God. The same thing I’ve tried to do from the very beginning. Trusting that what He has asked me to do, He will enable me to do. Even when it’s hard. Even when I don’t feel His leading. Trusting that He is there and will finish everything that He has started in me. Because HE is the AUTHOR and the finisher. I just have to obey.

What are your biggest distractions?

Everything. Literally everything. I’d rather do almost anything than actually write. Part of the reason is that I am an all-or-nothing person. If I can’t do it perfectly the first time, I don’t want to do it. But I also have the motivational gift of laziness! I see everything that needs to be done around me, but I can usually find something else that seems more pressing or fun…like going shopping, or watching a TV show that I’ve already seen three times.

But Jesus is helping me, thank the Lord! I finished my book. My house is much, much cleaner than it used to be and I actually cook dinner more than we eat out (which is another big change). But I still have to make conscious choices to do what I need to do rather than wait until I feel like doing it. Big, big miracle there, girls!

What was one of the best moments in your career and what was one of the worst?

The best moment came during that first Mount Hermon conference. God kissed my books with such favor, it was amazing. By the end of the week, I had four different editors interested in each of the three book proposals I had brought. The Cinderella moment came that last night when I was chosen “Most Promising Writer.” It was a sweet, magical time.

But God is so good and so wise. He knows how to balance the magical with the painful so we don’t get overly impressed with ourselves.

When Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World came out, a misunderstanding erupted with a group of friends in my church (I tell about it in Having a Mary Spirit). I was hurt and a little fed up with it all, so I decided I would disengage from church life for awhile and dive into the writing world. I was going to my first Christian Booksellers conference  and I was going to enjoy every minute of it. After all, Having a Mary Heart was releasing and my wedding gift book was up for a Gold Medallion Award, and then there were three children’s books I would be signing at the conference. I was about to make my mark in the publishing world.

Well, evidently, God had other ideas! When I introduced myself to the sales people at my childrens book publisher’s display, they had no idea what I was talking about. Was I absolutely certain my books were with them? The next evening I got all dressed up for the banquet, only to listen as the Gold Medallion went to another book. But worst of all, the writer friend who had assured me that we would have plenty of time to hang out together since her novel had been delayed and wouldn’t be on the sales floor, got to be Cinderella. Night after night, her publisher would whisk her away in a shiny limousine to yet another dinner so they could introduce their favorite up-and-coming author to yet another group of high-profile booksellers. I, on the other hand, would wander over to the nearby food court where I’d drown my sorrows in shrimp po’boys and sweet tea.

God made it very clear that humbling week that I would not have a “career.” My job was to go home and fully engage my heart and my passion in my primary calling – to love on a church and love on its people.  

What do you least like about being a writer? Most like?

I’ve talked a lot about writing being the hardest thing I do. But at the same time, I absolutely love the research/learning part of writing a book. I enjoy looking for the perfect quote, the deeper meaning behind words in scripture; discovering an obscure analogy that makes a truth come alive. And, strangely, I really like the editing process. I really appreciate the give and take of having another person’s perspective on what I’ve written. Sometimes it’s hard to let go of sentences I secretly love, but I’ve come to trust the process. And I’ve been blessed to work with some amazing editors.

It is truly a privilege be a writer. I am absolutely blown away that God would give me a chance to pour out on paper what I feel He has been teaching me. Then to think that people would actually read it! Wow. Somehow in giving God my “lunch” and the little I have, He blesses and breaks it and makes it enough to touch the heart of someone I may never meet this side of heaven. Amazing. Thank You, Jesus.

What is the role and importance of an agent? 

I can’t overstate what my agent has meant to me. In the beginning, I thought I wanted to do it all myself, but watching your inbox incessantly and waiting for editors to call – that’s no way to live. It certainly isn’t a good way to write, in my opinion.

But more than the administrative freedom an agent brings, it is the fact that you are not alone that means the most to me. To have an advocate, a sounding board is invaluable. But to also have someone willing to say, “that isn’t the best idea I’ve heard from you” is even better. At his or her best, I believe an agent is a mommy/daddy, a cheerleader, and a skillful life coach all wrapped up in one! I wouldn’t trade mine for nothing!

What advice would you give to new writers? 

Just be obedient to the call. Learn the ropes, work on your craft. Be willing to let go of the first thing you write so you can write the next thing. My first proposal will never be published. It was simply the tool that opened the door to the books that would come.

In a sense, when we put something forward for publishing consideration, we cast our bread on the water. Our part is to get it off our hard drive and into a publisher’s hands. It’s up to God what He does with it.

Pretend I’m a customer at a bookstore looking for a good book. Give me a one or two sentence promo to convince me to buy your book. 

That’s a hard question because there are so many excellent books out there.

I suppose the best pitch would be this: If you know a woman who doesn’t feel that she’s good enough…godly enough…talented enough…that doesn’t believe she deserves God’s love…please buy this book so that it will be on your bookstore shelf just in case God decides that’s the book He wants to use in that woman’s life.

What’s on the book horizon for you? 

After being pregnant with this book for two and a half years, I’m shocked and pleased that I actually want to have another “child.” There is a book I’ve had in my heart for over ten years, but God has kept asking me to write something else. I’m hoping it’s finally time to begin working on what I feel might be the most important book I ever write.

I’ll leave it at that….a little mystery and no broad promises. We’ll see what God thinks on this subject. He always gets the final word.

Last question, how can readers find you and your books?

Readers can go to www.joannaweaverbooks.com to get more information about my writing and speaking as well as find access my blog. To purchase a book, I suggest checking with your local Christian bookstore first. But my titles are also available on line at CBD, Family, Lifeway, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other retailers.

Thank you for sharing your writing life with my bleaders! (blog + readers = bleaders)

Thank you! It’s been a privilege. All my love to you bleaders!

Welcome to Author Spotlight! Each week will feature a different author. We’ll get the scoop behind their writing life and dish a little. The authors will also be giving away a copy of their latest book. FUN.

The winner from last week’s Author Spotlight with Marta Perry is Tena! Please email my assistant Amy with your mailing address. (amy@litfusegroup.com)

This week Judy Baer is in the Spotlight! To win a copy of Judy’s book, An Unlikely Blessing, leave a comment on this post!

Share a little bit about yourself. Married with kids? Empty nester? Do you work full-time and write when you can squeeze it in?  

I’m married to a wonderful man and have two daughters and three step-children.  I work full time and have done so since my children were small.  Until the past 10 years, it was the only job I’d ever had.  Now I’m also a professional writing coach/personal life coach and adjunct faculty at the university at which I got my master’s degree.  I’m a life-long learner!

And share something about your writing. What’s your genre(s), your areas of interest…

Over the years I’ve written many different things—romance, young adult novels and now women’s fiction.  The books I’m working on right now (from Guideposts, the Forever Hilltop series—Book #1 is AN UNLIKELY BLESSING and #2 will be SURPRISING GRACE) are a real delight for me.  It’s set around a country church in rural North Dakota and a newbie pastor who has never lived outside Chicago!

How did you get started writing? Did you have a dream of being a published author?  

When I was in high school, my uncle gave me an old copy of WRITERS MARKET.  I studied the whole thing, picked my publisher, and circled it.  It took me a while to get there but now I’ve written 17 books for them (Harlequin Steeple Hill and now Love Inspired books.)  My dream as a child was to own a bookstore so I could just sit and read books.  Actually, my first story was published when I was 10.  I still have the money I received!

After you started writing seriously–how long was it before you were published?

Just a few weeks, actually, so I think my case was unusual.  In fact, I sold my first two books within 3 weeks of each other—and neither was complete.  The race was on!

Aside from a cup of good, strong coffee, what helps you get all of your “brain cylinders” firing so you can write well? Do you have any favorite places and routines when you write? How many hours a day do you spend writing? 

Mostly it’s about making the decision to write on that day, setting my intention for what I want to get done, leaving the television and email off and just going for it.  I think starting the morning with God is an enormous help too.  That’s where I get centered for the work ahead.  I often do the crossword puzzle in the newspaper to ‘prime the pump’ as well.  I practically live in my office during the week.  Right now I’m under deadline and often hang out there 9-10 hours a day or more.  I can only be creative about 5-6 of those hours but there’s editing, research and the business end of things to do as well.  If I get crazy in my office, I migrate to my kitchen table or to a local coffee shop.  I seem to do well in an environment where there is lots of energy but yet none of it has to do with me.

What has been the biggest help to you in the journey to publication? Writers’ conferences? Writing groups? Your mom as your first draft reader?

Writers conferences were/are the best for me.  I meet people I need to meet, get new information and encouragement—and never go away without having learned something.

Is the “writer’s life” what you thought it would be? 

Actually, it’s much harder.  I’m usually under a tight deadline and I had no idea how many times I would pour through a manuscript editing it (or that I might decide to tear it apart or simply start over!)  It is hard on the body (I’ve had neck surgery already) and I spend many more hours working than and 8-5 job.  Sometimes I have to forgo things I’d like to do because of the time crunch.

What are your biggest distractions?  

Wanting to be with friends and family, television, and, I confess, spider solitaire on the computer.

What was one of the best moments in your career and what was one of the worst?

Selling my first book, being nominated for RITA awards, meeting some of the amazing professionals in the industry, traveling, meeting people I admire.  Oh, yes, and once at a CBA conference some little girls saw me and started screaming “There’s Judy Baer, there’s Judy Baer.”  My ten year old daughter was with me at the time and that blew her away.  I was just mother, not a rock star figure.  It was the first time she realized that what I did impacted someone other than her!

What do you least like about being a writer? Most like? 

What I like least is not having enough time to play. What I like most?  Having written! The book is work, but having written it is gratifying.

What is the role and importance of an agent? 

I don’t like talking money or negotiating so I’m perfectly happy to allow someone who is good at those things to do it for me.

What advice would you give to new writers?

Learn the craft!  You can’t break rules until you know them.  Also—persist.  If you want something badly enough, if you are hungry enough for it, you can get it done.

Pretend I’m a customer at a bookstore looking for a good book. Give me a one or two sentence promo to convince me to buy your book.  

Former professor and new preacher from the city is given a rural parish in the middle of North Dakota.  Think “Doc Hollywood” only with a minister!

What’s on the book horizon for you?  

I’m working on the third book in my Forever Hilltop series from Guideposts.  It doesn’t have a name yet but AN UNLIKELY BLESSING is out and SURPRISING GRACE  is soon to follow.  I also have MENDING HER HEART being released March 1st.

Last question, how can readers find you and your books?  

My web site is www.judykbaer.com and I love to hear from readers.  I’m also on Facebook and Twitter.  I usually direct people to look for my books on Amazon.com as they can all be pulled up there.

Thank you for sharing your writing life with my bleaders! (blog + readers = bleaders)  

It’s my pleasure.  Where would writers be without those most important readers!

Prolific author of over 75 novels, Judy Baer, is launching her new Guideposts series, Forever Hilltop, with a KINDLE giveaway! The first book in the series, An Unlikely Blessing is available now wherever fine books are sold.


Read the reviews here.

One lucky winner will receive:

• Brand New KINDLE with Wi-Fi
• A $25 gift certificate to Amazon.com

To enter just click on one the icons below and then tell your friends! Winner will be announced on February 21st on Judy’s blog, http://www.judykbaer.com/wordpress

Welcome to Author Spotlight! Each week will feature a different author. We’ll get the scoop behind their writing life and dish a little. The authors will also be giving away a copy of their latest book. FUN.

The winner from last week’s Author Spotlight with Ann Gabhart is Regina Merrick! Please email my assistant Amy with your mailing address. (amy@litfusegroup.com)

This week is Marta Perry is in the Spotlight! To win a copy of Marta’s latest book, Sarah’s Gift, leave a comment on this post!

Share a little bit about yourself. Married with kids? Empty nester? Do you work full-time and write when you can squeeze it in?  

I’m married to my college sweetheart, and we have three grown kids who have presented us with six beautiful grandkids ranging in age from 3 to 10. I now write full time and love it, but there was a time when I worked part-time, raised kids, and wrote as well.

I’ve lived in rural Pennsylvania all my life, and my husband and I live in a century-and-a-half-old farmhouse on 25 acres in a pastoral Pennsylvania valley. When the snow flies, we escape to our second home on the South Carolina coast for a few months.

And share something about your writing. What’s your genre(s), your areas of interest…

I currently write the Pleasant Valley Amish romance series for Berkley Books, as well as an Amish Suspense series for HQN Books and series books for Love Inspired. I enjoy both romance and romantic suspense, and bringing in the Amish element has been a natural step for me, since I’m Pennsylvania Dutch myself and have always lived around the Plain People.

How did you get started writing? Did you have a dream of being a published author?

When I was eight years old, I read my first Nancy Drew book, The Secret in the Old Clock. Most little girls read that and want to be Nancy Drew. I finished it and wanted to be the person who wrote that wonderful story! It took me a long time to pursue that dream, but eventually I realized that if God was leading me in that direction, I’d better follow!

After you started writing seriously–how long was it before you were published? 

I started writing with short children’s stories for Sunday School Take-Home papers. My first submission came back with a form rejection slip. I summoned up my courage and sent it out again—another form rejection, but this time a real live editor had taken the time to write on it, “Nice story. Try us again.” I don’t know who that person was, but I wish I could thank him or her. That comment encouraged me to send the story out again, and this time it sold! I received a check for $15, took my husband out to dinner, and announced that I was a writer!

Aside from a cup of good, strong coffee, what helps you get all of your “brain cylinders” firing so you can write well? Do you have any favorite places and routines when you write? How many hours a day do you spend writing? 

I’m a tea drinker, so I’ll have to skip the coffee part!  I get up, breakfast and do twenty minutes of exercise, dress, and go to the computer. And the next day I do that over again. When I’m constantly involved in the story that way, I find it fairly easy to get back into it and get quickly to work. With my schedule, I don’t have time to wait for inspiration—I start writing and trust that the inspiration will come. I try to do my new writing in the morning if at all possible, leaving the later hours for working on things like edits, blogs, interviews, etc.

What has been the biggest help to you in the journey to publication? Writers’ conferences? Writing groups? Your mom as your first draft reader? 

I started writing when there was no internet, few writers’ conferences, fewer still writing groups. I didn’t know another soul who wrote fiction! My education at that time consisted of reading every copy of Writer’s Digest and The Writer, reading heavily in the genre I wanted to write, and writing every day. I love the easy access I have now to other writers, with support only a mouse-click away, but I know that it can be done without when necessary.

Is the “writer’s life” what you thought it would be? 

I still love writing, but I didn’t realize that there would be so much ‘business’ to writing. In a way, those years before you sell are golden, because then you’re writing only for the joy of it. It gets much more complicated when there are contracts involved, though I wouldn’t trade it for any life I can imagine. If I won the lottery tomorrow (which is very unlikely, since I never buy a ticket!), I’d still go to the computer and start writing my pages for the day.

What are your biggest distractions?  

My husband standing behind me while I’m typing, waiting for me to stop so he can ask me something. Just ask me, already!

What was one of the best moments in your career and what was one of the worst? 

I’m not sure I can choose, because it keeps changing. As we progress through our careers, our goals continue to move out ahead of us, and I think that’s how it should be.

What do you least like about being a writer? Most like? 

I love creating the story—when it’s still in my mind, it’s perfect, but when I start putting it down on the page, it invariably falls short.

What is the role and importance of an agent? 

I didn’t have an agent during the years I wrote for Love Inspired, because I felt able to handle the category contracts on my own. When I was ready to market a longer series, however, I knew that I didn’t want to venture into those deep waters without an advocate. And my agent is amazing!

What advice would you give to new writers? 

Read, read, read and write, write, write. There are no shortcuts, and all of us have to write a certain amount of dreck before we get down to the real stories that only we can tell.

Pretend I’m a customer at a bookstore looking for a good book. Give me a one or two sentence promo to convince me to buy your book. 

Sarah’s Gift: An Amish midwife faces the destruction of all that is most dear to her when an English doctor files charges against her.

What’s on the book horizon for you? 

I’m writing the third in the Amish suspense series, Judgment in Plain Sight; an e-book novella that will be on the Harlequin website in May, Lost in Plain Sight; and I’m starting work on the sixth book in the Pleasant Valley series.

Last question, how can readers find you and your books? Go to my website at www.martaperry.com; look for me at Marta Perry Books on Facebook; or write to me at marta@martaperry.com. If readers would like a signed bookmark and my brochure of Pennsylvania Dutch recipes, they should just send me their mailing addresses.

Thank you for sharing your writing life with my bleaders! (blog + readers = bleaders)

Welcome to Author Spotlight! Each week will feature a different author. We’ll get the scoop behind their writing life and dish a little. The authors will also be giving away a copy of their latest book. FUN.

The winner from last week’s Author Spotlight with Patti Lacy is Kristie! Please email my assistant Amy with your mailing address. (amy@litfusegroup.com)

This week is Ann Gabhart is in the Spotlight! To win a copy of Ann’s latest book, Angel Sister, leave a comment on this post!

Share a little bit about yourself. Married with kids?

I’m a country girl. I was born in an old farmhouse that was built around a log cabin about a mile from where I live now. To say my roots go deep in this land might be an understatement. My father’s family have farmed this land for several generations. I married a man with a farming background and we still live on a farm. We have three children, all happily married, and nine beautiful grandkids. 

I like being country. And I like being a writer. While I know where the country part comes from, I have no idea how I got the writing bug. I can only think the Lord must have had some extra writing seeds on hand when I was born and decided to drop them in me. 

Share a bit about your writing – what you write. Why you write.

I started writing down stories when I was about ten years old and have been writing ever since. I’ve written lots of different types of stories. That first story long ago was a mystery fashioned along the lines of the Hardy Boy mysteries I enjoyed reading. Never finished that story. I guess I outgrew it. As a teen I wrote typical teenage angst stories nobody in their right mind would ever want to read. I broke into publication with personal experience pieces for Christian magazines. And then I began writing my second novel – you know, the one after that one where I was a Hardy boy mystery solver. I haven’t looked back since. I love coming up with characters who I can get to know and live with for months, even years as I write down their stories. I’ve had over twenty novels published in several different genres. I wrote for the general market for years before Revell Books published my first inspirational novel, The Scent of Lilacs, in 2005. I love writing for the inspirational market where I can tell the whole story – the one about whatever’s happening in my characters’ lives along with their faith journeys. Readers have enjoyed my Shaker books, but I don’t consider myself a “Shaker” writer. If I had to pick a label for my writing right now, it would be a “historical” writer. I enjoy discovering an interesting historical event or era and plopping my characters down in that time and seeing what happens. 

Why do I write? I write because I love to tell stories. I write because I love spilling out words on paper or the computer screen. I write because the Lord blessed me with the gift of words.

Tell us about your current release.

Angel Sister is a story about a family during the Great Depression years. Kate Merritt is fourteen and the middle sister in her family. The responsible sister. When the pressures of the economic times cause her father to turn to the bottle for relief and her mother begins to shut him away, Kate works to hold her family together. And then a little girl is abandoned on the church steps, and the Merritt family will never be the same. The story’s romance is between the parents. A flashback WW I story of how they fell in love is woven throughout the book as they try to hold onto that love in the face of the problems besetting them.

Where did you get the idea for this story?

My characters and events are completely fictional, but the seed of the idea came from the stories my mom and her sisters used to tell me about growing up during the Depression years. They were so happy in spite of the hard times and some family hard times too. I borrowed their background. Their dad was a blacksmith and served in WW I. My dad in the book is a blacksmith and served in WW I. There were four sisters in their family. There are four sisters – sort of – in my family. They had a number of odd characters in their community. I picked two of them, imagined reasons for their oddities and dropped them into my story. Mostly I tried to carry over the underlying feeling of family love and perseverance through hard times that I heard in my mom’s stories to my fictional family’s story in Angel Sister. 

Was it hard taking the stories your mother told you and turning them into a fictional story?

It was harder than I thought it would be. When I wrote my first inspirational novel, The Scent of Lilacs, I used a lot of my memories from growing up in the Sixties for the background. That worked pretty well for me since it helped me find a loving editor for my book and I had so much fun writing about Jocie and her friends in my fictional Hollyhill, Kentucky. The setting, Main Street and the little country church, came straight from what I remembered things were like in my hometown in the Sixties. So I thought it would be a good idea to borrow another background that although I hadn’t experienced that era or place firsthand, I did know it through my mother’s stories of growing up during the 1930s. I also wanted to in some way tell my mother’s story, to show her wonderful spunky spirit.  So I came up with the idea for the story. I had the background, the skeleton of the story with my characters in place. But then the words didn’t want to come. I had to realize I wasn’t writing a memoir. I was writing fiction. While some of the story carries a few germs of truth from my mother’s stories, I had to make the characters mine and separate them from my memories of mom and her sisters. The story I told didn’t really happen. I just gathered my people and said what if we pretend it did. And then the Merritt family came to life and told me their story.

Who is your favorite character in this book and why?

It’s hard for me to pick a favorite character in any of my books because I have to get under all their skins. Of course there are definitely some characters I wouldn’t pick as my best friends, but it’s good for a writer to try to turn a sympathetic eye even on her unsavory characters while she’s putting them into a story.  Of course in Angel Sister, Kate has to be a favorite since she’s the one with my mom’s spunky fix things attitude. She’s innocent and tough at the same time. Then Lorena captured my heart from her first appearance on the church house steps where she’s trying to cover up her toes with her skirt tail. Last I fell in love with Victor, Kate’s father, as he struggled with his demons and yet wanted so much to hang onto Nadine’s love.

What did you like the most about writing this book?

I definitely liked best getting to go back down memory lane with my mother. Her stories of growing up echoed in my head even while I was making up my own song to sing to her memory tune. I liked getting to know these characters and sharing their challenges and experiencing their victories.

What did you like the least?

There’s always a spot in every book where I wonder if my story is going to work. Angel Sister was no different.  I wondered if I was dragging my feet – or should that be fingers – on the plot. Would anybody like my people? Was Fern and her cedar palaces something anybody would believe? That middle sea of doubts shows up in every book and I have to do my best to sail through those doubts and finish the story. It’s only after I write “The End” that I can really decide if the story is the one I hoped to tell.

What do you wish you had known when you started writing that you know now?

I wish I had known that as much as I want to write, it’s not always going to be easy to find the right words. I wish I could have really believed that rejections were just signposts on the way to acceptances and not been so discouraged by them. I wish I had written a dozen more books.

Tell us how you’ve dealt with discouragement during your writing career?

Sometimes people ask me what’s the most important attribute for a writer and I always say perseverance or sometimes I just country it down and say plain old stubbornness. My stories have been rejected at times and I’ve been discouraged, but though I told myself over and over in my journal that I should give up, I never did. I always saw hope in the next story. So I never quit writing. The times I was most discouraged I used my journal as a place to vent and weep and somehow each time I got to the end of those journal entries, I was feeling a bit of hope rise out of the disappointments of the day. Tomorrow. Next year. Next book.

I love that Emily Dickinson poem/quote. “Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without words, and never stops at all.” Hope – that’s how I dealt with discouragement. Hopes that mirrored my prayers.

Tell us the most encouraging thing that has happened to you while writing a story.

I love it when characters show up out of nowhere. Suddenly they just appear on the stage of your story and make the plot thicken. The first time I remember that happening years ago I was writing a chapter book for young readers called Discovery at Coyote Point. The story seemed to be lagging, and then my character, a boy of twelve, got off the bus at his grandparents’ house and a girl climbed down off the bus behind him. Just what the story needed.  So now I am always encouraged when my subconscious pushes that unexpected character or idea out to the forefront of my brain so my story will be better.

Do you have a pet? If so, tell us about it.

I’m a dog lover. When I was about eight, I got the dog hunger and started begging for a dog. It took a while, but finally a family friend showed up with a Collie/Spitz mix pup that I named Ollie after the friend. He wasn’t as honored as I thought he would be. Ollie was my first dog and I’ve never been without a dog by my side since then. Right now I have three dogs. Coffee W. Crutcher is a registered Chocolate Lab given up by his owners because he was too rambunctious. We call him Dub for short. Oscar is a mostly black Lab who was dropped and given to us by the people who first took him in. He’s one of those very good dogs. Last I have a Heinz 57 dog called Lucy who definitely has some Beagle in her because she loves to hunt, but her legs are so short she can never catch anything.

Pretend I’m a customer at a bookstore looking for a good book. Give me a one or two sentence promo to convince me to buy your book. 

This is a story of my heart about a family who I hope will capture your heart. They love. They cry. They persevere.

What’s on the book horizon for you? 

The Blessed, my fourth Shaker novel, will be released this summer in July. Lacey Bishop is a character I came up with while planning my most recent Shaker book, The Seeker, but she so captured my imagination I didn’t want to waste her as a minor character in that book. So I let her tell her whole story in this new book.  There’s also a historical novel set in 1850s Louisville with a working title of Words of Fire that may be released early in 2012. And Revell plans to repackage and reissue my Hollyhill books. Right now I’m working on another Shaker novel.

Last question, how can readers find you and your books?

You can visit me at my website www.annhgabhart.com  to find out more about my books and sign up from my newsletter. You can keep up with what’s going on in my writing life and down here on the farm by reading my blog, One Writer’s Journal, at www.annhgabhart.blogspot.com.

You can also join the conversation on my Facebook author page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-H-Gabhart/132862247566. I’m even trying out Twitter now so you can look me up there if you “tweet.”

Thank you for sharing your writing life with my bleaders! (blog + readers = bleaders)

 Thank you so much, Suzanne, for inviting me over to talk about my new book, Angel Sister. I love meeting new reading friends.
 

Welcome to Author Spotlight! Each week will feature a different author. We’ll get the scoop behind their writing life and dish a little. The authors will also be giving away a copy of their latest book. FUN.

The winner from last week’s Author Spotlight with Lynn Dove is Seuss! Please email my assistant Amy with your mailing address. (amy@litfusegroup.com)

This week is Patti Lacy is in the Spotlight! To win a copy of Patti’s latest book, The Rhythm of Secrets, leave a comment on this post! And be sure to scroll to the bottom of this email and find out how you can enter Pattie’ NOOK Giveaway!

Share a little bit about yourself. Married with kids? Empty nester? Do you work full-time and write when you can squeeze it in?

I’m Patti Lacy, the Normal Novelist. Yep, I really do live in Normal, Illinois, a strange place for a woman who popped into this world from the back seat of a Buick!

After a court reporting career, I returned to the teaching roots established by an education degree from Baylor and my teacher parents and taught Humanities at a community college. In 2005, God whispered for me to write the story of my best friend, a brave Irishwoman who was banished from her beloved cliffs of County Clare, Ireland, when she was only five years old. Kregel Publications published that first story, An Irishwoman’s Tale, and ever since, I’ve been consumed by the passion to write.

Oh! I have a sweet husband, two marvelous grown kids, a son-in-law, two granddogs, and a mutt named Laura!

Share something about your writing. What’s your genre(s), your areas of interest?

I love to span seas and secrets, inspired by true stories of women. A five-year-old whose first memory is, “The little eejit’s got to go.” Two girls, one black, one white, working toys through spaces in a fence, whose chains, along with racism, try to stop them from being friends. A new mother, holding her baby for the first…and last…time during the span of a ten-minute cab ride. How can I NOT write such things?

Oh, the factoids. Sorry! I get carried away! I write women’s fiction in the inspirational market.

How did you get started writing? Did you have a dream of being a published author?

I always get ahead of the questions, like having already answered this one. Sigh. Until 2005, all I’d written was embarrassing love letters, maudlin poetry, and esoteric papers for my master’s work in literature.

After you started writing seriously–how long was it before you were published?

A little over a year. Attending Write to Publish in Wheaton accelerated my process…I would guess by years. Before you blanch, I really believe we all start writing when we begin reading. I’ve been gobbling books ever since I was five. Um, fifty years!

Aside from a cup of good, strong coffee, what helps you get all of your “brain cylinders” firing so you can write well? Do you have any favorite places and routines when you write? How many hours a day do you spend writing?

I ALWAYS write in my study, surrounded by my painting friends ( I love Scott Mutter, Herb Eaton, Angel Ambrose) my books, and MY MUSIC!!! Yes, I tap the keys to…Alicia Keyes, Corinne Bailey Rae, Jamey Johnson, Selah, David Crowder Band, the Fray, Tracy Chapman, Switchfoot…you name it! We’re talking classical, Celtic, country, sacred, rap, blues, jazz.

My adult kids hooked me up with Pandora, which augments a great CD collection.

Hours in a day writing? Anywhere from five or six to ZERO!

What has been the biggest help to you in the journey to publication? Writers’ conferences? Writing groups? Your mom as your first draft reader?

Soulmate critique partners, who GET what I’m doing and will not let me settle for less than the best. An agent who pushes me to the precipice…so I can fly.

I wrote an article for an upcoming Inkwell Inspirations post (2/2 and 2/3) called, “It Takes a Village to Feed a Writer.” In my case, it’s totally true. The prayer partners, the great editors at the publishing houses, my dog Laura, who “muses from the chair in my study; most importantly, the Holy Spirit, Who whispers instruction, encouragement; truly a co-author!

Is the “writer’s life” what you thought it would be? 

No! There are more highs and lows than I ever dreamed possible. My biggest lows have come at “big” moments, like book releases. I never dreamed what’s involved in marketing a book, getting a book right, and the aftermath of cutting open your chest, extracting your heart, nestling it in novel pages, and leaving yourself exposed for the whole world to review!

What are your biggest distractions?

Juggling with the various hats of proposal-writer, creator, editor, mentor, seller, publicist.

What was one of the best moments in your career and what was one of the worst?

God has given me SO MANY wonderful moments? Selling out of An Irishwoman’s Tale at Milwaukee’s IrishFest and STILL corresponding with readers from all over the country.  Barnes & Noble book signings that reach from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Corpus Christi, Texas. Those special e-mails that explain in beautiful prose how my book touched lives.

Worst? Hmmm. When everything about the industry seems to be about $$$.  When the powers-that-be don’t get it…and don’t seem to be trying so hard.

What do you least like about being a writer? Most like?

The one-on-one writing sessions with God, the worn-out keys, and story snippets.

Dealing with…you guessed it!!…the money. Good thing my agent is a whiz at it!

What is the role and importance of an agent?

Asked and answered … Natasha Kern is THE GREATEST!

What advice would you give to new writers?

Write for the Audience of One. If you don’t it will NEVER BE ENOUGH. Trust me on this one.

Pretend I’m a customer at a bookstore looking for a good book. Give me a one- or two-sentence promo to convince me to buy your book.

I span seas, secrets, and the mysteries of women’s hearts to show how God works for good in ALL things: even when your mother gives you away (An Irishwoman’s Tale); even in the face of a brutal rape (What the Bayou Saw); even when you were coerced as a teenager to give away your beloved son (The Rhythm of Secrets); even when your family lost its precious jewel (Reclaiming Lily). If you love multicultural, romance, and women’s issues, you just may love my books!

How’d ya like THOSE two sentences?
Warning: my books are Julie Lessman LOOOOONG

What’s on the book horizon for you?

Reclaiming Lily releases with Baker Books in the fall of 2011. Two cultures. Two women. One child. It’s a definitely different twist on a China adoption story!

Last question, how can readers find you and your books?

My books are either on the shelves of Barnes & Nobles, Borders, Christian bookstores like Family Christian Bookstore, or can be ordered. Then there’s www.amazon.com!

Visit me, folks, at www.pattilacy.com.

I’d love to have you join my Facebook fam and see my daily Art Bite postings (see, I just can’t leave that Humanities instructor role!)

Then there’s the new Author Page, created JUST for Rhythm of Secrets Facebook party. Don’t MISS IT! That Nook, you know…

Thank you for sharing your writing life with my bleaders! (blog + readers = bleaders)

Thank YOU. IT was a blast!

Patti Lacy is celebrating the release of her latest book with a NOOK Giveaway, blog tour and Book Club Party!

Follow the blog tour and read the reviews!

Patti and her publisher, Kregel Publications, are giving away a NOOK prize package worth over $150 to one lucky winner!!!! 

Enter the Nook eReader Giveaway and you could win:

• A brand new Nook eReader with Wi-Fi
• $25 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble

To enter, simply click on the icons below to fill out the entry form/s, then tell 5 or more friends about the contest. Oh, and enter soon! Winner will be announced on February 16th at Patti’s Rhythm of Secrets Facebook Party.

Patti will be announcing the winner of The Rhythm of Secrets NOOK giveaway at her Party on Facebook  February 16th! 

She’ll be hosting a book club discussion of The Rhythm of Secrets and giving away other fun prizes! (signed copies of her books and gift certificates to Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, & iTunes!). Don’t miss the fun at Patti’s FB Author Page on February 16th at 5pm PST ( 6 pm MST, 7 pm CST, & 8 pm EST)!

Welcome to Author Spotlight! Each week will feature a different author. We’ll get the scoop behind their writing life and dish a little. The authors will also be giving away a copy of their latest book. FUN.

The winner from last week’s Author Spotlight with Cara Putman is Lourdes! Please email my assistant Amy with your mailing address. (amy@litfusegroup.com)

This week is Lynn Dove is in the Spotlight! To win a copy of Lynn’s latest book, Heal the Wounded, leave a comment on this post!

Share a little bit about yourself. Married with kids? Empty nester? Do you work full-time and write when you can squeeze it in?

I am a Christ-follower, a wife, a mom, a soon-to be grandmother, a teacher and a writer (in that order). I wear so many different “hats” that I find prioritizing them tends to focus me better. I have been married to my best friend, Charles for 32 years and we have three wonderful children: daughter, Laurelle (husband, Matt) are expecting our first grand baby in February, and we have two live-at-home teenagers, Brett and Carmen. We are blessed that every one of our children are also Christ-followers and involved in some kind of ministry unique to their gifts and talents.

I substitute teach junior and senior high school, but admittedly I have spent most of my time lately pursuing my writing career, so I am not in the classroom as often as I would like to be. I work with the youth at our church and have done so for many, many years and I currently work with a vibrant group of grade eight girls that keep me on my toes with their theological questions!

I have often complained to my husband (and others) that I have cobwebs on my vacuum cleaner because when I get absorbed in writing and marketing…who am I kidding?…in ANYTHING…I tend to forget about housework, cooking, laundry etc. I am the anti-Martha Stewart I think. LOL!

And share something about your writing. What’s your genre(s), your areas of interest…

I write contemporary Christian fiction for young adults and teens. My books deal with relevant social issues such as teen pregnancy, family conflict, gossip and bullying. I wanted to present to my readers an alternative to the occult-type books out there that seem to be so popular nowadays with the youth. My books appeal to all youth regardless of whether or not they are Christian and I think that is why my books have been given a more world-wide readership. Parents of youth are looking for a family-friendly alternative to some of the dark and disturbing messages that some of the current books in this genre offer. Yet teens also want to “keep it real”, so I don’t shy away from the grittier topics such as “cutting”, teen pregnancy, alcohol abuse and family conflict. All teenagers can relate in some way to those issues.

Both my books, Shoot the Wounded and Heal the Wounded have recently been selected as “Helpful Resources” on the world’s largest anti-bullying site: www.bullying.org My goal is getting the word out there through my books, speaking and blog writing, that bullying is not to be tolerated.

How did you get started writing? Did you have a dream of being a published author?

I was blessed all through school with teachers who encouraged me to write. My biology teacher wrote in my year book just before my graduation, “To the only literary biologist I know.” My teachers always knew that when I handed in an assignment, they would get a long treatise of literary verbiage that probably made them cringe to mark. I always dreamed of being a published author but honestly I never thought I would be doing this, or writing in this genre, now when I’m 50 something. Starting a new career in mid-life is truly a blessing from God!

After you started writing seriously–how long was it before you were published?

I actually wrote Shoot the Wounded well over ten years ago. It started out as a short story and after I had written one hundred pages I knew I couldn’t consider it a “short” story any longer. Then the manuscript literally (hahaha) took up space on the hard drive of my computer for ten years. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001 and battled the disease for two years. My family and I experienced God profoundly through that time and certainly to many I am considered a “survivor” today but I hope I have done much more than survive, I hope I have “thrived”!

In 2003 I felt the call to go to seminary, and I also worked on staff at my church as the Children’s Minister. My daughter, Laurelle got married and I took time with her planning the wedding. Life was just very full to say the least during those years. After I graduated seminary in 2007 with my Master of Religious Education degree, I rediscovered my manuscript, almost by accident there on my laptop and it was my husband who encouraged me to get it published. God started opening some doors for me and in 2009 Shoot the Wounded was published. I wrote the sequel, Heal the Wounded in a year and published it in October, 2010 and I am working on the final book in the “Wounded Trilogy” – Love the Wounded that I hope to release in 2011. I am also writing a more autobiographical account of my journey with breast cancer. I am currently putting together that book proposal to submit to publishers.

Is the “writer’s life” what you thought it would be?

When I published Shoot the Wounded in 2009, I truly had no idea the amount of time and energy an author puts in to promoting and marketing a book. I made (make) a lot of mistakes, but I have learned so much about the business and I love to connect with other authors, such as you, Suzanne, who continue to encourage me daily. I am blessed to be amongst such a community of faithful writers!

What was one of the best moments in your career and what was one of the worst?

There have been several “stellar” moments in my short career. When my friend Caleb sent me his art work for the cover of Shoot the Wounded, I was so overwhelmed by its brilliance, I cried. I think that was the moment I realized that I was actually going to publish a book…with a cover! I felt the exact same emotion with Caleb’s cover design for my second book, Heal the Wounded. I can’t imagine how I’ll react when he sends me the last of his cover designs for Love the Wounded!

A few more highlights that come to mind was at the book launch of Shoot the Wounded when it was “commissioned” at my church. It was truly a humbling and profound experience to have one of the deacons pray for me and for my book, acknowledging that this was much more than just a book launch, this marked the start of my writing “ministry”. Whenever I get caught up with numbers and sales of my books, and I feel a sense of pride in my own accomplishments start to bubble up, I remember that God is in control of this enterprise, and He is directing my steps as well as determining whom He wants to read my books. It is for His glory, not mine that I write.

Another “best” moment for me was when my debut novel, Shoot the Wounded was named a Finalist in the Readers Favorite Book Awards. That was very exciting.

The worst moment came after I received a very mean-spirited, negative review of my first book. It was hurtful, not a bit constructive, only critical and harsh, and it destroyed my confidence for several weeks afterwards. It was my husband who reminded me that if I considered my writing a ministry, I must also expect that at some point, I would also face spiritual attack. Every writer has had their share of negative reviews I know. It is one of those things that kind of goes with the territory when you publish a book. That said, after that awful experience, I vowed I would never be the cause of destroying another author’s self-confidence by posting a negative review on my blog or elsewhere, about their books. I only post positive reviews on books that I have liked and enjoyed. I am all about being an encourager.

What advice would you give to new writers? 

As a Christian author, oftentimes we do not like to “toot our own horn”. It goes against our nature to promote ourselves because we are taught in scripture to humble ourselves. I have learned that you need to promote yourself in order to have your books read. It is important to connect with your readers through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, and I have found that having an interesting blog is equally effective to showcase your writing. My blog, Journey Thoughts has become almost more popular than my books this past year! I have been able to interview wonderful Christian authors and I have been told by my faithful readers that they have been blessed and ministered to through my blog.

Pretend I’m a customer at a bookstore looking for a good book. Give me a one or two sentence promo to convince me to buy your book.

Heal the Wounded is the much-anticipated sequel to my debut novel, Shoot the Wounded. Like the first book, Heal the Wounded takes the reader even deeper into the lives of teenagers who are trying to live out their faith in the midst of upset and struggle.

Last question, how can readers find you and your books?

I love to connect with my readers on my website: www.shootthewounded.org or on my blog, Lynn Dove’s Journey Thoughts: http://lynndove.wordpress.com. Readers may also connect with me on Facebook or on Twitter.

My books may be ordered directly off my website or they can be ordered from Amazon.com or Amazon.ca for my Canadian friends.

Thank you for sharing your writing life with my bleaders! (blog + readers = bleaders)