FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do you have any other books out yet aside from When the Heart Cries and When the Morning Comes? I really appreciate hearing from readers who are searching for more books that I’ve written. What an encouragement! But When the Heart Cries was my first book and When the Morning Comes is its sequel, so there aren’t any other books out just yet. I’m working on that :-)

When is book three in Sisters of the Quilt being released? Book three is titled When the Soul Mends and it will hit the shelves September of ‘08.

I haven’t been able to find your books at my local book store. How can I get them? There are several possible reason your local store may not have the books you’re looking for. The books are being carried by independent and chain Christian book stores as well as Books-A-Million, Barnes and Noble, Borders, and the like. It’s possible the store has sold out or perhaps that particular store never placed an order for them. Either way, you can ask a sales clerk or manager to order them. When a store orders them for you, there are no shipping charges and they usually will have them within days of ordering. Another way to get them is to go online and order them at CBD.com or Amazon.

What will you write next? I’m really excited about my next writing project. I’m working on another three-book Amish series, which is titled Ada’s House. Book one of this series is titled The Hope of Refuge. This series will be more of a stand-alone series. Sisters of the Quilt was a connected series, with each book continuing Hannah’s journey. This next series will start and complete the journey of the two main characters, but all three books will have one set of characters from that Amish community. I think this way of writing a story will satisfy those who want a complete story within one novel as well as those who like the continuation of a storyline into the next novel.

Nicole asked: What advice do you have for a person trying to become a fiction writer? First: Never underestimate the power of prayer. Everyone has an opinion about each step of the writing process and it’s easy to get confused. Our times of hearing God in the quiet of prayer and praise time will be what keeps us in faith and steady as we move forward in our writing journey.

Second: Read Stein on Writing, by Sol Stein. Unless it suits your personality to do otherwise, I would just take a section or two of Stein on Writing at a time-not necessarily in the order it was written, but in the order that will hold your attention.

Third: Find a critique partner. Some aspiring authors make the mistake of thinking a good critique partner needs to be a college graduate with a degree in English. A good critique partner needs to be many things, but having a specific degree or any degree isn’t one of them. They need to be a reader. They need to be open minded and yet able to tell you what’s not working for them in your writing and why. They need to be encouraging, yet painfully honest. And they need to like your subject matter and genre. You don’t need someone who hates fiction (or a specific genre of fiction) critiquing your work of fiction any more than I need someone who hates lemons to critique my lemon pie.

Fourth: Write some each day-even if it’s just for twenty minutes. When I read someone’s writing on a regular basis-a critique partner or someone similar- I can tell within five minutes of reading whether he/she has been able to write for a few minutes each day or if he/she has gone for weeks without writing. If you want to find your writing voice and hone your skills, practice each day.

Susan asked: Do you have any recommendations for writing seminars/workshops?

Yes. Each year since it began I’ve attended ACFW’s national conference. You can find out more info about that writers group by going to www.acfw.com

I’ve been to two Mt. Hermon conferences. You can find info out about that by going to www.mounthermon.org/writers/

There are other conferences, some of which I’ve heard absolutely wonderful things about, but these are the only two I’ve ever attended.

Two more pieces of advice:

If possible, go with a writing friend. These conferences are fantastic, but they can also be overwhelming. These two conferences try to provide mentors for all new attendees who request one on the application. The mentor can offer tips and advice before the conference via e-mail and they can meet up with you for at least a brief visit once at the conference.

If you’re very early on in your writing journey and don’t feel it’s time to dole out the money and/or days away from your regularly scheduled life to attend a conference, order some of the audio tapes from the teaching sessions.

A few weeks after each conference, both Mt. Hermon and ACFW post on their Web site how to order tapes or CDs of that year’s conference.

Kathryn asked: How long had you been writing before you got a contract?

My earliest memories consist of stories hounding me and keeping me awake at night. But I never once considered writing. Consequently, day and night for many decades I kept pushing all stories and characters aside, feeling that I needed to stay focused on real world issues. But in the middle of a very transitional time in my life a blanket of creativity wrapped around me and refused to let go. Ideas for stories became so loud it was nearly impossible to hear anyone standing in front of me talking. Possibly because of my upbringing or possibly because there is so much to do in a day, I never considered it might be God’s plan for me to write. Desperate for either relief or permission to write, I went to the altar one Sunday. I had no doubts that God would give me that much needed relief from the stories so I could focus on real life.

But when I rose from the altar the story worlds were swirling harder and faster than ever. At that point I asked my sons to set me up a computer and I began writing. That was seven years ago.

So that I don’t bore you with a seven year journey, it is plenty to say that I learned of American Christian Fiction Writers. Through that organization I learned about writing, found critique partners, and pitched to acquisitions editors.

Brittany asked: Did you ever have doubts about your books when you get started?

Absolutely! No editor, agent, or author knows what’s going to strike a chord with readers. The good news is most authors write because they love it, not because they know if the work will be picked up by a publishing house or, if it is picked up, if the work will sell enough books to be worth all it took to get to that point.

Editors and agents know if a certain work has a chance of doing well, but when someone is starting out, that’s all they know.

Dealing with the unknowns is part of the business. Once a book has been contracted, and the publishing house puts editing, marketing, and distribution behind it, will they regret it? Or what if the book sells really well and the publishers are completely pleased, will they like book two?

The questions and doubts go on and on, so we have to quiet the voices, refuse to worry, and put energy into the things we do have control over-like caring about those around us.

Katy asked: You’re the new kid on the block of writing Christian Amish Romance, how do you feel about that?

I’ve been brought to tears over and over again by the warm welcome I’ve received from readers. I’m floored . . . and very grateful. I guess I expected people to not care one way or the other, but they have.

Some Q&A from an interview with Dianne of Christian Book Distributors ~

www.cbd.com

What led you to become a CBA author?

At first I didn’t make a conscious decision of whether to write CBA or ABA. I began writing as a hobby because the stories of my heart grew louder by the year even though I was desperate to quiet them. As I gave the stories voice, each one carried the value of God’s life principles, a subtle acceptance of His Word as being true, even if the characters chose to go their own way. I chose CBA because it is a place where characters can sin, but God’s truth is honored.

How did you choose the story line?

Well . . . I think it chose me. For years a snippet of a scene with the heroine doing something would come to me. I wasn’t a writer, so it didn’t dawn on me to jot it down or give the scene leeway to play out in my mind. But I remember asking myself questions like: why would she do that? Isn’t that an odd way for a modern woman to handle a situation?

Eventually the answer became clear: because the character had been raised Amish. So, over the years the story grew and grew, one tiny scene at a time, until I started dreaming that I was pregnant with a baby so large I couldn’t give birth.

It wasn’t until after a stand lone version had been brainstormed into a three-book idea that my dreams changed and rather than having one infant too large to give birth to, I dreamed I gave birth to triplets.

How long did “When the Heart Cries” take you to complete?

It took me five years of learning to write and doing research among the Amish, but once When the Heart Cries became an idea it took a year write it and a few more months to get it to a point where I was willing to turn it in to a publishing house.

Do you have a favorite character? Why?

Both Hannah and Paul are favorite characters, but of those two it has to be seventeen-year-old Hannah. She really wants to do what’s right in life and she longs to do as her parents want, but she’s driven by desires that just won’t let her. She’s strong willed, although that’s not her goal at all. She’s naive and vulnerable in ways that tend to make every situation even harder, but she can’t see how to handle things differently.

I think a lot of Hannah’s inner struggles are universal to most women at some point in their lives.

What is your goal or mission as a Christian writer?

Without insights or revelations, we are left with either legalism or fleeting emotionalism. Under the law, I fail. Under emotionalism, I fizzle. But open my spiritual eyes to life’s principles and then it becomes a part of who I am and not only do I understand why I should take a stand, I’m more willing to take that stand regardless of what’s going on around me.

So my goal is to write in a way that helps people see life from a perspective that helps renew their strength to keep pressing on and gives them refreshment in the true value of living.

In conclusion ~

While I’m unable to provide the kind of personalized help many of you are looking for, I encourage all my fellow writers to keep honing your craft and to connect with a writing organization.

I’m very grateful for the many e-mails and letters I’ve received. As an aspiring author, I found these writing resources helpful:

For some great tips on writing peruse Steve Laube’s website ~Literary Agent
American Christian Fiction Writers
Mount Hermon Writing Conference

Many blessings,