Sharon’s books have been recognized with a Christy
finalist medal and three Carol awards. Sharon’s undergrad degree is in
education, and she earned an M.A. in Communication from Regent University. She
has been a church youth worker, a choreographer and ballet teacher, a
home-school mom, a church organist, and a bookstore clerk. One day she’ll
figure out what to be when she grows up, but in the meantime she’s pouring her
imagination into writing.
Information about her novels as well as her
devotional writing can be found at her sharonhinck.com website.
INTERVIEW
Can
you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I write “stories for the hero in all of us” –
unlikely heroines who find that God can use even their weakness to be a
blessing to others. My novels tend to blend genres a bit, but they all share a
sense of adventure and a theme of God’s grace at work when life gets tough.
I also have been writing for the daily devotional
“Mornings with Jesus” for several years.
What
do you do when you’re not writing?
Skyping with my granddaughter, gardening, singing
and playing piano, making homemade cards, hosting a small group Bible study,
chatting with my kids, enjoying a cup of tea with a friend, and generating schemes
that lead to all sorts of chaos for my patient hubby.
How
did you choose the genre you write in?
I listened to the advice that I should look at my
bookshelves to see what my favorite genre is to read. My bookshelves have
multi-personality disorder, with everything from sci-fi, to thrillers, to sweet
romance, to historicals, to fantasy, to romantic suspense. So the first novel I
wrote, “The Restorer” is an unusual blend of a contemporary fiction from a
mom’s perspective, but set in a fantastical adventure. I’ve also written
contemporary fiction with a more humorous tone (The Becky Miller books), a
light mystery (Symphony of Secrets), and a women’s fiction journey-of-healing
story (Stepping into Sunlight).
What
has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the
best compliment?
When I toured with the Restorer series, I heard from
Christians who believed the fantasy genre was evil (without understanding the
care I took with the spiritual truths that my characters embraced) and even heard
from some that fiction is a waste of time for Christians (that we should only
read the Bible). It hurt my heart to see the arts devalued that way. Jesus
demonstrated the power of story-telling in His parables. And I believe God, our
Creator, is delighted when we follow in His steps by creating something of
beauty through the arts.
My best compliment has been from people who engaged
with the journey of one of my characters and wrote to tell me the story changed
them. A woman shared coming back to Christ, setting the novel down and praying.
Another told me of feeling reassured of God’s love for her in her time of
suffering. I cherish those letters.
If
you could go back in time and do something differently in your writing career,
what would it be?
To build an audience, it’s very wise to pick one
genre to write, so people know what to expect from your books. Yet each book I
wrote was the one that burned in my heart at the time, so even though my path
hasn’t been efficient and business-savy, I wrote stories that aren’t always one
clear genre. I wish I could have done this differently, but I’m not sure I
could have.
What
do you see happening in your career ten years from now?
I’ve had some life challenges that interrupted my
writing work. I began The Deliverer seven years ago. It’s been a long road. Ten
years ago I couldn’t have foreseen the way the path would bend. I recently
completed a contemporary romantic suspense and am well into another one, so I
hope to continue working more steadily as God leads.
The
Deliverer
A lost songkeeper must lead her people to a long
awaited Deliverer
Eager to serve the One, a young songkeeper travels
to the dark and foreign nation of Hazor, but her confusing, rough-edged
companion has lost his Restorer gifts. As danger rises against them both, she
loses her freedom, her memories, and her hope. Now even the very music of her
soul is threatened.
In our world, Susan Mitchell no longer feels at
home in the carpool lane. Burdened by the unhealed scars from her trips through
the portal, she fights to suppress her worry about her son, who remains out of
contact in Lyric. But when a mysterious message hints Jake is in danger, she
and her husband are swept away—to the place they least expect. Clan rebellions. Lost Restorers. Has the One turned away, or will the face of the Deliverer bring light to the darkness?
The Deliverer (Book four of The Sword of Lyric
series) now available for preorder.
Book One of the series, The Restorer, is available for free on Kindle!
Beautiful cover! God's blessings on your new release.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview, Sharon! I've heard the same kind of comments when at book-signing events. That "I only read the Bible." Interestingly enough, got this comment on a blog and i thought, um. . .you're reading a blog. I love that we are following in the footsteps of Jesus in telling stories that will speak to people about Him. Open their eyes to deeper truths. Keep writing away, Sistah!
ReplyDeleteBeth
Thanks, Erin! They did a great job on the cover, indeed. Thanks, Beth! Yes, I pray our stories will reach those who DO find stories edifying. :-)
ReplyDeleteI like that "everyman" hero the best! Thanks for sharing with us, Sharon!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great interview, Sharon. I also believe that our stories can be used as parables. I pray over every book, asking God what He wants to say through my words. It's difficult to understand why some Christians try to keep God in such a narrow box - defined by their own human understanding. God is so much more than that! So glad you stopped by and shared with us. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dana. Isn't it great how God uses the most unlikely of vessels? :-) I like to reflect that in my characters.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nancy. I love your reminder of praying over the books.
ReplyDelete