Meet Author Elizabeth Musser!

I’m thrilled to have best-selling author Elizabeth Musser with us today! I read The Swan House  a while ago, and was completely captivated by Elizabeth’s writing. If you haven’t yet read any of Elizabeth’s books, you’re in for a treat! Let’s learn a little more about her today…

Who Are You?

 Bonjour!  I’m Elizabeth Musser, a Southern girl from Atlanta, Georgia who has lived almost half of my life in France.  I’m a novelist, a missionary, a wife and mother and even soon-to-be grandmother!  I consider it a delightful privilege to have two vocations—writing and missions—and to watch the Lord intersect these ministries time and again.  I’m married to Paul, the love of my life, and I’ve been writing ever since I was six years old when I penned this poem (and many others in a similar vein):

I have a little pony

I ride him all around

But when I take him over jumps

He throws me on the ground!

 Where Are You Now?

At this precise moment, I am sitting at my desk inside my little ‘writing chalet’—the tool shed in our front yard where I write.  We live on the northern outskirts of Lyon, France, in a little village of 1000 people.  One of my favorite activities is taking a daily walk by the Saône River, right across the street.  On those walks, if I’m alone, I’m usually talking with the Lord or dreaming up a scene for one of my novels; if I’m walking with someone, we are probably talking about our faith journeys and the challenges of living a Christ-filled life in a very secular society.

Where Are You Going?

 All over the world!  Literally!  Paul and I have been working in French churches for over 20 years, but just two years ago our mission gave us a new role as Pastors to Members, that is, we offer ‘soul care’ to our colleagues throughout Europe.  So we travel quite a bit.  I’m still figuring out how to write ‘on the go’.  Never a dull moment with our Lord!

I’m also thrilled to be going ‘back’ in time to the first novels I wrote back in the 1990s, Two Crosses, Two Testaments and Two Destinies.  The Secret of the Cross trilogy is historical fiction, taking place in the south of France and in Algeria, and these novels have quite a history of their own, which you can read about on my website.  The wonderful news is that Two Destinies, the final book in the trilogy, is at last going to be available in English.  Written 14 years ago, it has been a best-seller in Europe.  The complete trilogy will be available in 2012—Two Crosses and Two Testaments are in bookstores now, and Two Destinies is coming in September.

Two Crosses

 In late 1961, as Algeria’s war for independence from France is coming to a close, two crosses, symbolic of another time in history, draw together a host of characters in an unforgettable story of love and war, revenge and forgiveness.

When Gabriella Madison arrives in France in 1961 to continue her university studies, she doesn’t anticipate being drawn into the secretive world behind the Algerian war for independence from France. The further she delves into the war efforts, the more her faith is challenged.

The people who surround her bring a whirlwind of transforming forces—a wise nun involved in the smuggling, a little girl carrying secret information, and a man with unknown loyalties who captures her heart. When she discovers a long hidden secret from her past, it all leads to questions about trust, faith in action, and the power of forgiveness to move beyond the pain of the past.

 

Two Testaments

 Love for war’s victims keeps them apart.  Will love for each other see them through?

The slightest spark will ignite an explosion.. The tinderbox of broken political and racial relations in France and Algeria provides plenty of kindling. In the midst of the chaos, Gabriella Madison guards the orphans in her care, while battling jealousy with Anne-Marie Duchemin, David’s former flame who has recently arrived in Castelnau, France. Even more problems arise when the townspeople start expressing their discomfort with the multi-cultural orphanage.  They want it shut down…permanently.

Meanwhile, David is trapped on the other side of the Mediterranean, caught in the turmoil of a country gone mad. He seeks a way to guard his life and, at the same time, protect the refugees he came to help.  But even if he accomplishes his mission, can he get out of Algeria alive?

 

About Elizabeth:

Elizabeth Musser, a native of Atlanta, Georgia now living in France, is a novelist who writes what she calls ‘entertainment with a soul.’  Her novels have been acclaimed in the United States and in Europe.  The Swan House (Bethany House, c2001), set in Atlanta in the early sixties, was named as one of Amazon’s Top Christian Books of the Year (2001), was an ABA and SEBA bestseller and was recently named one of Georgia’s Top Ten Novels of the past 100 years, right behind Gone with the Wind (from Georgia Backroads, Autumn, 2009).  Her Secrets of the Cross trilogy, which takes place during Algeria’s War for Independence from France and also in present day Algeria and France, (Two Crosses, Two Testaments, Two Destinies) has been a bestseller in Europe and will be republished this year in the America (David C. Cook, 2012).  Elizabeth’s other novels The Dwelling Place, (Bethany House, c2005), Searching for Eternity (Bethany House, c2007), Words Unspoken (Bethany House, c2009), and The Sweetest Thing (Bethany House, 2011), all set in the South, continue to examine themes of brokenness and healing, faith and forgiveness, surrender and sacrifice.

Elizabeth’s books have been translated into German, French, Dutch and Norwegian.

For over 25 years, Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have been involved in mission work with International Teams.  They presently live in Lyon, France. The Mussers have two sons, a daughter-in-law, and a fourteen-year-old mutt.

To learn more about Elizabeth and her books, please visit her website at www.elizabethmusser.com.

Or connect with her on Facebook!

 

Introducing Author Jennifer Fromke!

Okay, I double booked my Friday authors this week. Bad me. But the upside is, you get to learn about TWO authors this week!!
Today we have the pleasure of Jennifer Fromke’s company! Jennifer is celebrating the release of her debut novel, A Familiar Shore, and she’s here to tell us about it and about herself!

Who are you?

My name is Jennifer Fromke and I’m a water-aholic. I think I was created with something inside me that naturally longs for large bodies of water. Sunrises, sunsets and the moon look best to me when reflected in water. The sound of running water, trickling water, lake lapping against the hull of a boat, waves washing up on shore, rain falling on a metal roof, mountain stream tumbling over giant boulders, pretty much any kind of moving water serves to soothe the rough places inside me. And if I get to watch as well as listen, so much the better.

Where are you now?

I love this question because there are so many answers!

1. I’m on my back porch – one of my favorite places to write. Running water and chirping birds make it extremely peaceful.

2. I’m living in Concord, NC. Thinking back on my life, this really is a surprise. I grew up in Michigan, and North Carolina never even appeared on my radar. I loved the lakes, and continued to treasure my lake time when I went to school in Chicago and later moved to Minnesota. After four years in the “land o lakes” we moved to St Louis, MO. Land-locked was the term that pressed in on me as I longed for water that was not the Mississippi River. Finally, God brought us to North Carolina, where we live close to several lakes and less than three hours from the ocean (seriously, the OCEAN! For a girl from the “middle” it’s amazing to think I can DRIVE to the beach!).

3. I’m at the beginning of my writing career, in the best part of my life, three months into my debut novel’s release, working on my next novel.

Where are you going?

Up north. Every summer we escape the crispy temperatures of late summer in the south, and flee to a lake in northern Michigan. We have family with a lovely place on our favorite lake, and we sit for two weeks with our toes in the cold water, looking for Petoskey stones and soaking up the low humidity, cooler temps, and family time. Feeding our souls.

How about you? Do you long for the sound of ocean waves? Mountain streams? Tell us about a favorite “on the water” memory.

A Familiar Shore

Jennifer’s love for the water comes through loud and clear in her debut novel, A Familiar Shore. She starts the novel Oceanside and takes her protagonist north to a lake in Michigan. Meg Marks is a young lawyer raised off the coast of the Carolinas. An anonymous client hires her to arrange his will, and sends her to meet his estranged family at their lake home in northern Michigan. After a shocking discovery, she finds herself caught between his suspicious family and a deathbed promise her conscience demands that she keep. Will she sacrifice her own dreams for revenge, or will she choose something more?

Connect with Jennifer!

Website

Facebook

Twitter – @jenniferfromke

The Moment That Changes Everything…

If you’re a romance fan, whether you’re just a reader, a lover of romantic movies or a writer, you know that there comes a point in every story, that single defining moment – that AHA!, lightbulb moment –  that changes everything. It could be the hero finally realizes what he’s been missing all this time and declares his love for his girl. Could be the girl wakes up one day and realizes what a mistake she’s made sending that guy away, because she loves him. Can’t live without him. It’s the kiss in The Notebook. The “You Complete Me,” scene in Jerry Maguire. That scene in a book that makes you put it down, sigh and reach for the tissues.

You know what I mean, right?

Well, I thought it might be kind of cool to share a few scenes with each other today. Have you written anything lately that you think is swoon worthy? Seen a movie that touched your heart and make you tear up? Read a book with exactly that kind of scene in it? Nice authors will give you more than one. Maybe you have an amazing romantic moment of your own between you and the love of your life to share. Don’t be shy! There are plenty of tissues to go round.

I’ll give you a couple of my favorite scenes to get us started – Here’s one between Kristin and Luke, from my novel Yesterday’s Tomorrow -

‘She heard his heavy steps on the concrete behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders, gently turning her to face him. In his eyes stirred questions she wasn’t sure she had answers to.
“Do you really want to stay?”
She searched his face, desperate for anything that might reveal his heart. “I don’t know,” she whispered, unwanted tears stinging. “This place—there’s something about it. I can’t explain…”
“You don’t have to.”
She didn’t have to. She knew he loved the very same things. The natural beauty of Vietnamrounded emerald hills older than Confucius himself, rich with ancient history that kept account of the beliefs and religions its people followedthe quiet way the villagers spoke as they allowed her into their huts and offered up Vietnamese hospitalityand
the children. She loved the children in a way she would never have imagined. And had someone told her a few months ago that she would have anything in common with Luke Maddox, she would have laughed until she cried.
Yet here they were.
Luke’s smile was sad as he brushed away her tears with the base of his thumb. “What do you want to do, Kris?”
“I don’t think I want to go home.”
“Good. I don’t want you to.”
The declaration settled into her soul, nudging it ever so slightly toward hope.
His hands moved her hair out of her eyes and came to rest around her face. He pulled her closer and placed his forehead against hers. He sighed, soft and low, as though he’d given up the fight. And then his lips claimed hers.
His kiss, sweet and lazy, left her breathless and longing for more.
“Oops.” Luke drew back, rubbing his nose against hers.
“What was that?” She slipped her arms about his waist and smiled as he tightened his embrace. She loved the way his eyes caressed her now,
filled with a new light that thrilled her.
That she could feel such pleasure in the middle of hell seemed ludicrous.
“I don’t know. Let me refresh my memory.” His lips found hers again, and she allowed it. One moment in time would not change anything…or it would.
She didn’t care anymore.’

Copyright © Catherine West Yesterday’s Tomorrow 2011

And here’s one of my favorite scenes between Gray and Victoria, in my new book (not yet published) Reprisal -

“It was good to talk. I’m glad you called.”
“Actually, you called me.”
She laughed. “I’m hanging up now. Tell everyone I said hi.” She paused, sniffed again. “Gray?”
“Yeah?”
“Remember when we met and you said I’d live to regret the day I walked in and took over your life?”
Guilt punched his gut and Gray made a fist against the pain. “Yeah, I remember.” Like it was yesterday.
“You were wrong. I have no regrets.”
He sucked in air and sat in a downpour of feeling.
Disbelief, amazement, gratitude and love flooded every inch of him. This was unlike anything he’d ever felt in all the time they’d been together. This was real, here, now.
His.
He’d spent years chasing down all the wrong things when the most wonderful thing in the world had been right there beside him the whole time.
And he’d let her go.
He wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice.
“I love you, Victoria Montgomery. Just so you know.”
She breathed into the phone a moment and then sighed. “I kind of figured you did.”
“And?”
Sweet laughter infiltrated the darkest parts of his soul and he fell in love all over again.
“I love you too, Gray. Although most days I don’t have the slightest idea why.”
“Give me a second chance and I’ll help you figure it out.”

Copyright © Catherine West Reprisal 2012

Your Turn! Share your favorite romantic scenes with us!

Hanging Out with Beth Vogt!

I wish I could say I was, in person! But having Beth with us on the blog will have to be the next best thing!

Beth and her husband, Rob.

Beth’s debut novel, Wish You Were Here, is simply smashing! I devoured it in a few days, fell in love with the story, her characters and those lovely Llamas! If you haven’t read this book yet, put it on your summer reading list! I can’t wait for Beth’s next book, Catch A Falling Star, which will be out next year!

About Wish You Were Here

Allison Denman is supposed to get married in five days, but everything is all wrong. The huge wedding. The frothy dress. And the groom.

Still, kissing the groom’s brother in an unguarded moment is decidedly not the right thing to do. How could she have made such a mistake? It seems Allison’s life is nothing but mistakes at this point. And pulling a “Runaway Bride” complete with stealing, er, borrowing her best friend’s car doesn’t seem to solve her problems.

Can Allison find her way out of this mess? Maybe she just needs to stop orchestrating everything. Allison prefers being the one in control, and giving it up is not going to be easy. But to find her way again, she will have to believe that God has a plan for her and find the strength to let Him lead.

Seriously, this is a GREAT book! AND – Beth has graciously agreed to give away a copy of Wish You Were Here!!! Leave a comment to win!!

But, enough out of me, I’m handing things over to Beth!

Imagine All the People

When Cathy interviews authors, she likes to ask them who they are.

I am an author. So imagine Cathy and I sitting together having lunch (oh, please, let me be in Bermuda visiting Cathy!) and she asks me, “So, Beth, who are you?”

My answer would be:

I am a peculiar woman.

And, yes, now I am going to spend the rest of the time convincing you of that fact. If that’s not peculiar enough to begin with …

My husband Rob and I live in Colorado and we enjoy going for long walks. While we’re walking, we often talk – about our days, about life in general. Sounds normal, I know. But after my husband talks about his work day, I talk about mine. Which means I spend an inordinate amount of time obsessing about imaginary people.

ME: Why won’t Asa tell Reilly he loves her? I mean, come on! What’s it gonna take for the guy to speak up?

ROB: Remember, yesterday you said he was afraid –

ME: And why is she even dating Morrison? His name sounds like that cat on the TV commercial—

ROB: You mean Morris, in the classic 9Lives commercial?

ME: Yeah. He needs a name change. Marc? Blake? Drew …?”

Yes, I have patient husband. Especially when you realize we walk in the morning before he leaves for work and then we walk again in the evening. Which means the poor guy gets to hear the “what I need my characters to do” grumbling in the A.M. and the “what they did or didn’t do” muttering in the evening.

And remember: I’m angsting over pretend people.

Rob and I walk. I talk. Rob listens – and, yes, occasionally he mentions the real people in our lives. Family. Friends. It may take me a moment to shift from make believe to reality, but eventually I re-engage. Most of the time.

The good thing is, my husband loves me – peculiarities and all. All he asks is a little heads up when I’m switching from real life to imaginary people.

Do you consider writers peculiar people? (If you are a writer and you’re reading this, go ahead and admit it – and then share your own writer idiosyncrasy!)

About Beth

Beth K. Vogt is a non-fiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice) who said she’d never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. She’s discovered that God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.”  Her inspirational contemporary romance novel,Wish You Were Here, debuted May 2012 (Howard Books.) Her second novel, Catch a Falling Star, releases May 2013. Beth is an established magazine writer and former editor of Connections, the leadership magazine for MOPS International. Visit with Beth at her website bethvogt.com.

Here She Goes Again…

At first I thought I’d title this post, “Where Have All The Good Books Gone?” But then I thought, no, that’s not fair. There are a lot of good books out there. I’ve read them. My friends have read them. My friends have written them. I’ve written one book which I’ve been told is good, and I’m working hard on more. But I don’t necessarily mean ‘good’ in the sense of a keep you up all night reading way. I mean good as in virtuously good.

Stay with me here.

As summer is fast approaching, I’m making my reading list. While I do write a lot during my time up in the Canadian north, I also like to read. Last night I scanned Amazon for some books to download to my iPad. And came away wanting. I typed in Romance, since that’s what I write and love to read. First mistake. Then I scanned the Best Seller List. Read some of the reviews of the first three books on that list and simply stared. While I am not opposed to reading secular fiction and I read a lot of it, there are definitely things I won’t read. The books currently on that list…well, let’s just say I won’t be downloading them. Fifty Shades of Gray and its sequels kind of made my eyebrows hit my hairline.

Seriously?

Is this what the average educated (I’m making an assumption here) wants to read? While I did note that the first book has over two thousand five star reviews, it also has half that in one star reviews. So maybe not everybody is fascinated by what is called an ‘erotic novel’ in its description. Maybe I’m not the only one pretty disgusted by this. Maybe there are a few people left in the world who want to read good, wholesome books. Books that don’t keep you up half the night replaying violent or disturbing scenes in your head. Books that put a smile on your face and make you wish you hadn’t just turned that final page.

What happened to Happily Ever After? What happened to ’till death do us part? I don’t know about you, but I love happy endings. I want to foster the belief that true romance still exists. I want to support the sanctity of marriage. I believe in it with all my heart. I’ll be celebrating twenty-six years of marriage with my husband on Wednesday. While it hasn’t all been easy, I wouldn’t change a minute. And I’ll take twenty-six more thank you very much. And twenty-six more after that…if we live that long. You get the picture though. Marriage today has become an endangered species. That makes me sad.

I’ve heard people who don’t read Inspirational fiction say it’s too preachy, too silly, too happy. Okay, maybe there are some books out there that fit that description, but I read a ton of Inspirational Fiction. I talk to a lot of Christian authors. I read their reviews and I listen to what people are saying. And I am hopeful that we are standing in the gap. When readers don’t want what this world is offering, we must step in and give them more. Give them a story to remember. A story that will make them laugh, weep, question, and hope. And perhaps, if we’re doing our job well, bring them just a little closer to God. At the very least, make them wonder if there isn’t more to this whole Jesus thing than they thought.

It is a high calling.

It is why I do what I do.

Thanks for the reminder, Amazon.

If you’re looking for ‘good’ books, I recommend you check out Fiction Finder. This is a search engine put out through American Christian Fiction Writers. If you’ve never read Inspirational Fiction before, give it a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. 

Let’s talk: How do you feel about the books on the shelves today? Read any good ones lately?

 

Meet Author, Katy Lee!

Who are you?

That is not an easy question to answer. When I sat down to write this, I actually stumped myself on who is the real Katy Lee? Did I want to share about my role as wife to my helpful and handsome husband and mother to my three young children? Did I want to talk about how we fostered and adopted one of them and the whole process of that part of my life? Or maybe that I home educate them and love that I learn something new every day along beside them. Then I thought perhaps I should keep this more professional and talk about my joys of working in the church as a Children’s Ministry Director, where I get to share and simplify God’s message with His precious little children on a weekly basis, and also, where I am an inspirational guest speaker, hoping to encourage lots of people to find their God-given voices.

So do you get the picture? This was not an easy task, especially in conjunction with your next question…

 Where are you now?

Regardless of my many responsibilities, I still took on one more thing. And it’s a big thing. But it feels so right to say…

I am now a published author!

I have always been a closet writer. Secretly writing down the thoughts and stories stuck in my head, whether I jotted them down in spiral-bound notebooks or clacked away on my ancient typewriter, and then later on my laptop. I had an all-encompassing need to get them down on the page.  Or I should say pages. Pages upon pages upon pages. But all those pages never left the closet.

Until last year when Melody Mesini started screaming at me that she better not get left in the closet like all those other characters who were still in there. Yes, Melody Mesini is my heroine from Real Virtue. Her story of gaming addiction needed to be told to more than just me. Hiding her in the closet would help no one.

So I opened the door to let her out. And this past April, her story has started to reach many people’s hands. The feedback has been affirming to say the least, and I am humbled by the response.

Where are you going?

 Well, now that I have opened that door, I have other characters wanting to come out for their chance to land on the pages of a book, too. How could I say no?

But seriously, this side of publication is a journey all its own, and I am enjoying every moment of the networking, social and business alike, that it includes. It’s a whole new world for me. And I would love it if you joined me along the way.

Real Virtue is available now in ebook from Amazon and Barnes and Noble and from my publisher, http://www.SoulMatePublishing.com. Paperback coming this fall!

In a virtual reality game where she can fly, someone’s aiming to take her down.

Mel Mesini is a New York City restaurateur and an avid, virtual reality world traveler. She’s risen above her misfit life and now bears a striking resemblance to her glamorous, gaming avatar. But her successful life—both online and in reality—takes a swerve the night her father is seriously injured in a hit-and-run. Mel is careened back to her judgmental hometown, where being the daughter of the town’s crazy lady had made her the outcast she was. To make matters worse, Officer Jeremy Stiles, the man whose harsh, rejecting words had cut her the deepest, is heading the investigation.

Jeremy knows he hurt Mel and attempts to make amends by finding her father’s assailant. When he realizes she’s the actual target, his plan for reconciliation turns to one of protection—whether she wants his help or not. What he wants is answers, especially about this online game she plays. Is it a harmless pastime as she says? Or is she using it to cover something up? As a faceless predator destroys the things that matter to her, Jeremy knows he’s running out of time before she loses the one thing that matters most—her real life.

Thank you, Cathy, for having me on your blog! Readers, I love comments and would love to hear from you.

And please keep in touch with me at my website: www.KatyLeeBooks.com.  I have a contest going on over there for the month of June. Check it out to win a $25 Starbucks Gift Card.

You will see links for Twitter and Facebook and Goodreads. Let’s connect and get to know each other!

About Katy Lee

Katy Lee writes higher-purpose stories in high-speed worlds. As an inspirational author, speaker, home-schooling mom, and children’s ministry director, she has dedicated her life to sharing tales of love, from the greatest love story ever told to those sweet romantic stories of falling in love. Her fresh and unique voice brings a fast-paced and modern feel to her romances that are sure to resonate with readers long after the last page. Her debut novel Real Virtue is a finalist in many writing contests, and took second place in the 2011 Georgia Maggie Award of Excellence. Katy lives in New England with her husband, three children, and two cats.

Connect with Katy Lee

http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/real-virtue/

Real Virtue

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/real-virtue-katy-lee/1110011399?ean=2940014205566

Meet Author Sherri Wilson Johnson!

I’m excited to have my fellow OakTara author, Sherri Wilson Johnson, author of To Dance Once More, on the blog today! Sherri writes historical romance, and she’s here to tell us all about her journey to publication!

My Road to Publication

I have been writing for as long as I can remember—probably for as long as I have been reading. When I was around the age of eight, I wrote my first short story and have been addicted to writing ever since. My family could not afford a writing school, but that didn’t stop me from dreaming of becoming a Pulitzer Prize winner one day.

In high school, I wrote continuously and took as many writing and literature classes as my school offered. I had high aspirations of becoming a journalist of some kind. I wanted to be the woman sitting in front of the camera doing the evening news or the woman with her own newspaper column. My dream was to go away to a college that had a superior journalism department. Because of my poor grades and a few other issues, I did not attend college though.

Immediately after graduating high school, I began to work in an office as a secretary. I became a fan of romance novels. The problem was: there weren’t very many clean reads out there at the time so I filled my mind with things that it didn’t need to be filled with.

So I decided to write a Christian romance. I wrote on my typewriter at work when there was free time. Somehow I managed to produce a 500-page novel. I guess I wasn’t very busy at work, huh? I sent the novel off to a friend who thought I had a good story so I began the process of polishing it to prepare it for the publisher who would, of course, knock down my door to publish it. After reading a few books on how to write a novel, I decided my novel was no good. So I burned it in the fireplace at home. This was before the days of home computers and none of what I had written was saved on disk. The story was lost forever and I gave up on becoming an author. I consider this one of my greatest professional learning experiences.

I married a few years later, and then had my first child a few years after that. I began writing again while my husband worked at night. Submitting manuscripts or even simple proposals was a time-consuming and expensive hobby. So I shelved my story ideas and concentrated on being a mommy after the birth of my second child in 1994. However, my mind never stopped spinning tales. These ideas gathered in file folders and patiently waited to come out when my children went to school.

Then, God called me to homeschool in 1997 and suddenly my plans were postponed for just a little while longer. Don’t you just love God’s sense of humor? After I got accustomed to the routine of homeschooling, the writing bug bit me again. Instead of fiction, I wrote articles for homeschool magazines and finally got my first phone call from an editor. I was now a published author.

I kept at the writing and got a few more articles published. I took a two-year writer’s course through the Christian Writers Guild and eventually wrote a few Bible studies, which I taught for groups at church. Then I wrote a devotional for homeschool moms, which I self-published.

God used the teaching of my children to refine my writing skills. He opened my eyes to things that needed to be perfected in my works. I wrote several more Bible studies. And eventually wrote three novels—and re-wrote those three novels. Because of easier submissions procedures, I submitted proposals constantly. But the ever-coveted contract never came. I tried to quit writing quite often, but had no success at that either.

I attended my first writer’s conference in 2003 and met several editors, who requested to see manuscripts. I had been told that this was the way to go. For me, this was a one-time luxury because we were a one-income family. I could not attend conferences every year in hopes of finding a publisher. I had to give it my all and leave my writing career right where it needed to be—in the hands of God!

In 2008, I received a contract from OakTara for my novel To Dance Once More (my second “first” novel). After a long and arduous process, it came out in September 2011. My second novel, Song of the Meadowlark, will be coming in June. My third novel, After the Raging Storm, is still in the crock pot and I am writing the sequel to To Dance Once More, entitled To Laugh Once More, at this time. I am actively seeking agent representation and praying God will “enlarge my territory”.

The process for me began in 1974 with that first children’s story. 1985 marked the year of the first full-length manuscript, which perished in the fire. 1993 birthed To Dance Once More. 1997 began my journey through homeschooling and 2011 will forever go down in history as the year that I completed one calling (homeschooling) and launched the ever-awaited career as a writer – I mean, AUTHOR! God has indeed enlarged my territory. I am now a blogger, interviewer, book reviewer, social media coordinator, and novelist! My goal in becoming published was about more than having my book on a bookstore shelf. It was about spreading the news of God’s great love to my readers. Of course, winning the Pulitzer would be fine, too!

About To Dance Once More

April 1886

Debutante Lydia Jane Barrington lives a carefree, protected existence on Live Oaks Plantation in Florida. But while her sisters happily learn the traditional tasks of women and talk of courting, Lydia dreams of adventure and independence. Even her friendship with handsome Hamilton Scarbrough isn’t enough to hold her back.

Then one day Hamilton opens Lydia’s eyes and her heart to love. But before they can receive permission to court, Lydia overhears a secret conversation about an unscrupulous business deal. Worse, it has everything to do with her and her future. Now she’s faced with the biggest decision of her life—to concede or to fight. Either choice will require great sacrifice…and, perhaps, countless rewards.

Passion. Friendship. A bitter enemy. A life-changing decision.
Set in Victorian-era Florida.

Watch the trailer!

 About Sherri

Sherri Wilson Johnson is the author of To Dance Once More (Sept 2011) and Song of the Meadowlark (June 2012). She is from Georgia, has been married since 1988, and is a former homeschooling mom. She loves to write, read, and make people laugh. She loves Jesus and hopes to spread His love to the whole world through her writing.

Connect With Sherri!

Blog

Website

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Summer Schedule!

At long last, the hazy, lazy days of summer are upon us! I love my summers, although in Bermuda we can get very high humidity which makes it feel like 100 degrees in the shade when it’s really only 85!

This summer has already proven to be an exceptionally busy one. We have guests coming and going, and then I’m heading up to our house on the lake in Canada in July, where I do a LOT of writing each year. I also try to read as much as possible over the summer, so this is the time of year I take book recommendations! Really looking forward to my retreat into the woods, just hoping we have no bear visitations this year!! We don’t always have the best internet connection up there, so I’ll be blogging when I can. I’ll continue with my Friday Featured Author posts, but other postings may be sporadic.

We also have a wedding to plan!!

My daughter Sarah became engaged to her wonderful boyfriend, now fiance, Randy, last Thursday, so it is a very busy but wonderful time for us as we start to talk about venues, dresses, etc… It’s one of those defining moments in life. I’m still tearing up a little when I think about the fact that in a year from now, my baby girl will be walking down the aisle!

On the writing front, I’m afraid I have no good news to report. Things continue to be up in the air with the release of my second novel and at this point, I’m hesitant to say its actually going to happen. My agent will be sending out my third completed novel soon, so perhaps we’ll have better luck with that one. As I always say, this writing business is not for the faint of heart!

So that’s about it from my desk today. Please keep in touch with me over the summer via Facebook. If I have any good news to share, you can be sure I’ll do my best to post it here, but its usually a sure bet that I’ll jump to Facebook first!

Author Sherri Wilson Johnson will join us tomorrow to talk about her debut To Dance Once More.

Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy summer, filled with memories to cherish!

View From A Newly Published Author’s Window – Katie Ganshert

Before I hand things over to Katie, I just want to say BRAVO to her! Wildflowers from Winter  is a wonderful debut novel. I read it in a few days and it is one of those stories that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go until you’re done. Maybe not even then, because I’m still thinking about Evan and Bethany and Robin, and wondering where their journeys will take them. Lucky for me, there’s a sequel coming, so I’m sure I’ll find out!
I’m thrilled to have Katie here again to chat to us about what it’s been like for her since her book hit the shelves. So here she is…

Hi, I’m Katie!

My debut novel has been out on shelves now for three weeks.

Being a published author has been everything I thought it would be and nothing like I thought it would be.

Everything I Thought it Would Be…

 * The excitement. There’s much anticipation and excitement that occurs around a book release, especially a debut. Emails from readers. Good reviews. Seeing the lovely little thing in bookstores for the first time. All of these elicit much excitement.

* The support. From fellow writers. From my publishing house. From family. From friends I hang out with in person and friends I hang out with online. I strongly suspected my life was filled with incredibly supportive, encouraging people. Having a book published has only confirmed my suspicions. Case in point. My mom is a pharmaceutical sales rep. Lately, drugs aren’t the only thing she’s been selling. Me thinks an inordinate number of doctors are ending up with a copy of my book.

* The hard work. Marketing. Spreading the word. Trying to start a buzz. All in the midst of writing and maintaining a livable home and being a wife and a mother and pursuing adoption. Writers have always said getting published brings on an entirely new level of busyness. It’s really not a lie.

Nothing Like I Thought it Would Be…

* The insecurity. I thought being published would finally be the validation I needed. I thought it would build my confidence. Um….not quite. If I were to put my insecurity on a balance scale—with my pre-publication insecurity on one side and my post-publication insecurity on the other—it wouldn’t even be a competition. There’s so much more to worry about after our books hit the shelves. God is teaching me so much about trusting Him and making Him my ultimate goal.

* The reality check. We live in an age where marketing and platform are huge buzz words. Writers feel immense pressure to build an audience, as if the entirety of our success rests solely on our shoulders. When it comes to social media and blogging, I think I’ve done a respectable job. But here’s the deal. We can do social media until we’re blue in the face. We can expend enormous amounts of time and energy building a platform/readership. But our efforts are still just a drop in the bucket when it comes to selling the amount of books we’re hoping/expected to sell. It truly is the equivalent of bringing 2 loaves and 5 fish to an entire hillside of hungry people. (Thank you, Dan Walsh, for this beautiful analogy.) At the end of the day, the multiplying belongs to God. Our motivation for connecting has to be about people. Because if it’s about numbers and rankings and sales, then our social media efforts will leave us sorely disappointed.

So there you have it.

A few things that haven’t surprised me and a couple things that have on this side of publication. There’s lots more I could share. But for the sake of brevity, I’ll leave it there.

Let’s Talk: Do any of these surprise you? What do you or did you expect life to be like after publication?

About Wildflowers from Winter

Bethany Quinn was happy to leave her small town ten years ago to create a new, successful life. But when tragedies strike at home, she is forced to return and face the pain of her childhood. Out of options, Bethany tries to find a place where love and faith make sense again.

 About Katie

Katie Ganshert was born and raised in the Midwest, where she writes stories about finding faith and falling in love. When she’s not busy plotting her next novel, she enjoys watching movies with her husband, playing make-believe with her wild-child of a son, and chatting with her girlfriends over bagels. She and her husband are in the process of adopting from the Congo. You can find her online at her blog and on Facebook.