Interview and Giveaway with Sherri Wilson Johnson

CONGRATULATIONS DIANA

WINNER OF AN EBOOK FROM SHERRI

 

Let's welcome Sherri Wilson Johnson to Sleuths and Suspects. She's going to tell us about her new book "Song of the Meadowlark." She is also offering a free ebook to one person chosen from those who leave a comment and follow steps listed below. Without further ado, here's Sherri!



1.             Tell us a little about yourself.

I am a writer, speaker and former homeschooling mom. I am from Georgia and live with my husband, two kids and two dogs. I love writing about faith, hope, and purity. When I'm not writing, I'm hanging out with my family or church friends, reading or dreaming up new romantic ideas for books. I love to vacation at the beach but I also find the mountains enjoyable.

2.       Tell us about your most recent book/or the book we are focusing on.

Song of the Meadowlark is a Contemporary Romance full of hope, forgiveness, and second chances at life and love set in South Georgia on a ranch with an ornery cowboy.

 

 

Here is the synopsis:

When trusting others only leads to pain and rejection, and loving ends only in loss, what will it take to restore hope again?

Shunned by the uncovered truth about her missing husband’s secret life, Cora Buchanan sets out on a road trip for home to mend her broken relationship with her parents. When her car breaks down, she’s stranded in a small Georgia town.

While staying at the struggling Southern Hope Ranch, she meets little Susie O’Reilly, who unexpectedly fills a void in Cora’s heart. But Rex, Susie’s rugged cowboy father who lost his wife a year earlier, seems to go out of his way to either confront or avoid Cora. It doesn’t help her comfort level that the news continues to report missing and murdered women in the area.

Cora has no idea just how close to home the crimes will hit…or how much the sweet sound of the meadowlark’s song at the ranch will impact her future.

3.       Why did you choose this particular genre?

I had written Historical Romance (To Dance Once More) and wanted to try my hand at Contemporary. The characters I had in mind worked best in a Contemporary romantic setting.

4.       What was your journey to publication like? 

I guess the short version of this story would be that I dreamed, plotted, prayed, researched, wrote, rewrote, edited, submitted, got rejected, cried, gave up writing, prayed some more, took a two-year writing course, and did it all over again until I finally heard the magic words: “We think your story is a good fit for our line.” If you want to read the long version, here’s the link:
http://sherriwilsonjohnson.com/about/sherris-road-to-publication/

5.       What is a couple of your favorite books and what are you reading now?

I thoroughly enjoyed Twice Promised by Maggie Brendan, Short-straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer, and For Such a Time as This by Ginny Aiken. Those are at the top of my romance list right now. I also love Pride and Prejudice, The Screwtape Letters, Of Mice and Men, The Great Gatsby, and Thr3e by Ted Dekker. Currently I am reading Be Still My Soul by Joanne Bischof.

6.       What are you working on now and can you give us a little peek inside it? 

My current WIP, After the Raging Storm, is part of my New Hope Series, set in drought-stricken Georgia in 1894. Annabelle is engaged to the son of the town's copper supplier but feels uneasy about the whole thing. She's searching for the meaning of her life apart from this relationship. When she runs into an old friend from school and compares him to her fiancé, she begins to doubt her chosen path in life even more. As the storm rages inside her heart, a storm of a natural kind threatens to destroy her family home and the neighboring farms. What will it take to calm the raging storm inside Annabelle? 

7.       What advice would you give authors who are on their own journey to publication?

Don't ever give up on your dream. Practice your craft. Step through open doors only after much prayer. Be ready for rejection because it’s part of the path to publication. Always write what God puts on your heart and even if you don’t find a publisher for that story, it will honor the Lord.

8.       Do you have any books or websites that have helped you with your writing that you could share with us?

Yes! The Element of Style by William Strunk, Jr., Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Renni Browne and Dave King, and Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell. I have a list of links to websites that have been helpful here at this link on my website. http://sherriwilsonjohnson.com/writers-resources

9.       Is there anything you’d like to tell us we haven’t covered?
I am thankful for readers and also for authors who are willing to be mentors. We’re all in this together and I wouldn’t be where I am if it weren’t for the Lord and my family support but also if it weren’t for readers and mentors.

10.   Please let us know where we can find you on the web.

http://sherriwilsonjohnson.com  

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Author-Sherri-Wilson-Johnson/138396456193536 
https://twitter.com/#!/swj_thewriter  
http://nicoleodell.com/sherri-wilson-johnson-on-inspiring-purity  
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5233294.Sherri_Wilson_Johnson  
http://sherrijinga.wordpress.com

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HAPPY READING!