Get to Know Janet Thompson on the Diamond Mine!

I’m delighted to introduce my new friend and fellow author, JANET THOMPSON, to the Rough Diamond Writers, today. Janet was introduced to me through a mutual friend who sent a copy of her blog post this past week. And it was sister-ship on my end at first read.

Welcome Janet, and in one small question that takes a paragraph to answer, can you tell us when, why, and how you began writing?

In 1995 while managing an insurance agency and attending Fuller Theological Seminary, I heard a call from the Lord to "feed my sheep." Later He revealed the sheep were women and the feeding was mentoring. I took the steps to start a mentoring ministry at my church, Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. The ministry turned out to be successful and other churches started calling to find out what we were doing. I couldn’t tell them in a phone call, so I sat down and wrote the Woman to Woman Mentoring Resources, available exclusively now at our website, where you can also read more of my story and testimony. Writing these resources also launched my speaking and writing ministry, About His Work Ministry.

And isn’t that a writer’s heart? You just sat down and wrote…love it! Our readers are always interested to know about the personal side of your life. Please tell us about your family, your church, and your favorite scripture passage.

My husband Dave and I are a blended family. Together we have four children and eleven sweet grandchildren living throughout the United States, but we’re blessed to have one family living within an hour from where we live. We were members at Saddleback Church for twenty-three years and served there before moving to the rural mountains of Idaho, where we attend a small community church and Dave is an elder. The theme of the Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry is Titus 2:3-5, and mentoring is at the heart of everything I write and speak about: one generation sharing life's experiences and God's faithfulness with the next generation.

The rural mountains of Idaho? That seems like a dream come true…except in the winter. What fills your time when you’re not in front of the computer?

I must admit I do have calluses on my hands from hours writing and networking on the computer. In fact, I have two screens and one of my screens is actually a TV monitor. It’s so wonderful in today's world to reach so many people at one time without having to leave your home. That's how I met you! But I love spending time with my grandchildren, and as I said most are in different states, so we try to plan my speaking around trips to visit them and spend as much time as we can with those that live close to us. When weather permits, I take a three-mile mountain walk that gets the blood and ideas flowing. I'm a three-time breast cancer survivor. I feel the Lord spared my life for a specific purpose: to spread the Gospel, help Christians grow in faith to mentor new believers and seekers, and focus my time and energy on things that have kingdom value. My husband and I co-facilitate a Couples Small Group at our church, I'm doing a Bible study with my young granddaughters, and mentoring several young women long distance. I write a Monday Morning Blog and a Monthly Newsletter...so I guess being About His Work would be my pass time and hobby.

What is your heart’s desire for the reader to understand from your writing?

I have a passion for our generation to teach and train the next generation. That we would understand this is the job description for EVERY Christian, male and female. There are no qualifiers in passages like Titus 2:1-8 or Psalm 145:4 or so many others. They don't say if you feel like it, or have time, or it's your calling . . . they all say "One generation will..." I feel we are seeing the fall in our culture today because “One generation didn't . . .”

My latest book Forsaken God: Remembering the Goodness of God Our Culture Has Forgotten is the most passionate book I've written to date on this topic, and it's written to both men and women. God gave me the idea for that book ten years ago, but I know now why He had it come out February 2016, because I wrote it for such a time as this when we’ve reached a point in our culture where God has been from the public square. But with the new administration, we have a chance to bring God back into our culture, but the church must lead this revival and it must start with individual Christians.

Will you share your WIP?

I have a book releasing this fall with Leafwood Publishers Mentoring for All Seasons: Women Sharing Life’s Experiences and God’s Faithfulness, which I’m very excited about as it will help women either mentor or be mentored in every season from tweens to death.

I’m currently writing Get Your Brave On and am soliciting stories from women who had a time in their life where God asked them to be brave. Maybe they didn’t see it as brave at the time, but they knew they couldn’t have done it without God, or others have told them their actions were brave even when they were just doing what comes naturally. They can contact me for more guidelines at ahw@sbcglobal.net

And finally do you have a word of encouragement or advice for new writers?

When anyone asks about writing, I always advise to attend a writer’s conference. I never aspired to be an author, ever. But after starting the Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry, I attended Mount Hermon Christian Writer’s Conference ten times, and that is where I learned to write. I made so many contacts and took all the workshops, and did finally get a proposal accepted by Howard Books/ Simon & Schuster for my book Dear God, They Say It’s Cancer: A Companion Guide For Women on the Breast Cancer Journey. That book came next after the Woman to Woman Mentoring resources, with many rejections in between in which I perfected my craft.

The other advice is never self-publish without paying for professional editing. You can’t edit your own work! And your family, friends, other authors…can’t do it either. If you think you have a project worth publishing, it’s worth doing it right.

And I just want to add a little blip. Go to: http://dianegates.wordpress.com/ to read Janet’s blog that introduced me to this fine author and sister-laborer-together in sharing the Good News of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Welcome Deborah Piccurelli: Author, Advocate, and Diamond

Deborah Piccurelli

Welcome to the Mine, Deborah. Summer’s almost over, and school’s getting ready to start in some areas, started in others. A busy time of year!

Thank you for having me, Renee. It’s a pleasure to be here!

I see you have a book out and about called Hush, Little Baby. Can you tell us about it?

Here’s the back cover blurb:

Investigative journalist, Amber Blake, is a little person bent on payback for the death of her average-sized twin sister. Enlisted by her former partner and estranged husband, Evan, she poses as a counselor in an abortion clinic to expose the doctor responsible for fetal harvesting. As a Christian, she struggles with concealing her beliefs to maintain her cover, while the doctor’s romantic overtures tumble her stomach. Amber agrees to date him for the sake of the story . . . but nothing prepares her for what’s behind a mysterious door in his office.

Wow, it sounds like a powerful book. Do you think we can get a sneak peek?

CHAPTER

            She would be working for her sister’s killer.

            Amber’s skin goosebumped as she drove down the town’s main highway to the Cedarview Women’s Center for her first day on the job. To think the man responsible for Ashley’s death, Dr. Albert Hines, would be her employer.

            Her foot pumped the extender pedal for the brake, and her Honda Odyssey glided to a smooth stop at the red traffic signal. She sometimes wondered what it would feel like to be five-six instead of four foot tall, and able to drive without the extenders; to live a life without the need for any adaptive products.

            She was about to find out. In part, anyway. Her last visit to the clinic for the interview revealed very few accommodations for a little person. Not that she expected there would be any, as they probably never had a dwarf working there before. Despite her size, Dr. Hines had shown her much respect. Because of that surprising courtesy, a tinge of guilt crept in at the thought that he would end up in prison because of her.

            Not enough to put her off, though. He had it coming.

I started writing novels fairly late in life (around forty), but I heard the call loud and clear. I just never thought I’d be writing suspense. I figured I’d write more historical or chicklit. Anything but suspense or mystery. When the Lord called you as a writer, did you think you’d be writing what you are?

Actually, I thought I’d be writing screenplays, because that’s what I started with. I really don’t know how I switched over to novels, but I do know that reading good books made me want to write them, too. I had even started a couple as a child, but never finished them, and then teenage life took over.

Ever wonder if you heard right?

Not really. I just write whatever I hear the Lord give me. I have three other assignments from Him: Another novel, which I’m working on right now; a nonfiction book, and a TV drama. The latter two I’ve never even thought of getting into before.

Now don’t laugh… I had aspirations of being a ballerina as a child. Of course, it wasn’t meant to be, either due to God’s will or my own foolishness. Either way, now I’m a pharmacist and an author. Praise the Lord. If God hadn’t made you to put the pen to the page, what else do you think you’d be?

This sounds really lame at this point in my life, but as a little girl, I wanted to be a secretary when I grew up. For some reason I thought it was glamorous. I guess from watching TV shows and movies where the secretary looked official and ended up marrying her boss. (laughs) Anyway, I did end up doing that for many years. And no, I didn’t marry any of my bosses. So, being a writer is a bigger, better dream for me. And as I mentioned earlier, I did do some writing as a child, so I guess writing was a sort of hidden dream.

I can see writing as a hidden dream of mine as well! I think God plants that desire very early in many writers. I know He did for me. Like I said before, I write suspense and romance. The Lord imbeds His message of deliverance. He offers me stories of faith and hope...  with struggles through insurmountable odds. What do you write and why?

The books I write are cause-related. Mostly subjects related to sanctity of life. The Lord just put this on my heart, and I feel it’s an assignment he appointed me to.

The Lord promises to never forsake us. So even when we think we’ve been abandoned in our endeavors, He’s with us. What can you share with the readers to encourage them?

Stay close to Him. Consult Him at every turn in each project. It wouldn’t even hurt to fast some. Praise Him. He inhabits our praise.

Thank you so much for that, Deb. So many times we forget to do that very thing. In fact, He becomes our last resort when He should be the first. My faith in Jesus Christ sustains me. I’m actually known to many as Faithwalker. How does your faith provide strength for you?

I think it’s more that the Joy of the Lord gives me strength to have the level of faith needed to do this work.

That’s an interesting perspective. For me, I have to say it’s the reverse. My faith gives me joy. When all else fails, I have faith in the One true God and He’s always there for me… no matter what. I take joy in that. Even if I don’t feel like smiling or laughing, I know He loves me. Of course, I don’t write what you do!

Thanks for coming to the Mine today. Before you go, can we let the readers know what’s in the works for you? New releases to come?

And thank you for having me, today, Renee. I have a contract with Prism for a novella, that’s pure romance, not the usual stuff I write. I’m working with the editor now, but have not yet been given a release date. I’m hoping it’s not too far off.

I can’t wait until it’s released. I bet it’s going to be great. I hope you let us know when you find out the release date. Until then… may the Lord bless and keep you!

Deborah’s giving away a signed print copy of her new release, Hush, Little Baby. Enter for your chance to win via the Rafflecopter below!

Drawing will be August 27^th!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Book:

Investigative journalist, Amber Blake, is a little person bent on payback for the death of her average-sized twin sister. Enlisted by her former partner and estranged husband, Evan, she poses as a counselor in an abortion clinic to expose the doctor responsible for fetal harvesting.
As a Christian, she struggles with concealing her beliefs to maintain her cover, while the doctor’s romantic overtures tumble her stomach. Amber agrees to date him for the sake of the story . . . but nothing prepares her for what’s behind a mysterious door in his office.

About the Author:

Deborah M. Piccurelli is an advocate for sanctity of life, and tackles such issues in her novels, weaving them into compelling stories. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and their two sons.

Contact info:

www.deborahmpiccurelli.com

www.facebook.com/deborah.piccurelli

Twitter - @DebPiccurelli

Pinterest.com/DebPiccurelli