Susan Reinhardt is Proof Why You Shouldn't Give Up

I am delighted to have debut author Susan Reinhardt on my blog today. Susan is a close friend whom I met blogging several years ago. Her first book, The Moses Conspiracy, a futurisric suspense novel, realeased this month. Since her writing journey was rather long and she persevered to publication, I thought you'd be interested in a bit of her story. If you'd like to purchase The Moses Conspriracy, see the end of this post.

Jen: How did you keep discouragement at bay while you were hoping and praying for a book contract?

Susan: Since I had a strong vision for the trilogy and knew how much it meant to my late husband, I tried to keep that front and center. Yet there were many times when I wanted to quit. Prayer and a network of writers kept encouraging me. At some point, I decided no matter what happened this series would make it to publication, either traditionally or through my own efforts.

 

           Jen: Has blogging played a major role in your writing career? If yes, how?

            Susan: In May, I'll celebrate my fifth Blogiversary. Blogging opened up many      opportunities to meet other writers, both aspiring and published. They became my friends, support system, mentors, critique partners, and teachers.

 

Me and Susan Reinhardt at Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference, 2011

 

            Jen: What is the best and worst writing advice you’ve received?

            Susan: Best - Have more than one book written, so editors will see you're serious about writing. This was an important element in getting my contract.

                        Worst - Write what the market wants. I never bought into that scenario. If I'm writing merely for the sake of getting published, there won't be any life in my words. While I'd like to try other genres, I must invest myself in the story or readers will know I'm not being authentic.

Jen: Do you pattern your writing after certain novelists? 

Susan: We can all learn and be inspired by other authors, but we each bring our unique personalities to the table. I don't want a reader saying my work reminds them of another author's books. God made me who I am, and I want to honor Him by using my own voice.

Jen: Who are your favorite authors?

Susan: The list is long and somewhat eclectic, so I'll give you some of the highlights. My favorites include Tamera Alexander, Kristen Heitzmann, Kathi Macias, Cathy Gohlke, Julie Klassen, Christa Parrish, Frank Peretti, and James L. Rubart to name a few.

 

Here's a peek into The Moses Conspiracy: "A trip to post-terrorized Washington, D.C. in 2025 and a buggy accident in Bird-in-Hand, PA set in motion events that expose a diabolical plan to destroy the Christian community. Ellie and John Zimmerman find themselves embroiled in a life-threatening investigation, fighting a shadowy enemy.

"Convinced it's now safe to visit D.C., Ellie and her 8-year-old son, Peter, travel to the nation's capital. Both mother and child make an effort to enjoy the sights, but they're unprepared for the challenges they face. Her nightmares come true when she and Peter are separated.

"Back home, John witnesses a neighbor's buggy accident. The suspicious circumstances and law enforcement's refusal to take them seriously prompt him to take on the role of detective. He and a tenacious reporter band together and vow to find out what's happening in Bird-in-Hand."

If that sounds intriquing, you'll want to purchase it on Amazon today! Go to The Moses Conspiracy page to download onto your kindle. Get ready for a reading treat!

THANK YOU, SUSAN, for being with us today. I hope your book sells to the moon, and touches many lives for the Lord. Congratulations on your dream come true!

Tosca Lee Interview Part 2 and Two-Book Giveaway!

We continue our interview today with the incomparable Tosca Lee, author of Demon: A Memoir and Havah: the Story of Eve.

Jen: Have any of your beliefs changed or been challenged as you researched your books?

Tosca: Yes. For me that is an intensely personal question, with an intensely personal answer. I won’t go into the details, but it boils down, again, to grace. To a life apart from the religiosity that is us, and to learning to truly embrace the grace that is God. I used to be extremely legalistic. I had a lot of answers. Today I have fewer answers. I know a lot less, and I have many more questions. And God amazes me more and more. It’s almost as though He was waiting for me to let go of my neatly packaged version of Him to reveal His wild self. God is a WILD God. We do ourselves—and Him—a great disservice when we think we’ve got our minds around I Am.

Jen: Please explain why you said the worst writing advice you’ve received is, “Write what you know.” Everyone tells us to write what we know. How can that be wrong?

Tosca: For me, writing what I know would limit me to tales of errand-running and laundry-folding, airplane-sleeping, and life-fretting. That’s what I know. What I don’t know, still, is how big God is. Is how great grace is. How someone goes on after the mistake of a lifetime. Why someone would betray his mentor and friend. What happens when we leave the safe mundane of our lives. Those are the things I write to learn.

Jen: Speaking of advice, we’d like some. What can you tell us that you wish someone had told you when you first began writing?

Tosca: Writing is hard. It is not glamorous. It is as difficult and dirty as blood-letting. You have to be honest. You have to weep and fear and kick. And come back again. It might be best not to write if you can help it. But if you can’t not do it… then write. Breathe your raw breath. Don’t make it perfect—just real.

Jen: Tosca, I so appreciate you taking the time to answer these questions. May the Lord richly bless your life as you write for Him, your Audience of ONE.

For a chance to win a newly-released copy of Demon: A Memoir, which includes characters named after me and my husband--no joke!--or Havah: the Story of Eve, please leave a comment for Tosca* and your email address at the end of this post. Please say which book you prefer. If you’d rather buy a copy of Demon or Havah, go to http://www.toscalee.com/ or http://www.amazon.com/

*I want comments on this post that I can forward to Tosca, to put in her “encouragement file” for days when she needs a soul battery charge. That is why I'm requesting this as part of your entry.

You have until Saturday, August 7 at midnight to enter. I will draw a name on Sunday afternoon and post the winners then. Thanks for joining us!

News from Tosca:

 Here's a quick update for your blog readers: Havah is free for a couple weeks as a B&N download and readable on most e-readers here: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Havah/Tosca-Lee/e/9781433671777/?itm=1

If any of your readers would like to read my devotion that ran today on Proverbs 31, it is here: http://proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com/2010/08/wild-god-extravagant-love.html

Tosca Lee Interview Part I and book drawing

When I read these few simple facts about Tosca Lee:


“ the critically-acclaimed author of Demon: A Memoir--Christy Award finalist and ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Silver Award winner--and Havah: The Story of Eve, which received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and 4.5 stars from Romantic Times. Both novels have been newly acquired by B&H Publishing Group for re-release Summer 2010. A former first runner-up to Mrs. United States, Tosca received her B.A. from Smith College in Massachusetts. She also studied at Oxford University. Tosca's highly-anticipated third novel, Iscariot, releases Fall of 2011,”

I thought, Yes, but this doesn’t tell us what rattles Tosca’s soul, what keeps her up at night writing stories about how demons operate and how God grieves over His lost creation, about Eve having a tiff with Adam that lasted three years, and her anguish over losing Cain. I don’t want to glimpse an image of this lady—I want to soak up the substance of her heart.

So I asked her for an interview. And she agreed. Which tells you something about her right there.

Jen: Tosca, I read where you stated you can’t not write, which is true for many of us. But I’d like to know what keeps you writing when your own personal demons whisper insidious lies in your ear. It must happen to you. How do you overcome those voices of despair?

Tosca: I don’t know. I really don’t. I can avoid writing, procrastinate, run from it… but I always go back in some form. I used to be a dancer. Writing feels like dancing to me, like a breath from the soul. Just as I can’t not worry, or can’t not muse or cry, I can’t not move. I can’t not breathe. I can’t not write.

Jen: I love that one of your hobbies is studying theology, but it’s apparent to me that you live out of Jesus’ heart. How did you become a Believer, and how do you keep your love for Him alive, when distractions press in?

Tosca: I became a Believer at the age of 11 when I realized that just believing in God isn’t enough (after all, demons believe in God). There was this Jesus, and he made everything right for me. But I’m still learning about what that means. I’m still discovering grace. It’s an immense concept for me for grasp, grace.

Loving God, for me, is filled with intermittent periods of doubt and amazement. Doubt that He could love me, or a kind of bland acceptance (yes, yes, Jesus loves me—I grew up in church, I sang the song)… to an amazement that God knows me. That God loves me… and may even like me. We all know God loves us. It’s what God does, right? But that He might really like us… What a concept.


For a chance to win a newly-released copy of Demon: A Memoir, which includes characters named after me and my husband—really!—please leave a comment for Tosca* and your email address at the end of this post. If you’d rather buy a copy of Demon or Havah, go to http://www.toscalee.com/ or http://www.amazon.com/



*I want comments on this post that I can forward to Tosca, to put in her “encouragement file” for days when she needs a soul battery charge.


You have until Saturday, August 7 at midnight to enter. I will draw a name on Sunday afternoon and post the winner then. Please return with us on Friday for the second part of this interview and another chance to win. See you then!

This just came in from Tosca:

Here's a quick update for your blog readers: Havah is free for a couple weeks as a B&N download and readable on most e-readers here: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Havah/Tosca-Lee/e/9781433671777/?itm=1

Secrets to Freelance Success by Award-Winning Author, Michelle Medlock Adams, part 1

When I asked award-winning author Michelle Medlock Adams to speak for our annual Ladies Tea, I hoped to squeeze in an interview. I’m grateful Michelle talks faster than an auctioneer right before a thunderstorm, because I had to fold my questions between the dessert and the door prizes. Can you tell by her answers that she used to be a cheerleader?

 

Jen: You’ve done newspaper-reporting, non-fiction writing for adults and kids, and children’s books. Do you have a favorite genre?

Michelle (without pausing to ponder): Children’s

Jen: What is your favorite book you’ve written?

Michelle: Whichever book I’m working on at the time—right now it’s Counting Cows, the first in a series of board books featuring dancing, counting cows. Next up is “Christmas Cows,” published by Ideals, which is a division of Guideposts books.

Jen: I once heard you admit on a teaching CD that you could never find a pair of scissors around your house. Yet you’ve authored or co-authored 42 books and thousands of articles, so you must have some kind of order to your home life. What are some of your time management secrets for keeping your family/home/career organized and running smoothly?

Michelle: Diet Coke and Peanut M & M’s! No really, I write best at night when everyone else is asleep. Also, when I worked for a newspaper, I learned to write super fast. I don’t answer the phone when I’m writing—that’s a real time-stealer. And I set aside only one day a week for errands. If you chop up your errand running into several days, it will use up more time than doing it all at once.

Michelle, me, and Michelle's lovely and gracious daughter, Abby

Jen: With Mother’s Day coming up, can you share a little about how your mom’s faith influenced you, and how we can give our kids a heritage of faith?

Michelle: Mom taught Sunday school—she never missed a service. In fact, I think I was born underneath a pew! And even though I didn’t always want to attend church, I’m glad my parents made me go. What inspired me most in my mom was her positive attitude. She chose to be happy. She was always singing, even when she messed up the words. She’d wake me up in the morning by flipping the light switch on and off, keeping rythym while she sang, “This is the Day the Lord has made.”

The best thing we can teach our kids is to have a grateful heart. Teach them to appreciate all they have. It goes a long way with God and others.

Please join me Friday for part 2 of our interview and a chance to win one of three prizes, including Michelle’s newest children’s book, Counting Cows.

Getting Familiar: Interview with Chrisitina Berry, Author of The Familiar Stranger

Today I'm welcoming one of my blog followers, Christina Berry, author of The Familiar Stranger.

Jen: I'm so excited to have you here, Christina, so we can get to know you a little better.

Can you tell us a little about your debut novel?

Christina: The Familiar Stranger—formerly known as Undiscovered—is about a couple going through a really rough patch in their marriage. When an accident incapacitates the husband, their relationship must be redefined. Which would be a lot easier to do if BIG secrets from his past didn’t raise their ugly heads. Despite the upheaval, the choices they make involving forgiveness and trust might allow a new beginning. Or … they might not.

You can see the back cover copy and what other authors have said about The Familiar Stranger by going to http://www.christinaberry.net/books.aspx

Jen: What takaway value do you hope readers gain from reading Familiar Stranger?

Christina: The recent changes in my life—losing my husband, facing finding a “real” job, selling my home—have done nothing but solidify what I hope to be the theme of the book and my life: Live Transparently—Forgive Extravagantly. If reading The Familiar Stranger makes even one man or woman be more honest with his or her spouse or delve into trust issues in a healthy way, I’ll consider it a success. Maybe there’s a hurting heart that can find a new path to forgiveness because of the story.

Jen: Wow, I love that theme. All of us need to grow in those two areas. What fun facts may surprise your readers about you?

Christina: I was the team captain and second answerer in the speed round for our family on Family Feud in 2000 … and we won! Also, I grew up in Nigeria, West Africa, while my parents were Southern Baptist missionaries. I remember being awed at the selection of toilet paper in the grocery store when we returned to the States.

Jen: Wow, I guess we take those little things too much for granted.

I notice you and your mom write together. How does that work out in practical terms?

Christina: Well, it helps to share a brain! We honestly do finish each other's sentences or say random things at the same time. Because we did in depth character charts, we were both able to write all three points of view. Then we would switch chapters and edit each other's work. By the end of the book, we didn't even remember who had written which scenes. And feedback from editors is that they only hear one voice.
We put the 65 chapters we had plotted up on note cards and just took the next one, no matter which character is was, and wrote the book linearly.

Jen: I love that you think as one. What a blessing!

Lastly, I'd like to ask you how your writing journey has changed your Christian walk?

Christina: I see writing as one of the tools He uses to form me into His image—a tool to teach me patience, self-control, determination, reliance on Him, and other life lessons. I also see writing as a gift that brings me hope, fulfillment, and purpose when the rest of life is not so nice. The journey has sharpened me, yet also softened me.

Jen: Thank you so much for joining us today, Christina. I know my readers were blessed by this glimpse into your life. I certainly was!

If you'd like to purchase The Familiar Stranger, you can go to one of the following links:

http://www.christianbook.com/familiar-stranger-christina-berry/9780802447319/pd/447319?netp_id=612553&event=ESRCN&item_code=WW&view=covers

http://www.amazon.com/Familiar-Stranger-Christina-Berry/dp/0802447317/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239913987&sr=1-1

And if you leave a comment at the end of this post, your name will be entered in a 10-book giveaway drawing on Oct. 31st. Make sure you leave me your email address like this: jeanettelevellie(at)gmail(dot)com so if you win, Christina can email you to get your addy.

Tomorrow, join Christina and Trish Perry at http://www.trishperry.blogspot.com/ for the next stop on the tour of Familiar Stranger. Thanks for joining us!

The Man Who Wrote the Book on Humor, Part 2

Welcome to part 2 of our interview with Jim Watkins, award winning author, editor and speaker. If you'd like to win one of Jim's books, please leave a comment at the end of this post.

Jen: One of my favorite writers’ resources is a compilation you edited called, “Writers on Writing.” It includes articles by Jerry B. Jenkins, Liz Curtis Higgs and James Scott Bell. My copy looks like a color book, with orange, pink and yellow highlights throughout. With all the craft and how-to-write books on the market, what prompted you to write another?

Jim: WOW is sort of the “best of” writing advice from a virtual “who’s who” in Christian writing. It was actually envisioned by Wesleyan Publishing House to use in conjunction with the conference they sponsor in Indianapolis every November.

WPH’s second writing book was Communicate to Change Lives, which specifically addresses how to write and speak persuasively. I think there is a great need for this book. I would go to writers’ conferences and learn the mechanics and marketing of writing, but never a class on actually changing lives with one’s writing. So I approached WPH with the proposal and they also felt there was a real need.

Jen: Do you mind talking a little about your somewhat unusual marriage, since you are a “preacher’s husband?” I understand your lovely wife, Lois, is the pastor of a Friend’s church. How do you like this role?

Jim: I think the motto on the Watkins’ coat of arms should be “Nunquam Normalis”—“Never Normal.” I was one of the very first full-time youth pastors in the 70s, lived in a girl’s dorm for six years (Lois was resident director) and have been a pastor’s husband for nearly twenty years.
There are the usual “living in the parsonage” challenges, but I am thrilled that Lois is living out her passion, affirmation and talents. She is a great pastor! So, I’ve been a champion of women in ministry in my writing: http://www.jameswatkins.com/womeninministry.htm

Jen: Although your book “Squeezing Good out of Bad” is a comic look at trials, it squeezed a few tears from these eyes. Can you tell us a little about a few of the trials God has brought you through, and how His faithfulness has strengthened your faith?

Jim: The premise of the book is that believers use Romans 8:28 as a promise verse: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” But we don’t always go on to verse 29 and discover that “purpose”—“to be conformed to the image of his Son.”

And so God has used cancer, unemployment, family crises, chronic nose hair, etc., etc. to conform me to the image of Christ. And here’s the most amazing verse of all: “So even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). Amazing, indeed! If Jesus had to suffer to learn obedience, then I can expect a whole truck load of “lemons” in my life.
(You can read about the challenges I’ve faced at http://www.jameswatkins.com.)

Jen: Thank you, Jim, for joining us today. Do you have any final words of encouragement or advice for aspiring writers?

Jim: My pleasure! Let’s see, I think it all comes down to: Write. Rewrite. Network. Persist.

(You can find a lot more writing resources at http://www.jameswatkins.com/manu.htm .)

You will love Jim's website, I promise, or your money back. It is full of excellent advice for writers, humorous and poignant articles, and wonderfully outspoken opinions on everything from sex to spirituality.

Leave your name and email in the comment section for an opportunity to win one of Jim's books. I will draw the winner on October 6th at 5 p.m.

Jim Watkins: The Man Who Wrote the Book on Humor

Are you ready for some fun? I have invited Jim Watkins, an award-winning humor writer to join us today, and he graciously agreed. The above is not Jim's graduation photo.

Jen: Jim, your writing style is very easy to read, flowing naturally. I remember you saying, “If something is easy to read, it was difficult to write. And if it is difficult to read, it was too easy to write.” Can you explain this statement, please?

Jim: First, thanks for letting me visit your blog. What a privilege.
Second, the problem with writing is that anyone with a third grade education can write. That’s why, as an editor, I see so much bad prose and poetry—and why this big, mean editor rejects 99 percent of what he receives unsolicited. The secret to writing well is rewriting—and that takes blood, sweat and tears.

Anne Lamott, in her writing book Bird by Bird, explains, “I know some very great writers, writers you love who write beautifully and have made a great deal of money, and not one of them sits down routinely feeling wildly enthusiastic and confident. Not one of them writes elegant first drafts. All right, one of them does, but we do not like her very much. We do not think that she has a rich inner life or that God likes her or can even stand her.”
Finding Forrester is a wonderful movie about a grumpy old author (Sean Connery) who mentors a wannabe writer. He tells his student, “Write the first draft with your heart; the second draft with your head.”

“Easy reading,” then, is the result of very hard—and heartless—rewriting. It’s cutting lengthy, run-on sentences down to 15-words or less. Reading it out loud to see if it “sounds” right. Asking a grumpy old author to honestly critique our work.

Jen: Did you pursue a writing career, or did it jump out and grab you?

Jim: By second grade, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I felt the suspension of disbelief was stretched too thin when the real-live puppet Pinocchio became a real live boy. So I rewrote the ending having the wooden puppet die a painful, prolonged death of Dutch elm disease. (At that point, I’m sure my parents and teachers weren’t sure if I’d become a writer or a life-long patient at a psychiatric hospital.) I later went on to become the editor of my high school paper, worked at a Christian publishing house as an editor during college, and then dabbled in writing while holding down a real job. Since 1988 I’ve been writing and speaking full-time.
Many child development experts claim one’s profession is determined in elementary school. One bit of advice I’d offer, then, is actually a P-A-T answer to the question of “What do I want to be when I grow up?” What is your passion? For what are you being affirmed? and what are your talents? When passion, affirmation and talents line up, that’s what God has created you to do with your life.

I hope you wrote that last sentence down, friends--Jen

Jen: You have won awards for your books, yet you say that’s not where you find your identity. When you look in the mirror, where does your esteem come from?

Jim: Yes, I’ve won a Campus Life “Book of the Year” award, a Christian Retailers Choice award, an Amy Foundation award for using Scripture in a secular article, and four Evangelical Press Association award for editing, but let’s total those up: seven.

Compare that to 365 days a year since 1988: seven vs. 4,015! Awards can’t motivate and encourage you more than a few days at a time. So for the other four thousand days, I need some other motivation to get out of bed and make me sit in front of a computer for eight hours. And most important, I need something more substantial on which to build my identity and esteem than fleeting awards.

If my identity is built on being an award-winning author and speaker, what happens when I don’t win an award? When I get a rejection slip? When I don’t get invited to a prestigious conference. My identity gets bloodied and battered. But here’s what I cling to from Brennan Manning's wonderful book Abba's Child.
“Make the Lord and his immense love for you constitutive of your personal worth. Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. God's love for you and his choice of you constitute your worth.” That's another keeper!--Jen

Jen: Let’s talk a little about humor, which you wrote the book on, since your latest book is entitled, “Writing with Bananas Peels: Principles, Practices and Pratfalls of Writing Humor.” You employ a lot of funny business in your writing. Am I wrong in assuming most people appreciate that? Has your sense of humor ever gotten you into trouble?

Jim: I actually wrote a paper in graduate school called, “Effectiveness of the Use of Humor on Persuasive Messages in Print.” It cited university studies claiming that “humor attracts attention in all types of persuasive messages.” Humor connects with an audience and thus lowers the reader’s defenses.

And, yes, there have been times my humor has gotten me into trouble. But if you know your audience—and their boundaries—humor is a powerful, persuasive tool.

Notice he hedged the details of trouble he's been in...

I am offering as a prize this week your choice from three of Jim's books: "Writing with Banana Peels," "Squeezing Good from Bad," or "Writers on Writing." Please leave a comment with your email address to enter the drawing. If you come back Friday, you may enter a second time. You have until Tuesday October 6th at 4:00 p.m. I will post the winner the 7th.

Interview and Book Drawing

When fellow blogger Lynnette Bonner asked me to host an interview with her for the debut of her book Rocky Mountain Oasis I did not hesitate. Lynnette is not only a great novelist but a fascinating person with an intriguing past. Please join me in welcoming Lynnette Bonner.

Lynnette, I haven’t much experience at interviewing, but I love getting to know people, especially authors. When you first began writing seriously, did you have a difficult time referring to yourself as a writer?

Yes, I still do. But it is coming easier these days. I’ve had to start the self-promotion gig and so I’ve had to introduce myself to several book store owners/managers. Also, I think attending my monthly writers group where there are about 100 other writers helps with that too. We are all writers there – it is really nice to get together with others who understand the writing life.

Is there an author whose work you admire, and would love it if someone said, “Your writing reminds me of ______?”

There are many authors that I enjoy and if my work was compared to any one of them it would be high praise. Three of my favorites are: Bodie Thoene, Francine Rivers, and Jeanette Windle. All of those authors have a way of drawing me so into a story that I don’t want to come out, even at the end.

From the moment you got the idea for Rocky Mountain Oasis to its release, how long was the process?

I started writing Rocky Mountain Oasis in 1999, I think. So about 10 years from start to publication.

Look at this, friends! Ten years! Does this give you a little hope for your baby?

I noticed you grew up in Africa, attending a boarding school for most of your education. Is this where you developed your love for literature and writing?

To be honest, I’m not sure where my love of writing came from. I was an avid reader all my life – but honestly, I didn’t start seriously writing until after my son was born in 1993 – even then, I didn’t complete a work until I finished Rocky Mountain Oasis in 2000.
I do remember my mother telling me that I had the imagination of a writer when I was in the 7th grade, or so. And I remember thinking, at that time, that it would be fun to be a writer, but again, I didn’t take it seriously for a long time.

Rocky Mountain Oasis is the story of a “mail-order bride.” What caused you to choose this situation for your story?

I’m a seat of the pants writer, and that just popped into my story of its own volition as the story unfolded for me. Brooke, my main character, has been abused all her life by various men, and that seemed like something an abusive uncle, who didn’t want to deal with her anymore, would do – sell her as a mail-order-bride.

I love that your husband is a redhead! Are any of your four children redheads?

LOL – no actually they are not. A couple of them have some reddish highlights, but none are true red-heads.

Does your writing room look more like Mr. Rogers’ living room or Lost in Space?

Ha! Probably more like Lost in Legos. I also run an eBay business out of our home office. I have a Lego store on eBay. So my writing space contains my husband’s desk, my desk, all my unlisted Lego inventory, cabinets and bookshelves of storage space for the listed inventory, and my packaging area. (I close my eyes a lot when I write – LOL)

Wow. I will never again whine about a cluttered writing space! God forgive me...

What helped you overcome discouragement along the journey to publishing Rocky Mountain Oasis?

You know, discouragement is just part of a writer’s life, sad to say. There WILL be discouragement, but we just have to persevere.
Looking back, the Lord gave me little boosts of encouragement sprinkled in with the rejections to keep me submitting. There was a Christian subsidy publisher who only published a few books a year that really liked the book – but I didn’t want to help pay for the costs, so I turned them down. Then there was the e-book publisher who actually published the book for just a couple months before they went out of business, and there were the numerous friends, critique partners, and family members who encouraged me along the way.
I’d say one main way for a writer to stay encouraged is to get into a writer’s group. Everyone there will understand the feeling of discouragement that comes with rejection. And that in itself will be an encouragement.

Are there any words of wisdom you’d give new writers?

I’ve said it several times throughout this interview and I’ll say it again, get into a writer’s group. If there isn’t one in your area there are a lot of online groups available now. (http://www.christianwriters.com is a good example.)
And, of course, it goes without saying that your writing should be the absolute best it can be before you start submitting it to publishers.
Study the craft, attend writing conferences, persevere, and pray that the Lord will guide you.
I just want to add a quick note of thanks to Jeanette for allowing me to be here today. Also, I’d like to give away one e-copy of the book to a winning commenter drawn randomly next Wednesday the 2nd of September. So leave a comment if you’d like the chance to win a copy of the book.

Thank you, Lynnette, for joining us today. May your book sell through the ceiling, and we pray that many lives will be touched by it. May God richly bless you as you write for you Audience of ONE, Jen

If you'd like to order a copy of Rocky Mountain Oasis, click here for Amazon or here for CBD.

Lynnette Bonner ~ Inspirational Romance Author
http://www.lynnettebonner.com

A terribly upsetting event took place in my life a few days ago. I got mad, I ranted to my husband—it wasn’t his fault, poor guy—and I asked God for wisdom to remedy the situation. Then I tried to write. Oh me.

A low level devil perched on my shoulder as I sat at my desk, niggling me. “Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do?” Concentration fled. Anger returned. Yet I needed to finish the partial I was revising.

So I prayed some more, gritted my teeth, told Satan to shut up in Jesus’ Name, and revised anyway. I may not have done as good a job as I would have if all had been right with the world. But then, how many minutes in your lifetime has all been right? Fifteen or so? Thirty if you’re especially blessed.

When you are emotionally upset to the point of wigging out, crying, shouting or running away from home, how does it affect your writing? Do you plow through anyway, or do you set it aside for a time, then pick it up later when you’ve calmed down?

Blessings on you as you write for your Audience of ONE,
Jen

P.S. Please join me Wednesday for an interview and book giveaway with author Lynnette Bonner!

Interview and Book Drawing: A Writers' Writer, Patti Lacy

I chose for my first author interview one my favorite novelists, Patti Lacy. When I met Patti in March at the signing of her first book, Irishwoman’s Tale, I little dreamed what a positive impact this Southern humanities professor-turned Midwestern novelist would have on my life and writing.

Patti has shared her heart and home with me, welcomed me to her writers’ group, edited my first book, even toted me to Barnes and Noble for a late night browse-a-thon (I hadn’t the heart to tell her I go to bed at 8:30). She enjoys taking fledging writers under her wing like a gentle mama bird, teaching them how to soar above the wayward winds of discouragement and self-doubt. Patti is a writers’ writer, and I believe you will perceive that in the interview below.

Yesterday I spent the afternoon with Patti and fellow writers, Cammie Quinn and Clella Camp, at a book signing for Patti's newest novel, What the Bayou Saw:

If you'd like win a copy of either of Patti's books, please leave a comment with your email address. For every ten comments on this post, Patti will gift one autographed copy of What the Bayou Saw, a haunting tale of racism, buried secrets and the freedom of forgiveness. As a special bonus, I will give away one autographed copy of Irishwoman's Tale, the poignant story of a troubled woman's quest to uncover the painful mysteries of her childhood. These stirring novels are endorsed by Tosca Lee, Julie Lessman and Dennis Hensley. You have until Thursday, Aug. 13th at 4:30 to post your comment. I will draw the winners and announce them on Friday the 14th, my birthday!

And now, it is my honor to present Patti Lacy:

Jen: You are fairly new to the writing world, although you have a background in arts and humanities, is that correct?

Patti: If you call a last-minute hire by a Humanities chair at a community college and half a master’s in literature “background,” yes, I do! Mainly I’m an eclectic lover of the arts and a lifelong reader.

Jen: How do you account for your rapid success?

Patti: Jeanette, I’m cracking up! I just got off the phone with a soulmate writer friend who listened to me rant about my latest publishing world disappointment. My dear friend patiently reminded me of my own mantra: Write for that Audience of One. You believers know that whether we’re plumbers, teachers, and/or stay-at-home moms, that’s the key to success.

Jen: What encouragement can you give for those of us who are not getting published as quickly as you have?

Patti: Determine with God, once and for all, if you are meant to be a writer. If the answer is yes, ask the Holy Spirit to guide your every word. Then envision that day when you will be met by His words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Forget about all the rest. I don’t know if you will get published or not, and neither does anyone else. I don’t know if MY next manuscript will get published!

Jen: Whereas An Irishwoman’s Tale is based on a true story about a friend of yours and is mainly factual, What the Bayou Saw is a fictional story. Do people who read Irishwoman’s Tale often think that Bayou is your own story, since the main character, Sally, in I.T. is a characterization of you?

Patti: Well, my mother and brother were worried enough about it to hash things out in a couple of very long phone calls. The hard thing is that we writers interweave things from our lives into fiction—or at least this writer does. My mama really did wear her hair in a bun—like Sally’s mother in Bayou. My father taught at the local college—like the father in Bayou. However, the lion’s share of the plot, the conflicts, the tragedy, did not belong to our family. I did draw from some heartrending oral narratives about prejudice and utilized the services of three black women to put together my novel.

A rambling discourse that still didn’t answer your question. People are confused about which parts of me are in Bayou. You know what? So am I! And isn’t that the fun of writing??

Jen: I know you are a woman of prayer. How does prayer factor into your writing life?

Patti: Before I get aboard my writing chair and tap away at the keyboard, I get on my knees and beg the Holy Spirit to guide my words. Being a strong-willed woman, I sometimes trump that still, small Voice that often whispers for me to follow the less-traveled plot line. I wish I could say that I always listen.

Jen: The title of my blog “Audience of One,” came from a conversation with you, where you encouraged me to write for God alone, to please Him. Please tell us when you first heard this phrase, and how you apply it to your life.

Patti: Lynn Austin keynoted the first writers’ conference I attended, Write to Publish. Lynn commanded all of us to go back to our dorm room there at Wheaton and wrestle with God until we settled on the issue of whether we were writers. Then after that dust cleared, we were to determine that we would write for His glory, for His name.

I really have just stolen Lynn’s advice. It’s a good idea for you folks to steal as well. That way you will never be disappointed by the countless rejections that you will receive not only initially in this business, but all along the way. Believe me, it just gets worse…


Jen: You are from the South, which shines through not only in your writing, but your transparent, caring personality. How important are relationships in a writing career?

Patti: A computer chair and a keyboard with the letters worn away don’t make for the greatest friends. Only by God’s grace and the manna He gives me in the form of writing soulmates, prayer partners, and a support system including a great agent, Cheri Kaufmann, and a brilliant publicist, Jeane Wynn, can I make it.

Plus I LOVE gabbing away in coffee bars under the auspices of “collecting fodder for writing.” Wouldn’t it be fun to print up cards with The Coffee Hound’s logo and address and hand ‘em out??!! On second thought, maybe not!

Thanks, Jeanette, for a blessed opportunity. Can’t wait to hear from you, Dear Readers!

Stay in Town Friday

If you are planning to get away this weekend, you will want to stay in town at least long enough Friday morning to read my first blog interview with edgy novelist, Patti Lacy, and enter a drawing for one of her autographed books!!! See you Friday...