So ladies, take just a moment to share a bit about yourself and what you write.
Caryl: Hey, everyone. Green's my favorite color :)
I'm a Texas Grami who loves giving God glory more than any other thing in my life. I'm married (47 years in June) to my high-school sweetheart, the most Christ-like man I know. (I am SO blessed!) I started writing in the mid-80s, but only discovered Christian fiction as a genre in 2012 and I'll never write any other kind of novel again.
I'm working on three series right now. Historical Texas Romance (Book one from Howard Books, Simon & Schuster, 2 & 3 I Indie published), contemporary Red River Romance, and a Biblical fiction one, The Generations. My 'line' is "Praying my story gives God glory." If I can achieve that, then I accomplish my service to His Kingdom. Well...I may need to do some singing, too. He gives me new songs as well :)
♥✞ ♪God is Good! ♥✞♫♪ ALL the time!!♫♥ *♪ He put a song of praise ♥✞ ♪♥ in this heart of mine! ♥✞♪♫♪ God is Good ♥✞ ♫✫♥ All the time ♥✞ ♫♪ In your darkest hour ♥✞♪♫ His light will shine!!♥✞ ♪ God is good! ♫✫God is GOOD! ♥✞♥♪*•♫♪ All the time!!♫♥✞ ♪♫
Linda: I write romance and women's fiction with strong romantic threads woven through, but I've also co-written a conspiracy thriller and a nonfiction book about writing with agent Terry Burns. Currently, I'm working on the sequel to my first novel, a contemporary western romance called Give the Lady a Ride. In everything I write, I try to trumpet God's forgiveness in hopes of bringing those who have strayed from His love back to Him.
Shirley Raye: I am new to inspirational writing for women. Previously, I have written nearly two dozen books for children. My Lewis & Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President (Random House) was a Children’s Book of the Month Club selection and Pigeon Hero! (the true story of the real G.I. Joe during World War II) was published by Simon & Schuster and won an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Book Award.
Why did you decide to join Stitches Thru Time?
Shirley Raye: I have enjoyed reading the blog posts the last several months and wanted to be a part of "the family."
Linda: I love the concept. The different topics addressed on this blog appeal to me, though my stitching project is over now. Currently, I'm working on a latch-hook rug. Haven't decided what I'm going to do with it yet--it'll either be a Christmas gift for someone in the family, or a giveaway to one of my lucky newsletter readers!
Caryl: I've been wanting to get involved on a group blog. Meeting Jennifer on the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) loop planted the seed, then it grew, and now it's put forth a bud which will bloom on February 12th - if I get that date :) Very glad to be here!
What is your favorite thing about writing?
Linda: Getting in the zone. This wonderful event doesn't happen in all my writing sessions. Sometimes I have to struggle for each word that lands on the page. Oh, but when I'm in the zone, writing seems so easy, all the right words flow from my fingers to the keyboard and onto the screen. God's grace on this writer.
Shirley Raye: My favorite thing about writing is watching where God leads
me in this ongoing adventure. So often I get an idea I want to pursue
but then the Lord leads the story line down an entirely different path.
For instance, my historical novel AMANDA'S BEAU
was going to be a "dog and boy" story like WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS, for
kids, but it was transformed into
a love story between a heartsick spinster and a Godly man, who considers
teaching a calling, not just a job.
Apart from writing, what is your most favorite creative outlet?
Caryl: Laaaaaa, singing! My favorite thing to do in this world is to praise and worship the Lord! He started giving me new songs back in the mid-80s and still gives me the tune and lyrics all at the same time. I'd love to sing one for y'all. Here's a recent song He gave me to go along with a mid-grade dystopian trilogy--a twelve year old girl is singing to an agnostic friend-boy on the journey to her grandparents for saftey: ♥✞ ♪•✫Angels Unaware, ♥✞♫♪ You may never know that ♫♥ ♪ they are there ♥✞ ♫♥ but they come to help you ♥✞ ♪♫♪ on the path ♥✞ ♪♥ that you should go ♥✞ ♪♫•✫and I know ♥♪♫God sends His angels unaware!♥♪♫♪ He can count the stars!♥✞♪♫ He hung Jupiter and Mars!!♥✞ ♪♥He made every bird and butterfly ♥✞ ♪♫as different ♥✞♥♪ as you and I!!♫♪♥✞ ♪♫
Linda: I enjoy needle crafts and painting, but my love is in the kitchen. Love to cook, love food preservation like canning, pickling, and jelly making. I kinda stink at making desserts, but love everything else culinary.
Shirley Raye: I like baking and doing cross stitch. I make the world's best baklava. Really!
What is one fun thing about yourself that you can share with our readers?
Caryl: Yuh-ummm, on that Baklava, Shirley Raye! Is there a secret you discovered? Something fun? I still love riding my American Quarter Horse mare. She and I have the same birthday. On May 3rd, I'll be sixty-five, and she'll be fourteen. I've had her since she was six months old, inherited her (and 11 others in her herd) from my husband's dad in 2001.
Shirley Raye: I love bird watching. I even went to Iceland with my sister a few years ago so I could see Atlantic puffins up close. They are the cutest birds on God's green earth--little clowns of the sea!
Linda: My mother taught me how to shoot and how to fish, but not how to be a girly girl. I have virtually no sense of style--if things weren't color-coordinated on the store's racks, I'd be totally lost. One of my biggest desires in life, next to having a home decorator work on my place for free, is to have the ear and understanding of a talented fashionista.
If you could ask our readers one thing, what would it be?
Linda: What aspect of your Christian faith is most important to you?
Shirley Raye: I would like to know what readers find the most inspirational about an inspirational novel.
Caryl: How do you feel about an author you enjoy starting two additional genres? I wrote historical romance, now have added contemporary romance and Biblical fiction. Are you game for trying the new or do you only want the historicals?
Welcome, welcome! Loved the introduction, and looking forward to reading your posts! Great group of posters (I didn't say boasters, lol) here!
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by today, Carole! We do have a great set of posters. heehee :)
DeleteGood Sabbath morn, everyone! Thank you, Carole. I'll start by answering Linda and Shirley Raye's questions. Of course, every aspect of following Him is important, but for me obedience because that's how I show God how much I love Him. And for Shirley, I find it inspirational that there's no foul language that my brain says before I can stop it. I hate reading books with ugly words because they're said in your head--readers get no warning! But if it's an inspirational, I can rest assured I won't be cussing :) I have to go to an early Basketball game this morning--my twelve-year-old grandsugar's. I'll be back asap and catch up on questions! BLESSINGS!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree about the lack of ugly/foul words being an excellent trait of inspirational fiction. I also love the spiritual message interwoven into a good Christian fiction novel. I remember many a times growing up when a good book had just what I needed to hear in a bad situation. I want to do that for other readers.
DeleteAs for Linda's question, Jesus is the most important aspect of my faith. Without Him my life is meaningless and quite hopeless. But with Him, it's joy unspeakable and oh what love He showers on us. :)
And, Caryl, to answer your question, one of my all-time-favorite authors did more than one genre. Lori Wick has both contemporary and historical, and they're all superb. I'll read a good inspirational novel in just about any genre. (Okay, I'm not the biggest fan of speculative, but other than that. :) )
Thanks, you three, for joining us here on Stitches! Welcome!
Welcome to the team ladies. Looking forward to getting to know you through your posts. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Digging for Pearls...I like that identity name :) There are so many pearls to be found when you dig into God's Word. Blessings!
DeleteWelcome to the STT family! This is a great group of ladies. I'm looking forward to reading your posts and getting to know you all better.
ReplyDeleteHello, Michele with one 'L' :) and I'll already agree with you on that! So glad to be here! Also looking forward to getting to know everyone, too. I adore the people God has brought into my life through ACFW which is where I first met Crystal. The community of Christian authors is like none other :)
DeleteThanks for the welcome everyone!
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed meeting my fellow newcomers. Looking forward to working with everyone.
I like Caryl's response that obedience is important to her. Writing of characters who are obedient to God even when it's hard would make a great ministry. I love the forgiveness aspect, and enjoy illustrating it in all its forms: God forgiving us, of course, but also us forgiving each other, forgiving ourselves, and even forgiving Him.
To Caryl's question: I hope readers are open to authors trying different genres. I haven't really settled on what I want to write yet, which subgenre to Christian Fiction. I recently saw one major Christian author who had books of different subgenres, so I know it can be done. But publishers apparently frown on it. Gotta develop a loyal audience first.
Shirley Raye: I love seeing the author illustrate solving the problems facing Christians using Christian principles--which is the point of the genre, I guess. But a realistic portrayal of what we face and how to conquer it provides a wonderful ministry--we illustrate how to solve things God's way, which provides an alternative to the world's way.
All these answers are so good! And I love how God has us 'punch' different aspects of His character and our walks with Him in our writing! I AM writing three genres now :) Howard published VOW last March - historical romance and I'm continuing that saga with 9 novels planned at this time taking the series from 1832 to 1950 :)
DeleteThen I heard God say, go back to the beginning last year, late summer. Back in the mid-80s, I wrote a book titled In the Beginning - that 380 page handwritten novel was what I carried to the DFW Writers' Workshop in 1993 to learn why it garnered so many rejections - all tell, no show, no POV, and every other mistake a newbie writer could possibly make. From that, A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS debuted last November, volume one of my new Biblical fiction series The Generations.
And now I'm writing a contemporary romance series, too :) So far so good :) One of my mentors, Berkley's top western author once said, "Caryl, pick a genre." Back then I had 2 non-fiction, a mystery, a thriller, a mature inspirational romance, a WWII novel, and 3 mid-grade chapter books. I couldn't choose! But I'm happy to say that I have finally chosen a genre! Christian Fiction! I know that's a broad one, but I need a broad one :) BLESSINGS!
They all sound good! I'd love to do a Biblical historical series. Maybe someday. I have a women's fiction, a romance, and a conspiracy thriller published. I think I need to pick one genre for a while. ;)
DeleteGreat group of ladies!! Loved their answers to the questions. And each of you have such special gifts.
ReplyDeleteHi Patricia! Glad to see you here! Thank you. Isn't it sweet how God loves us all and makes us all so different - like my song above "He made every bird and butterfly as different as you and I !" Blessings!
DeleteWelcome aboard, ladies. We're so blessed to have you. I love, love, love those book covers. I'm shopping around for a cover designer now so they really caught my attention. If there's anything I enjoy more than writing, it's reading, and your books are calling me.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like the covers! Lynnette Bonner did mine for me after the publisher released the book. Her site is indiecoverdesign.blogspot.com.
DeleteThanks Elaine for the welcome! Kirk DouPonce is my cover designer. His company is www.DogEaredDesign.com He's wonderful to work with and a precious Christian husband and father :) Definitely not the 'least expensive' you'll find, but those covers will be with my books forever, and I know that I know the covers have sold books! So glad to be a part of Stitches Thru Time. Blessings!
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