B J is giving away one copy of the winner's choice of her books to one winner if enough people enter. Please leave a comment below and tell your friends.
Welcome, BJ. Please tell us when your writing journey began.
My writing journey began four years after my brother
died in Vietnam. Although he was eight years younger than me, we had a close
relationship.
My brother, Danny, enjoyed writing while he was in
high school. During that time, I was busy with my three little girls. I gave
birth to my son and Danny's namesake in the same month. I took my first writing
class at the neighborhood parks and rec four years later. The instructor did
not encourage me, but she didn't know that I was stubborn. I had an attitude. I'll
show you. That was 1973.
And I'm glad you did! Did you continue to write after that
experience?
I did. And I eventually had the courage to submit my
work. My most successful article, Our Nightmare with Melanie, about our
daughter's anorexia, was first published with Focus on the Family and later
reprinted in twenty more publications. Numerous editors also rejected that
article, but I didn't give up. I kept submitting it repeatedly, and I'm glad I
did. I know I'm not a great writer. God and persistence enabled me to see my
dreams come true.
What are your dreams?
When I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a wife
and mother. God gave me a dear husband for sixty years. He also blessed me as a
mother of four wonderful children. Writing did not interfere during my children's
formative years, and I'm glad it didn't. Later, when they were teens and I'd be
preparing dinner, they'd ask me a question, and I didn't hear them because
story ideas swirled around in my head.
After the children were gone, I could spend more time
writing. I am a goal setter, and one of my goals was to have three published
novels by the time I reached my eightieth birthday. I have five published
books. My novels are Lily, Gilian's Heart, Sweet Charity,
and The Greatest Sacrifice. I also wrote The King's Daughters—A Woman's
Devotional.
That's something to celebrate. Do you have
a current project?
I do. My first book, Lily, began in 1900, and I
wanted to write a sequel about Lily's grandmother, Anna, moving west in a
covered wagon, but I ran into problems with the dates. So, I changed it to a
stand-alone novel instead of a sequel.
I'm enjoying writing Anna's Story. Yet it is
slow going while experiencing writer's block and tremors in my hands, making it
difficult to move the cursor.
You mention writer's block. What else have
you experienced during your writing career?
Besides being the queen of rejections, book sales are
difficult unless you're a household name.
All my novels include the gospel because I want
everyone to have the opportunity to go to heaven, and I believe God has called
me to share the gospel. So, if I can't sell them, I need to give them away.
Gone are the days when authors wrote, and booksellers
sold the author's books. Now, many authors wear the hat of a bookseller, taking
away precious time from writing.
Do you have a favorite book you've
written?
My books are like my children. I love them all, so my
answer is no, I do not have a favorite. Although many writers say their
favorite book is the one they are working on.
I was more fortunate than some during COVID because I
got the idea for The Greatest Sacrifice, so I felt blessed to spend that
time with my characters Stevie and Annie and write their story. I related to
Annie because I also experienced the sadness of not being able to get pregnant
for five years. And I also felt compassion for Stevie having to give up her
baby for adoption.
My oldest daughter, Dawn is adopted, and I was always
grateful to her birth mother for the decision she made so I could become a
mother. I dedicated the book to Dawn.
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