If
you had to describe yourself in one sentence, what would you say?
I’m much more entertaining over email.
What
do you do when you’re not writing? Any interesting hobbies?
In
my non-work time, I prefer to be with my husband and two daughters. We have
weekly Movie Nights, study the Bible together, and explore the Midwest. We have
been to almost every state in this slice of the nation. I’m always reading a
book of some variety, as well.
What was your favorite book as a teen or child?
Beverly Cleary’s Romana series was my favorite as a child. Romana Quimby lit my fire for spunky female leads in realistic fiction.
Tell
us three things about yourself that might surprise your readers.
Back in the day, I wrote a biography on New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig, and I can still rattle off any fact you might want to know about him. I grew up on a dairy farm but dislike the taste of cow’s milk. My dream vacation is a river cruise on the Rhine.
What
genre did you start out writing? Have you changed course? Why or why not?
My first writing credits are all non-fiction, so technically I did change course. In fiction, my first love as both reader and writer is contemporary. My debut novel, The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip, is contemporary, and my second novel, which I’m working on now, will be contemporary as well.
What
has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the
best compliment?
The toughest criticism I have received was that I don’t take criticism well. It came early in my writing journey during a critique group session. The comment made me really evaluate how I respond to and process through negative reactions to something I have written. I hope I have grown since then. The best compliment I have received was a letter from a reader who said that something I wrote helped prompt her toward a relationship with God. There is no greater human affirmation that I am being a good steward of the time and talent I have been entrusted with.
Any
other genres you’d like to try? If yes, what and why?
Historical is easily my second-favorite genre to read, behind contemporary. I could see myself writing historical someday. My first two novels both have history woven into them. I enjoy the research process and learning from the experiences of the generations before mine.
If
you could go back in time and do something differently at the start of your
career, what would it be?
If I had to do it over again, I would prioritize honing my fiction writing craft sooner instead of focusing so much on non-fiction. Being a novelist was always what I was after, but I allowed myself to get too wrapped up in pursuing the “easy” wins in publishing non-fiction pieces.
What
is the most important piece of advice you’d like to give to unpublished authors?
Know your Why. The What, When and Where will invariably sort themselves out, but the Why is for you to determine. Why do you write? Ultimately, what is it that drives you to write? For me, as a Christian author, it’s the belief that writing is an act of worship. No matter what I’m writing or who the audience is, my Why doesn’t change. God invested in me a love for storytelling, and I will turn that back to Him in worship, in whatever form the writing may take. It could be a novel, a social media post, my church newsletter, an email. Whatever it is, stringing words together on the page is my song to my Heavenly Father. Learning to have this view of writing changed the course of my career.
Tell us a little bit about The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip: Aidyn Kelley is talented, ambitious, and ready for a more serious assignment than the fluff pieces she’s been getting as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star. In her eagerness, she pushes too hard, earning herself the menial task of writing an obituary for an unremarkable woman who’s just entered hospice care. But there’s more to Clara Kip than meets the eye. The spirited septuagenarian may be dying, but she’s not quite ready to cash it in yet. Never one to shy away from an assignment herself, she can see that God brought the young reporter into her life for a reason. And if it’s a story Aidyn Kelley wants, that’s just what Mrs. Kip will give her—but she’s going to have to work for it.
The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip will release in July. You can pre-book it at Amazon or HERE at Christianbook.com (Don't you just love that title?)
Be sure to leave Sara a comment for a chance to win a $25.00 Amazon gift certificate.
Happy reading ~ Mary Ellis