Welcome to the Mine, JoAnn!
As you know, we’re digging for diamonds in Christian fiction, and your books
are gems. Would you say they’re diamonds?
Thanks so
much for hosting me today! My theme verse in my writing journey is based on
Matthew 5:16 Let
your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (NASB).
I like to think my writing shines and
resonates with the truth and hope to be found in a personal relationship with
Jesus Christ. It’s my hope that my unique writing voice holds gems of truth
from God’s word. When panning for gold at the “diamond mines” in Tennessee, you
sift through the sand and dirt to hopefully discover hidden treasure buried
beneath. Likewise, I love layered stories where the characters eventually
discover those invaluable nuggets of truth . . . but they often have to go
through the refining fire before they emerge whole and strong.
Refining fire and layered stories…
your books sound awesome already. I know you write contemporary romance as well
as a series. How did you start writing and did it evolve into a series or was
it planned that way?
My joke is that I wrote Awakening
in two weeks and it took 12 years for it to be published. The full story is on
my website at www.joanndurgin.com. In
short, it was the last book I wrote before putting my writing aside—but not the
passion for it—for over a decade. When I pulled it back out (literally from
under the bed and blew off the dust bunnies), I started to look it over. Having
written it so long ago, it was like looking at it through fresh eyes, and it
was almost as though someone else had written it.
Although I only found half of it (you
must read the story on my website to see how the Lord gave the rest of it back
to me!), I could tell it would be a good beginning for a series where the core
characters could become mentors to the volunteers of their Christian workers
called TeamWork Missions. Each subsequent book contains the love stories of one
(or sometimes more) of the TeamWork members. The fifth book in the Lewis Legacy Series releases late this
month. The entire series is written but needs significant editing. Then I have
another series lined up behind it…
Quite a project… sounds interesting.
And I love how your first book was written! I think I wrote my first book in
almost three weeks. Of course, it was very rough. Kind of like yours, I bet. Do
you have any books out there not related to the Lewis Legacy Series?
Catching Serenity, my latest release and the book I’m highlighting today, was written with the idea of giving my readers something apart from my series. I’m happy to say it’s also been quite successful for me. It’s a standalone, full-length novel with mystery as well as romance. All of my books feature an element of humor mixed in with the adventure and drama—all the elements I believe you need for a satisfying story: (1) it makes you laugh; (2) it makes you cry; and (3) it makes you think.
I’ve also published a couple of fun
Christmas novellas with Pelican Book Group (the third in that series to release
this year) and I have an upcoming novella, Echoes of Edinburgh, also releasing
with Pelican in late September.
Wow! Books, books, everywhere! How in
the world did you write (and publish) all those books?
First of all, I couldn’t write and
publish books without the Lord’s sustaining grace. I’ve never suffered from
writer’s block, and I pray I never do. Writing and publishing involves long
hours and a dedication to see a project through to completion. A measure of
talent, a willingness to be teachable and accept criticism all factor into the
process, as well as dedication, perseverance and commitment truly makes all the difference.
What a blessing… I would love to be
able to write like that. I’m sure every writer would. Thank you for sharing
your words with the world, JoAnn. If you had one thing you could say through
your books, what would it be?
God demonstrated His great love for
us by sending His very own beloved, precious Son to die for us. That is the
greatest love story we’ll ever know, and from that redeeming love stems our
capacity and ability to love others as He first loved us.
What’s your latest book about?
The best way to tell you about it is
to give you the blurb for Catching Serenity (what you’d read
on the back cover). Here it is:
A woman torn
apart by secrets.
A man held
prisoner by the truth.
Can the
greatest love of all
set them both
free?
Serenity McClaren had it all before her life crumbled around her like the sand castles on her beloved beach, causing her to flee Croisette Shores and the only home she’d ever known. Nearly five years later and living in Atlanta, she receives a mysterious, unsigned note: Come home, Serenity. Things aren’t as they seem. Time to find your answers. Returning to South Carolina, she prepares to face her demons and the ailing father she left behind, hoping to make peace with both.
Child psychologist
Jackson Ross is a man with a surprising past. He’s ready for the quiet life
and eager to establish his practice in
the quaint, coastal village. After he hires Serenity to decorate his new
office, he’s drawn to the beautiful and enigmatic woman yet sees she’s haunted
by a past she can’t escape. Wanting to help her, he begins to suspect one of
his young patients may hold the key to unlocking Serenity’s secrets. Jackson
follows his instincts and discovers the shocking truth, but how can he tell the
woman he’s grown to love what he knows—and set her free—without compromising
his professional ethics and losing her forever?
Can we get a glimpse?
Gladly, and here’s a portion of the
first chapter.
Come home, Serenity. Things aren’t as they seem. Time
to find your answers.
Ever since she’d received
that unsigned, cryptic note in Atlanta six weeks ago—scrawled in loopy, cursive
letters with no clue as to its sender except the postmark from Croisette
Shores—the words lingered in Serenity’s mind, never far from her conscious
thought. Lifting her face to the early May sun, she dug her toes in the sand,
luxuriating in the sensation as the warm grains filtered between her toes. How she’d
missed her lovely little South Carolina town.
The slight breeze lifted
strands of her hair in an airy dance and a happy squeal caught her attention. A
pregnant woman held the hand of a toddler girl who skipped beside her, giggling
when the gentle waves kissed her toes. Uninhibited and joyful, the sound of the
child’s laughter transported Serenity back in time to the carefree days when
she’d played alongside her parents on this same stretch of beach. Days when it
seemed the world was ripe with possibility and opportunity. Days when making a
sand castle and discovering a beautiful seashell, simple yet intricate in its
complexity, thrilled her like nothing else.
“Freud!”
Shielding her eyes with one
hand, Serenity scanned the beach. Freud?
A gorgeous gray and white Siberian husky skirted the shoreline, dodging the
seaweed and marine life deposited by the receding waves. A magnificent
creature, grace in motion, but who would name a dog Freud? In its own way,
though, it was rather cute. She couldn’t remember ever seeing this particular
breed of dog in Croisette Shores before. His coat was well-groomed and short,
and thank goodness she sat far enough removed to avoid the sand he sprayed in
his wake.
“Come here, boy!” The man
jogging behind the dog captured her attention as he slowed to a walk, a red
Frisbee tucked under one arm. The last time she’d given any man more than a
passing glance seemed like a lifetime ago. In some ways, it was. This one
definitely stood out in the small crowd of beachgoers. Tall, broad-shouldered
and muscular, his wavy dark hair was long enough in back to curl over the
collar of his light blue polo. She guessed he must be late twenties or early
thirties. Barefoot with the bottom of his khakis rolled on his calves, he
looked the part of a well-to-do tourist renting a luxury cottage on one of the
private beaches. Cheeks flushed with color, he hadn’t yet developed the
sun-kissed tan of the locals.
Stopping, he tossed the
Frisbee and laughed as the dog darted after it, venturing into the tide.
Amazing a dog that size could jump so high. Serenity sat up straighter,
fascinated, as the two repeated their game. The man moved a bit slower,
appearing to favor one leg, and a slight grimace creased his attractive
features. Was he in pain? She startled a few seconds later when the Frisbee
skidded to a stop at her feet, showering her with sand. Freud lunged in her
direction—quickening her heart rate tenfold—and scooped the plastic disc in his
mouth before bounding off again. Willing her pulse to slow, Serenity brushed
sand from her shorts and tugged down on her pink cotton tee.
“Sorry!” the man called to
her with a friendly wave. “He’s harmless. Hope he didn’t scare you. Are you
okay?”
She waved back. “I’m fine,
thanks.” She wasn’t worried about the canine so much as her reaction to Freud’s
companion, but how nice of him to consider her feelings. The guy had a killer
smile and strands of dark hair whipped over his forehead. Couldn’t he at least
have a high-pitched or nasal voice? No, it had to be deep, smooth and rich as
melting chocolate. Good thing she generally avoided chocolate.
When do you find time to write? (The
pharmacist said to the author…)
Wow, a pharmacist? That’s amazing.
Ever tried penning a medical thriller? I think your profession would open a
world of writing ideas! I’m an estate administration/wealth transfer paralegal
in a large law firm in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. However, I spend nearly
every lunch hour working on my current manuscript, writing blogs, or doing some
type of marketing work. My mind is almost always spinning with plotlines,
characters or something related to my writing. I spend many hours in front of
my computer at home or with the laptop in my bed. But the Lord’s given me this
desire to share stories and He keeps me going. Writing energizes me like little
else and it’s my passion.
I guess I’ve never thought of penning
a medical thriller before, although I do have a pharmacist as one of my
characters. Can’t get too far away from my roots, huh? Anyway… Do you have a
marketing strategy—well, other than tossing the pages into the wind and praying
they find some eager hands?
That image makes me laugh. Sometimes
it does seem like that’s what we do, doesn’t it? Since my former publisher
turned over the rights to me for my Lewis
Legacy Series books at the end of last year, and with Catching Serenity being
independently published, I’ve enjoyed having complete control over the
marketing and advertising (not to be confused with being a control freak, of
course). Unlike some authors, I love marketing. The Lord knew the best
marketing “job” for me is marketing my own books! I’m navigating the waters
now, but I’ve found a several websites that have been tremendously successful
for me. Awakening was offered free on one website a couple of months
ago and more than 47,000 readers downloaded it! That was astounding to me, and
it served to multiply the sales and increase the visibility of all of my books as
a whole (including a boxed set of the first four series books).
What a great idea! I’ll have to
remember that and Isaiah 55:11. After all, the Lord’s Word doesn’t return void…even
if it is free. Thanks for stopping by the Mine. I believe we have a diamond,
folks. Are you open to questions, JoAnn?
Of course! I love interacting with
readers and would be happy to answer any questions. Thanks so much for inviting
me to visit. Many blessings to all of you, and thanks for your support of
Christian fiction and its authors. We couldn’t do it without you!
GIVEAWAY ! ! !
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About the Book:
A poignant story of faith, hope and
love,
and discovering the everyday miracles
from an all-powerful God.
Amazon:
About the Author:
Catching Serenity
is JoAnn Durgin’s fifth published, full-length novel. She is the author of THE
LEWIS LEGACY SERIES: AWAKENING, SECOND TIME AROUND, TWIN HEARTS, and DAYDREAMS
(Torn Veil Books), and Christmas novellas, MEET ME UNDER THE MISTLETOE and its
sequel (coming for the 2013 holiday season), STARLIGHT, STAR BRIGHT (Pelican
Book Group/White Rose Publishing). An estate administration paralegal in a
Louisville, Kentucky law firm, JoAnn lives with her family in southern Indiana.
A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers (national and Indiana
chapter) and the Louisville Christian Writers, JoAnn’s prayer is that her
contemporary romantic adventures will touch hearts and lives with the redeeming
love of Jesus Christ. She’d love to hear from you at www.joanndurgin.com or via
her "Author JoAnn Durgin" page on Facebook.
