Interview and Giveaway with author JoAnn Carter!!

 

Today we welcome author JoAnn Carter to The Diamond Mine! She will give a free copy of her book Detour: Destination Abiding Love, to the drawing winner.

In order to be in the drawing for the book, please leave a comment along with your email address in the comment link at the end of the interview. Now, here'a  peek at her book!

Sometimes Life’s Detours Deliver The Greatest Blessing 

Ex-bad-girl Sierra Sinclair has finally surrendered her life to the Lord. A hopeful future pursuing her dreams in music lies ahead. But first, she must provide restitution for those she wronged in the past. Returning to her hometown, she offers an eloquent testimony and a series of free concerts. And then, Colton Smith, son of a prominent town leader, shows an interest in her. Sierra's bright future looks trouble-free, but she soon finds out otherwise. When Colton's parents and the townsfolk won't forgive or forget her past, will this promising romance end before it ever has the chance to begin?

Sounds like a great read! Welcome to the Diamond Mine, JoAnn! I've got some questions for you!

What made you decide to be a writer?

What an interesting question. Most of my writing friends have this need to write everything down and if they’re not writing, they go nuts. It’s like a part of who they are. I’m not one of those people. Actually, as a child, I never would have dreamed I’d enjoy penning a story! You see, I have dyslexia. As a very young girl, reading and writing was a huge challenge. It wasn’t until my early teen years, that I found there could be great joy in entering story worlds, which let me experience life outside of my own. It was Christian authors, like Janette Oak, CS Lewis, and others that planted a seed.

It takes work to overcome a learning disability. For me, this only proved to strengthen my character and determination in many areas of my life. I wanted to encourage and inspire others as I myself had (and still am) through reading. So, my journey started there and I’m so glad that God is bigger than any difficulty we face.  

Perhaps today you feel inept to the task the Lord may be calling you to. Take heart. In our weakness is one of the most beautiful places where God’s strength can be found. Am I a great author? No, I wouldn’t say that -- and yet I know that God has used some of my very fallible stories to encourage others. I can't help but recognize, that's a God thing!

I was recently reminded that it’s not about what I/we can accomplish, but rather what the Potter can accomplish when I/we stay moldable in His hands. So, go ahead and take the leap today into whatever the Lord may be asking of you. I promise you, He can use anything you offer him, even those places where there is brokenness.

How true, and you said it beautifully! Can you tell us a bit about your book?

I don't want to give any huge spoiler alerts about this story, but let me share what one review said on CBD, "This little and lovely story teaches a big message about persevering love. It's not only a sweet romance, it is a gentle life lesson, encouraging readers to keep on loving...keep on being gracious...even when it's hard. The author reminds us that we can only do this with the power of Christ within..."

Sounds wonderful! How did you get your idea for this story?

I got my idea for this story after hearing a testimony at Church one evening (unrelated to the one in the book) in combination to going to a Youth Orchestra on a different night. It made me ask "what if these two worlds were to collide" and that's what this story grew from.

I love hearing how a story idea begins. The creative process is so interesting, and varied. What was your first story?

Hidden Paths was the first story I ever wrote, though not the first story I had published.

Do you write from an outline, or just from inspiration, or both?

I typically have a loose outline, though there have been times that my characters decided to go in a different direction. When that happens, I see where it leads. That being said, I am a planner. The more stories I write, the more details I desire about the characters and plot prior to writing a single word. I have come to realize and appreciate getting to know my story-world well before trying to share it with others. 

It's funny how the characters we imagine often end up surprising us!  Do you have any underlying themes that you want your readers to come away with?

As far as underlying themes that I would love a reader to come away with is, well, I guess I would say this is different for each reader. What I mean by that is, we all have lenses in which we see the world. Something that I need to hear right now may be quite different than what you need depending on our circumstances. Perhaps you're in that place where you need to forgive yourself for something in your past or perhaps you're the person who's been judgmental towards someone else. Where we're at as individuals could be very different. However, the universal truth is that God loves us all -- just as we are -- but loves us enough not to leave us here. Any other themes you can glean from the characters lives in this story,  I hope the Holy Spirit can use to reveal God to you and encourage your heart wherever you're at as an individual today. 

I love that answer! Full of wisdom and understanding. Do your characters share any traits with you or someone you know?

For Christmas, one of our sons gave me a book about personalities. It's so fun to look at the books and try to figure out what classification I am and what my loved ones fall under -- or what love language is the main way we feel loved. People are so interesting! So, of course my characters share traits with people I know. It helps me know how my fictional person will respond to a circumstance. 

Great point! Do you find that your characters often surprise you?

For some stories, my characters stay very true to who I thought they were. Actually, it's only recently that a few are going rogue on me, though it could be because I've been facing a huge learning curve with trying to write within the sci-fi genre. :)

Do you have a favorite character in your books?

The Floating Palace is a book that I wrote several years ago, which unfortunately is no longer available. But, this manuscript has my favorite character to date; Ellie Dunkling. She was a sassy, yet classy lady from the 1920's.

Those sassy characters are often so entertaining! What are you working on now?

I am currently working on a Sci-fi story, writing in collaboration with one of my sons, Jeff. It's been a lot of fun, but it's been several years in the making already. Jeff recently joined me and it's brought a freshness to the story. I'm super excited and really enjoying not only the process of writing with him, but just spending time in this creative space together. 

I think that's so great that you and your son are working together! Thanks so much for the interview, JoAnn!

Thank you for having me, Nancy. It's been fun. :)

Okay, readers! Here's a bit more about JoAnn:

JoAnn Carter is married to an amazing husband for 30 years. The Lord has blessed them with four children, and four daughter-in-laws spread across many states. Currently she resides in NJ and works as a nurse. She enjoys being with her family & friends, writing, reading, exercising and cooking. Her desire is to write in such a way as to encourage readers of all ages and to strengthen their faith in our amazing God.

Please feel free to check out her webpage at: https://joannwrites.wixsite.com/website

Purchase Links:

Amazon: https://a.co/9K7g2JT

Pelican Book Group: https://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=636

Christian Book Distributors:

https://www.christianbook.com/detour-destination-abiding-love-ebook/joann-carter/9781611164251/pd/74000EB 

Barnes and Noble: Detour: Destination Abiding Love|eBook

Don't forget to leave a comment with your email in order to be eligible for the drawing for a free copy!