Where Did You Find God Today?

Decades ago book signings were the vehicle to which an author became better known to the public. Today, it is social media. So, I am participating in a blog tour–and you are cordially invited to come along.

These are Christian writers all, so you will find God in their messages, and hey, you might discover a new favorite author! Their writings may be page-turners, but they will never voilate your ethics.

I was invited to participate in this blog tour by a fellow author with my publishing house, Prism Book Group.  Her name is Paula Mowery, and actually it’s her birthday today, so a great present would be to click on the link, cruise through her blog, and take notice of her books. Oh – and leave her a comment. (You can also check out the other Christian authors on her blog tour – Delia Latham who helped me edit Hush in the Storm, Rachel James and Suzanne Purvis.)  Paula, thanks for including me in this effort.

Now, on to the questions I am to answer…

1. What am I working on?
I just finished the proofs and approved the cover design for Hush in the Storm which debuts August 6th and am beginning the editing process on Legitimate Lies with Suzanne Baganz which launches in January, 2015. I am also finishing up a week of devotionals for two pre-assigned weeks in 2015 for Good News Daily and a weeks’ worth of commentary for The Journey for 2016. Then, on to finish the second of a trilogy, a novel a called Grounded, which follows Focused (published in 2012.) Of course, I also write monthly for Truth Media’s Power to Change and quarterly for Faith-Filled Family Magazine.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?   
Well, I write across many genres. My non fiction is Biblically based and relates to real issues people encounter and how they can find God’s fingerprints on whatever life is slinging into their yard. I guess that is also true for my fiction in that each one has an underlying plot about a social issue God has called me to promote, be it surviving empty nest syndrome,grief over death, human trafficking, abortion recovery, or racial and socio-economic prejudices.
3. Why do I write what I do?
It is truly a God-thing. Six years ago when I was unemployed, I took the advice of three different friends to write for a living out of my home. I began to make an income pretty quickly, so in thanksgiving to my Lord who provides, I tithed my writing day to Him first. Even through unexpected widowhood, He sustained me with clients who’d contact me to ghost write for them. Now that I have a part time job as a church secretary, I have dropped my secular freelancing and write only for His glory.

4. How does my writing process work?
I truly write the first draft in the style of “never lifting my pen.” As I write, I am often amazed where God leads me. Inevitably, it is for someone else needs to hear that devo that day, or it inspires a a plot thickening that is makes my novel so much more intriguing. Then I backtrack, research, run it through my critique group, Write 4 Him, self-edit several times… all the while praying and asking others to pray for me during this creative process. In Legitimate Lies, I knew I wanted to continue the story about the characters in Hush in the Storm, but just wasn’t getting “into it”, until I prayed about it for several weeks. Faithfully, God showed me the social issue He wanted me to promote. After researching that, words flew off my keyboard.

For this blog, I ask God to help me discover ways He is speaking to me daily so I can relate that to others. It has opened my faith eyes further to His hand in my life, and I hope in doing so, it inspires others to look closer as well.

Well, that’s a bit about me. Now please return on JULY 15th and click on these three authors” blogs or websites below. You will learn a bit about them and their works as well. Isn’t this fun? It’s like a cyberspace authors’ party.

 DiAne Gates – DiAne is an amazing wordsmith, and her blog, Moving Ancient Boundaries,  always touch hearts as well as pointing to ways we can live out our Christianity in a broken world. She is definitely someone to “follow”.

Leann Harris, who is a fellow member of the DFW chapter for American Christian Fiction Writers, is an amazing  Inspirational Romance author with many novels under her belt. Her recently launched eBook, Last Lie, promises to be a real page turner. I definitely have it at the top of my “have to read” list. Download it from B&N or Amazon.

Lee Carver also writes for Prism Book group and is president of the DFW Chapter of the American Christian Fiction Writers. She has written several novels and has two about to launch within the year!  If you like history/adventures flavored with a little romance, watch for her books releasing soon.

         Through cyberspace, we can co-promote His works, and each other who are faithful to write and read them. Please join in this effort.