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 Tim Sinclair is Amber! Please email my assistant Amy with your mailing address. (amy@litfusegroup.com)

This week Joan Wolf is in the Spotlight! To win a copy of Joan’s latest book, A Reluctant Queen, 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? 

About myself.  Well, my husband and I have lived in Connecticut for 35 years where we’ve raised two kids and many animals.  We were both born in New York City, however, and I root for the Yankees and he roots for the Mets.  We have lively dinner-time discussions.

My writing time differs from that of most writers I know.  I only write two hours a day.  I just can’t seem to generate anything else after two hours.  I can edit material I’ve already written, but my creative juice has been drained.

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

I got started writing when I had my first child and retired from teaching high school English.  It was the classic case of a lonely stay at home mom in a new town with no friends.  So when the baby slept, I wrote a book.  I sold it, the publisher gave me a contract for two more, and I went on from there.  A Reluctant Queen will be my 45th published book.

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

I am probably best known for my regencies, but the books that have lasted longest are my historicals – a trilogy about Dark Ages Britain: The Road to Avalon, Born of the Sun and The Edge of Light.  I came close to a movie contract once or twice, but so far nothing has panned out.

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

I got my first book published when I got an agent.  Before that I sent it around to publishers on my own and it regularly came back.  When I got an agent she sold it to one of the companies that had rejected it in the first place.  Go figure.

What are your biggest distractions?

My biggest distractions?  Well, when I was a mom with young children it was the kids, of course.  When they finally went to school it was better, but I always had a horse that needed to be ridden and a dog that needed to be walked.  And after school there were all those fun sporting events to attend with the kids.  I think that’s how I settled on two hours a day.  I also have a terrible time writing in the summer – I got used to taking off while the children were out of school!

Today my biggest distraction, and it is huge, is that I run my church’s food pantry.  With the recession this ministry has expanded to include putting people up in hotels, finding them apartments, paying utility bills, etc.  It’s really a full time job because I have to keep careful paperwork to account for all the money and supermarket cards I use.  But it’s very worthwhile, so I just do the best I can.  Right now, I’m lucky if I get one and a half hours in on the book.

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

For me, there’s nothing not to like about being a writer.  I was home for my kids.  I made a great deal of money in proportion to the time I put in on my work, and I did something I loved doing.  Perfect job.  I was lucky, though, to start when I did.  The market was much more open, much less compartmentalized than it is now.  I wrote what I felt like writing and my publishers published it.  How great is that?  It’s not that way any more.

What advice would you give to new writers? 

My advice to new writers – get an agent.  I would never have done as well as I did if I didn’t have an absolutely super agent in Aaron Priest.  And my new career in Christian fiction has come about because of a wonderful agent, Natasha Kern, who believed in my books and got them sold.

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. 

Well, if you like a great love story, if you enjoy reading about far away places and different times, if you like a book with an inspiring theme, then A Reluctant Queen is for you.

What’s on the book horizon for you?

My new book for Thomas Nelson will be the story of Rahab.  I’m into biblical women right now.

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

A Reluctant Queen is available at bookstores and online at Amazon and Amazon Kindle; Barnes and Noble and Barnes and Noble Nook.  It is also available as an audio book.  I would just love it if your readers would give it a try. www.joanwolf.com

To celebrate Joan Wolf’s debut Christian Fiction title, A Reluctant Queen, Joan and her publisher, Thomas Nelson, have teamed up to give away A Reluctant Queen prize package worth over $150!

One grand prize winner will receive:

* A brand new Latest Generation KINDLE with Wi-Fi and Pearl Screen

* A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf (for KINDLE)

To enter, just click one of the icons below. But, hurry, the contest ends on June 20th. Winner will be announced on June 21st during Joan’s A Reluctant Queen Book Club Party on Facebook (details below)! Hope to see you there – bring your friends!

Join the fun on June 21st! 

Joan will be wrapping up the blog tour and Kindle giveaway promotion during her A Reluctant Queen FACEBOOK party on her FB author page. During the party she’ll announce the winner of the Kindle, host a book chat discussion, test your trivia skills (Is Esther’s story in A Reluctant Queen fact or fiction?), and more. Don’t miss this chance to meet the author and make some new friends!