Suzanne Woods Fisher's Blog, page 134

Back from Atlanta!

Just got back from a couple of jam-packed, exciting days in Atlanta (there's a reason they call it Hotlanta! 105 degrees and just a wee bit humid) at the International Christian Retailer's Show at the CNN Convention Center. I loved every minute of  it--meeting new friends, connecting with my publisher and the people who get those books into readers' hands, getting acquainted with retailers, walking the floor and seeing the energy (the economy is starting to bloom, at least for the Christian book industry. Everything--seemed to be up by 20%.).

 The first night was the Baker Publishing Group dinner--I was completely starstruck! Wow...just to be in the same room as Pat Williams (whom I begged an autograph for my son. Shameless!), Beverly Lewis, Dale Cramer, Siri Mitchell, Melody Carlson, Steven James, on and on. Dazzling! (I would have loved to take pictures of everybody...but how obnoxious would that be?! Very.)


My one little mistake was that I wore brand new shoes--adorable shoes! But hoo-boy! Did I ever pay for that little piece of vanity! Huge blisters. At the start of the week!!! Grrrrr. (One week later and I'm still wearing band-aids and cringing when I put on my tennis shoes.)

Spent the next day trying not to look like I was limping along in pain. I had breakfast with blogger Mocha with Linda. Then...zoomed through the convention center. One of my favorite moments was meeting with an Old Order Amish fellow who had a booth at ICRS for his beautifully made picture frames! I hung around his booth when he didn't have customers--we talked about friends we have in common, and I asked him about some sticky points of Amish theology. I left his booth feeling the way I always do after meeting with the Amish--this lovely sense of peace and calm in the midst.

That was nice--because at the CNN center, you get news blasted at you everywhere you turn. TV monitors were everywhere, with grim looking, handwringing anchors. The television in my hotel room had six channels of CNN news! (Grrr! No Food Network!)

That evening was the Christy Awards dinner at the Hyatt Regency. Wow wow wow. Talk about feeling starstruck again. Imagine all of your favorite authors, in one room, 'putting on the ritz.' Dazzling.

The banquet was emceed by New York Times best-selling author and Christy Award-winner, Liz Curtis Higgs. The keynote speaker was screenwriter, director, and New York Times best-selling author, Randall Wallace (screenwriter of Braveheart and Secretariat and Pearl Harbor). A-MA-Z-ING speaker. 

The Waiting was a finalist for the award, and I didn't win, but I didn't expect to. I truly didn't. I felt so thrilled to be a part of the experience--being a finalist was more than enough. I already felt as if "my cup runneth over." Not sure I could have handled much more excitement--plus, it's nice to have goals to aspire to.

The next day, I attended a artist's luncheon that was FABULOUS! Emceed by Phil Vischer of Veggie Tales (who is off-the-cuff, unscripted hilarious), Peter Furler and a handful of other terrific musicians. 



Then I had a book signing--first time ever that the line wove around the Baker booth and down the hall. Might have helped that the books were given away for free! But...still...

Last thing before heading to the airport was stopping by a press conference presented by American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Randy Alcorn and DiAnn Mills spoke about the importance of story. And then...the finalists for the Carol Awards were announced. The Choice is a finalist for the Carol Award in the long contemporary category. 

Another cup runneth over feeling! 

All four of my (eligible for awards that year) books with Revell have been finalists for significant awards--ones that focus on the quality of the writing. That means so much to me.   

But here's the funny part...moments after all of that razzle-dazzle, I was walking in the rain, alone, limping with blisters, schlepping my bags filled with free books from other authors, heading to the airport where my plane was endlessly delayed. 

What a picture of the writer's life!

Brief, sparkling, magical moments...immersed in a whole lot of regular ol' hard work.  


Tomorrow...more about the Christy Awards evening, including pix. Stay tuned!
   

Author Spotlight: Hillary Manton Lodge

Welcome to Author Spotlight! Each week will feature a different author. We'll get the scoop behind their writing life and dish a little. The authors will also be giving away a copy of their latest book. FUN.

The winner from last week's Author Spotlight with Gayle Roper is Marianne! Please email my assistant Amy with your mailing address. (amy@litfusegroup.com)

This week Hillary Manton Lodge is in the Spotlight! To win a copy of Hillary's latest book, Simply Sara, leave a comment on this post!

Share a little bit about yourself. Married with kids? Empty nester? Do you work full-time and write when you can squeeze it in?

I'm married with a puppy, writing full-time.

And share something about your writing. What's your genre(s), your areas of interest…

I write Generation-Next Contemporary fiction. The two books I've released are just that, with an Amish twist. I'm interested in all sorts of things, and writing all sorts of genres. In my non-writing world, I love being in the kitchen (cooking, not cleaning), watching movies, taking long walks by the Columbia river with my husband and looking for the perfect lipstick.

How did you get started writing? Did you have a dream of being a published author?

I always knew I wanted to write books. When I was in grade school, I would write and illustrate my stories; in middle school, I got those bound blank diaries and tried to write books in those. I wouldn't recommend it, myself.

My parents made sure to connect me with writers they knew through our church, and from there I began to get involved with Oregon Christian Writers. I was about fourteen when I attended my first conference. At OCW, I learned the finer points of writing for publication. Getting to take the conference classes while in high school and college gave me a unique writing education. I finished my first novel about ten years after my first conference.

After you started writing seriously--how long was it before you were published?

It took me two years to finish my first novel, and another year after that before I signed my first contract. Mind you, it was for a completely different book (Plain Jayne), but it was a contract I got because of the first book. Jayne released about sixteen months later.

Aside from a cup of good, strong coffee, what helps you get all of your "brain cylinders" firing so you can write well? Do you have any favorite places and routines when you write? How many hours a day do you spend writing?

I don't actually drink coffee, it makes me weird. I do need to walk, though. Thankfully, I have a dog who needs to stretch her legs often. I also have a terrific husband who will throw ideas around with me on a walk. Getting moving helps me to order my thoughts and settle into my head.

Where I write changes. We've actually been moving around quite a lot this last year – I've lived in four cities in the last ten months, so it's messed with my writing habits a bit. I don't work at a desk very well, but couches and coffee shops tend to be successful. Change is good!

What has been the biggest help to you in the journey to publication? Writers' conferences? Writing groups? Your mom as your first draft reader?

Writer's conferences, in a big way. I connected with my agent and first publishing house that way. My husband was a huge help, too. I was about two-thirds through my first novel when we met, and I'd been having a hard time writing the love story. Getting to fall in love with a lovely man helped me to write the end – definitely some of the best research I've done!

Is the "writer's life" what you thought it would be?

It's busier and more demanding than I expected, at times, but at other times it's quieter. It really is a hurry-up-and-wait sort of process. Everything depends on whether you're in the hurrying or waiting stage!

What are your biggest distractions?

It's a long, long list. Home chores tend to be big distractors, and the puppy doesn't help. I actually tend to work better at night because I'm not distracted by things like light and phone calls.

What do you least like about being a writer? Most like?

Well, the flexible working schedule is a definite plus. And having your work turn into a concrete product is incredibly rewarding. But writing is hard work, and very mentally taxing. Writing isn't even a writer's one job – there's editing and marketing and blogging and networking and shopping for clothes to wear to book signings (wait…that last one might just be me…).

What is the role and importance of an agent?

I'm a bit spoiled, because I'm with Sandra Bishop, who won the Agent of the Year award at ACFW last fall. She takes a 15% commission and she's worth every single penny.

Your agent is the one who negotiates the terms of your contract, which means she also understands everything in your contract. She knows what's normal and what's kinda quirky. She serves as a liaison between you and your publisher when you need it, or if you don't have a publisher yet, she acts as a yenta for you and your manuscript. That means she needs to be constantly networking, meeting editors who might be looking for what you've got. I can't imagine being in this business without an agent. Even without all of the platform changes (ebooks, etc), it's a crazy business.

What advice would you give to new writers?

Develop your voice. It has to be yours and yours alone, something that comes naturally to you without feeling like you're forcing it. For me, figuring out that first-person sassy worked best for me was a huge step – before that, I'd been hanging out in third-person serious and really struggling. Write what comes naturally!

Pretend I'm a customer at a bookstore looking for a good book. Give me a one or two sentence promo to convince me to buy your book.

Simply Sara is the must-read follow-up to Plain Jayne, the story of Sara Burkholder's foray into the English world and all of its complications. Sara gets a job at a bookstore, begins college, falls in love, and figures out how to have a happy ending of her own.

What's on the book horizon for you?

I'm working on some new projects that I'm very excited about, but nothing official yet. Readers can check my blog for the latest news and musings at www.hillarymantonlodge.com. They can also pop by my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/hmlfiction) or Twitter page (www.twitter.com/hillarylodge).

Last question, how can readers find your books?

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells.com – they're easy to find!

Thank you for sharing your writing life with my bleaders! (blog + readers = bleaders)

Thursday on Amish Wisdom: The Amish Cook's Kevin Williams with guest host Judy Christie

Tune in on Thursday at 4:00 pm Central! To listen in - go here and just click on the player in the top right corner.

I'm away at the International Christian Retail Show in Atlanta this week and the wonderful Judy Christie has agreed to guest host Thursday's show. (THANK YOU Judy!) She'll be interviewing the fascinating Kevin Williams of The Amish Cook.

More About Kevin: Kevin Williams is creator and editor of the syndicated column, The Amish Cook, written by Lovina Eicher. The Amish Cook appears weekly in over 120 newspapers from coast to coast.

In 1991, Williams cooked up an idea for an Amish recipe column and convinced Old Order Amish grandmother Elizabeth Coblentz to write it. Today, The Amish Cook tradition lives on as Elizabeth's daughter, Lovina Eicher, continues to pen the column each week.  Kevin is an author and speaker, sharing his experiences among the plain people.  Kevin has co-authored 10 cookbooks, including the strong selling "Amish Cook at Home" and "The Amish Cook's Baking Book" (Los Angeles Weekly selected this book the best baking book of 2010).

More About The Amish Cook: The Amish Cook is a popular newspaper column seen in over 130 daily and weekly newspapers throughout the USA. The column has been penned by Old Order Amish mom, Lovina Eicher, since 2002. But the column has an even longer history.

Elizabeth Coblentz was the original Amish Cook. She penned the newspaper column from 1991 through 2002, charming audiences with her simple wisdom, easy recipes and loving accounts of life on her Indiana farm. Elizabeth's column grew from one paper in 1991 to over 100 at the time of her death. Her daughter, Lovina, at the urging of her editor, took over the column. Elizabeth's love and words live on through Lovina's pen.

Lovina Eicher (pronounced Luh-Vine-Uh EYE-Ker) is one of eight children to Elizabeth and Ben Coblentz. Lovina takes over "The Amish Cook" column from her mother. Lovina is married to her husband, Joe. They've been married since 1994. As of October 2002, Lovina and Joe are the parents of eight children: Elizabeth, Susan, Verena, Benjamin, Loretta, Joseph, Lovina, and Kevin. Each week, Lovina - in much the same way her mother did for over 10 years - shares snippets of her life as a traditional Amish mother. Lovina's column is seen in over 100 newspapers.

Kevin Williams has been editor of The Amish Cook column since its inception 20 years ago. As an 18-year-old college sophomore journalism major, Kevin "discovered" Elizabeth, and an unlikely duo was created. Kevin edits and markets the column, while Lovina - as her mother did before - writes it weekly. Kevin is a nationally noted expert and author about Amish, Mennonite and other plain cultures.

Kevin will soon release his first work of fiction, entitled "The Amish Appeal".

For a chance to win a copy of The Amish Cook's Baking Book (co-written with Lovina Eicher), leave a comment {HERE}. Winner will be notified via email next week.
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More about The Amish Cook's Baking Book: For the Amish, baking is an art form, a pleasure, and a way of life. The emotion they bring to baking is at the heart of The Amish Cook's Baking Book. Together, celebrated Amish cook Lovina Eicher and her editor, Kevin Williams, introduce a new generation to Amish baking.

This baking book is filled with 80 beautiful photographs and over 100 classic Amish recipes for sweets that have been handcrafted in Lovina Eicher's Amish kitchen. The Amish Cook's Baking Book includes the following chapters: Pies; Breads, Rolls, and Pastries; Cookies; Cakes; Bars 'n' Brownies; and Special-Occasion Baking. Home cooks get an extra treat with sidebars from Lovina's children as well as interesting insights into Amish life both inside and outside the kitchen.

"Baking is something my mother taught me, much like sewing and ironing, or gardening. Now, as a mother of eight children of my own, I am beginning to teach them how to bake. I have many cherished memories of baking throughout my life." --Lovina Eicher

Off to Atlanta!

I'm on my way to Atlanta to the International Christian Retailer's Show for an exciting couple of days.

Tomorrow night is my publisher's dinner, the next day I will be having breakfast with Linda of the famous "Mocha with Linda" blog. Then I'll be poking around the convention and sneaking pictures of famous people.

Monday night is the Christy Award dinner. "The Waiting" is nominated for an award, though I have absolutely no expectation to win. Absolutely none! Very stiff competition. Instead, I am just thrilled to be a part of the experience. And even though my goal is to always write a book that is better than the last one, I may never be at that dinner again, so I am planning to savor EVERY minute.




Tuesday is a breakfast with some special people from Revell, and then I'm booksigning for a few hours...and more poking around the convention. I'm curious to see what's new among the retailers and hope to meet a lot of them--they are on the front line for us authors. Not easy to do with a rapidly changing, bleak economy.  

My hardest part of getting ready for the trip is getting so many outfits together that actually look good. It is hard work! Shoes, jewelry, purses. I have friends who dress "head to toe" all the time--effortlessly. For me, it's taken weeks of work. Just yesterday, I realized I didn't have the right purse for the Christy dinner. Did not even occur to me until last night!

It's late and I have to get up super early to get to that plane. Wish me well...supposed to be a lot of thunderstorms in Atlanta as my plane is due to arrive. Prayers are always welcomed! And I hope you have a good week, too.

Author Spotlight: Gayle Roper

Welcome to Author Spotlight! Each week will feature a different author. We'll get the scoop behind their writing life and dish a little. The authors will also be giving away a copy of their latest book. FUN.

The winner from last week's Author Spotlight with Kathleen Fuller is Angela from Kentucky! Please email my assistant Amy with your mailing address. (amy@litfusegroup.com)

This week Gayle Roper is in the Spotlight! To win a copy of Gayle's latest book, __, leave a comment on this post!


Share a little bit about yourself. Married with kids? Empty nester? Do you work full-time and write when you can squeeze it in?

I'm a widow after 47 years of marriage. The adjustment is coming along. I've written fulltime since I began writing, courtesy of my husband Chuck, my own personal patron of the arts.

And share something about your writing. What's your genre(s), your areas of interest…

I write mysteries and romantic suspense which are the genres I love to read. Even my Amish stories have a touch of mystery in them.

How did you get started writing? Did you have a dream of being a published author?

I never planned to be a writer. I come from a family of teachers, and I taught junior high English before we adopted our sons. It turned out teaching that topic to those grades was great prep for writing since much of that subject matter was grammar. I still teach a lot, usually at Christian writers conferences and women's retreats though I'm going to France in a couple of weeks to teach MKs at an English Camp.

After you started writing seriously--how long was it before you were published? 

I can't answer this question specifically because I'd fiddled with writing for fun before I decided to try and market my material. I know the first short story and the first novel I sent out were published.

Aside from a cup of good, strong coffee, what helps you get all of your "brain cylinders" firing so you can write well? Do you have any favorite places and routines when you write? How many hours a day do you spend writing? 

I am terribly undisciplined. I'm also a procrastinator. It makes a routine difficult for me and deadlines the chief motivator for getting things down on paper. I like to work either at my computer desk which is lower than a traditional desk or on the small sofa in the great room. I have a lap protector from Staples that keeps the heat of the laptop from becoming hot against my legs when I'm on the sofa. I also love writing at our cottage in Ontario with the lake as my view whenever I look up.

What has been the biggest help to you in the journey to publication? Writers' conferences? Writing groups? Your mom as your first draft reader?

I have to give my mom credit as the one who taught me to love reading and story. She gave me my first Phyllis Whitney title when I was about 14. That moved me into adult stuff, leaving Nancy Drew and Judy Bolton behind.

I wrote my first novel before I found out about writers conferences, but since my first year at the St Davids Christian Writers Conference back in the early '70's, I've made most of my business contacts and many of my professional friends through writers conferences. I love teaching and mentoring at them. Today they are the primary means of making productive contact with agents and editors.

I have to give my critique group high marks too. We've been together for years, and everyone is very insightful and knowledgeable. Just a couple of months ago they told me how to fix the first chapter of a novel when my editors couldn't. Wonderful women!

Is the "writer's life" what you thought it would be?

Since I never planned to be a writer, I had no expectations of the writer's life. It was more a what-happened-happened type thing. But I love looking back and seeing how one contact led to another to another to another. The thing I didn't expect was becoming friends with all the wonderful men and women in Christian publishing I've met through the years and being part of the Christian writing community which has so enriched my life.

What are your biggest distractions? 

My biggest distraction is my poor attention span. I have an unquiet mind, always jumping from topic to topic. I'm always thinking of something to do before I actually sit down to write. And then there's email. Love email, but it's a great distraction.

What was one of the best moments in your career and what was one of the worst?

One of the best was at RWA the year I won the RITA for Best Inspirational Romance. It's like being at the Oscars, and then they call you name. Evening gowns, glitz, and an acceptance speech.

Or maybe it was just two weeks ago when I got a note from a reader saying one of my books changed her life. What a thrill to know that some spiritual truth that I've learned was passed on to a reader through a story I was privileged to tell. Or maybe it was the lady who said one of my scenes made her laugh for the first time in a year.

One of the worst times was the five year stretch when I couldn't place anything after I'd sold seven books. Nothing clicked anywhere. I still remember the pain of the day near the end of that five years when I went to the mail box and found two rejected manuscripts.

What do you least like about being a writer? Most like? 

I like most the thrill of seeing a book finally finished, first as a manuscript sent to my editor and then as a finished product in my hand. I also like getting to share ideas that I think are worthwhile with people I'd never get to do that with any other way.

What I like least is the plodding that writing sometimes is. I dislike the original putting of words on a page. No great inspiration strikes; no dialogue sparkles in the mind. It's just words being forced out. But the next day there's the pleasure of rewriting those plodding words into something worthwhile. I love rewriting. It's where the book comes alive, where the dialogue comes to life, where the humor develops, where the spiritual arc clarifies.

What is the role and importance of an agent? 

A writer's agent is her business partner. Most of us aren't business savvy. We don't want to push a publisher for a better deal because we're afraid we'll lose the deal. And we don't know what is reasonable to ask for. Agents are industry aware. While we're holed up writing, they're reading industry news, meeting industry professionals, finding out what deals are being made and how much a company can be expected to give their authors. They study contracts for writers of all levels. They do for us what we aren't informed or brave enough to do for ourselves.

What advice would you give to new writers? 

I would caution a new writer against jumping the gun. Sending out material before it's ready can harm you before you even get started. Study the craft. Read the how-to books. Go to writer's conferences to make the contacts and attend the classes. There are Christian writers conferences all across the country. Pick the one that matches your time frame and finances.

And be wary of jumping into e-publishing without a great editor and cover designer to make your book what it should be. The last thing you want to do is have to send out corrected versions of an ebook to disgruntled readers who complained of errors. Talk about ruining your reputation as a writer of quality material!

Just because someone thought up a good story doesn't mean he or she knows how to tell that story. Every craft, every profession requires learning how. Learn how.

Pretend I'm a customer at a bookstore looking for a good book. Give me a one or two sentence promo to convince me to buy your book. 

First Jase is found murdered and now Andi is missing. How will two wounded souls like Carrie and Greg solve the mystery while saving each other?

What's on the book horizon for you?

SHADOWS ON THE SAND releases mid-July. It's a return to Seaside, NJ, the locale of my prize-winning Seasons series, Spring Rain, Summer Shadows, Autumn Dreams and Winter Winds. Spend a summer day at the Jersey shore with Carrie and Greg.

Last question, how can readers find you and your books?

You can find my books on line at christianbooks.com or amazon.com. Many of the titles are ebooks as well as paper. Some of the older titles can be found on the used book site half.com. Bookstores may have them on the shelves and can certainly get them if not.

As for me, I'm at www.gayleroper.com.

Thank you for sharing your writing life with my bleaders! (blog + readers = bleaders)

Thursday on Amish Wisdom: Kathleen Fuller

Tune in on Thursday at 4:00 pm Central! To listen in - go here and just click on the player in the top right corner.


This week on Amish Wisdom we are welcoming Kathleen Fuller back to the show. Kathleen is the best-selling author of the Hearts of Middlefield series for adults and the YA series Mysteries of Middlefield. Kathleen joined us last August (along with her co-authors, Barbara Cameron, Beth Wiseman and Kelly Long) to talk about her book An Amish Christmas. This time Kathleen is back to talk about her new book, Treasuring Emma. (Kathleen was last week's Author Spotlight - click here for the interview and a chance to win a copy of her book.) We'll also catch up with Kathleen and find out what she's been up to in the last year.

For a chance to win a copy of Treasuring Emma leave a comment {HERE}. Winner will be notified via email next week.
About Kathleen: I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, and now make my home in beautiful Geneva, Ohio. I've been married to James for 18 wonderful years (really, they have been wonderful!)  We have three terrific children, three dogs, and an overwhelmed cat. We have also raised cattle, pigs, and chickens at various times over the years. We would have gone into the goat business, but I had to draw the line somewhere. I started writing in 2000, and published my first short story a year later. Since then I have authored several short stories, novellas, novels, and have done a lot of freelance non-fiction work. I have also worked as an editor. I have a Masters degree in Special Education, emphasis on teaching the blind and visually impaired, and a Bachelors in Early Childhood/Elementary Education. I have taught all age groups ranging from age 4 to age 18. A few of my favorite things: my relationship with Christ, chocolate (of course!), autumn, a satisfying book, good friends, a sense of humor, people who don't take themselves seriously, haunting melodies, NFL football, and did I mention chocolate? For more about Kathleen, visit her website at www.kathleenfuller.com.


About Treasuring Emma : Book One in the Middlefield Family Series

Emma always put the needs of others ahead of her own.

Now her heart is torn between two men. But will either truly treasure her?

Adam was Emma's first love, but two years ago he left Middlefield, set on experiencing the freedom of living in the Yankee world. In his wake, he left Emma's shattered heart. Now Adam is back and Emma's heart is breaking for other reasons.

Summer Reading

I noticed a change at a book club the other night...Kindles and iPads! The only glitch was that the pages were formatted differently...so we had trouble finding passages to scour. I have an iPad, and while I still prefer having a book in my hand, I find that it does make me a more adventurous reader. I'll try new authors when they are offered free (which is a terrific plus for having e-books) and you can delete if it's not your cup of tea. More people are reading because of e-books--and that's always a good thing. Reading is such a rich experience, good for the mind and soul.

So what's on your summer reading list? Here are a few on mine...

Bonhoeffer by Eric Metexas

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay


Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell

(anything by Malcolm Gladwell)

What's on your summer must-read list?

A Selah Moment

Carrying on the Sunday theme of "Mastering Mindfulness," I came across this in Our Daily Bread (Discovery House). I love the idea of having Selah moments in our summer. Hope you find it helpful, too.

King David proclaimed: "The Lord of hosts. He is the King of glory" (Ps. 24:10). The word Selah was later added to the end of this psalm and many others. Some believe it refers to an instrumental interlude because the psalms were often set to music. Biblical scholars also suggest other possible meanings, including "silence," "pause," "interruption," "accentuate," "exalt," or "end."

Reflecting on these words can help us to take a "Selah moment" to pause and worship God during the day.

Be silent and listen to the voice of God (Ps. 46:10).
Pause from a hectic schedule to be refreshed in spirit (Ps. 42:1-2). (This one really hit me!)
Interrupt the day to do a spiritual inventory and be cleansed (Ps. 51:1-10).
Accentuate the joy of god's provision through thanksgiving (Ps. 65:9-13).
Exalt the name of God for answered prayer in spite of disappointment (Ps. 40:1-3).
End the day by reflecting on the Lord's faithfulness (Ps. 119:148).

David's reflection on God included a Selah moment. Following his example will help us worship our God throughout the day.

Author Spotlight: Kathleen Fuller

Welcome to Author Spotlight! Each week will feature a different author. We'll get the scoop behind their writing life and dish a little. The authors will also be giving away a copy of their latest book. FUN.

This week Kathleen Fuller is in the Spotlight! To win a copy of Kathleen's latest book, Treasuring Emma, leave a comment on this post!


Share a little bit about yourself. Married with kids? Empty nester? Do you work full-time and write when you can squeeze it in? 

I've been married to James for 18 years. We have three children, Matt (17), Sydney (15) and Zoie (13). I'm a full-time writer. Recently I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer; I'm currently undergoing treatment for it.

And share something about your writing. What's your genre(s), your areas of interest…

Currently I write Amish fiction, but I've written in several different genres—historical, contemporary, and some non-fiction.

How did you get started writing? Did you have a dream of being a published author?

I started writing in 2000, but I never had grand dreams of being a published writer. I mainly tried it because I was such an avid reader. I was terrible at first, but I enjoyed it. I joined writers groups, studied craft books, and learned how to write. God gave me a passion for writing, but it wasn't until then that I discovered it.

After you started writing seriously--how long was it before you were published? 

My first novella was published in 2003.

Aside from a cup of good, strong coffee, what helps you get all of your "brain cylinders" firing so you can write well? Do you have any favorite places and routines when you write? How many hours a day do you spend writing? 

Due to health issues my schedule has changed (of course) but I find inspiration in reading, riding the lawn mower (not even kidding about that), and making sure I get plenty of sleep. I love to brainstorm and dream about the characters and plot. I've never had a consistent routine, so I don't count hours as much as word count. Even then it varies.

What has been the biggest help to you in the journey to publication? Writers' conferences? Writing groups? Your mom as your first draft reader? 

Definitely writers groups. The connections, support, education—you can't get that anywhere else.

Is the "writer's life" what you thought it would be? 

No. It's more rewarding and more stressful than I thought. God has really stretched me spiritually, emotionally, and professionally. That stretching hasn't always been easy or painless, but it's necessary and beneficial.

What are your biggest distractions? 

Internet, hands down!

What was one of the best moments in your career and what was one of the worst? 

One of the best moments was getting my first reader email. That was a blessing. The worst are bad reviews—I have a thick skin but they still sting a bit. I usually learn something from them, though.

What do you least like about being a writer? Most like? 

Least is writing the first draft. I'm a terrible first drafter, I have to yank each word out of me. I most like the editing process. Its fun to see the story come together.

What advice would you give to new writers? 

Be open to instruction and always be ready to learn. Writers never stop learning about their craft.

[image error] Pretend I'm a customer at a bookstore looking for a good book. Give me a one or two sentence promo to convince me to buy your book. 

Treasuring Emma is a romance, yet it's also more—a family saga, a story of forgiveness, and a peek into the tight knit community of the Amish.

What's on the book horizon for you? 

Treasuring Emma, book one in the A Middlefield Family series, comes out in August. Also releasing is Hide and Secret, the third book in my YA series, Mysteries of Middlefield.

Last question, how can readers find you and your books? 

www.kathleenfuller.com, www.amishhearts.com, www.amishliving.com, and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kathleen-Fuller/81836200502

Thank you for sharing your writing life with my bleaders! (blog + readers = bleaders)

Thursday on Amish Wisdom: Ira Wagler - Growing Up Amish

Tune in on Thursday at 4:00 pm Central! To listen in - go here and just click on the player in the top right corner.



I'm thrilled to welcome Ira back to Amish Wisdom.

Ira Wagler was born in a small Old Order Amish community. At 17, frustrated by the rules and restrictions of Amish life, Ira left. Over the course of the next 5 years, Ira would leave and return home numerous times, torn between the ingrained message that abandoning one's Amish heritage results in eternal damnation, and the freedom and possibilities offered by the "English" world. Upon becoming a Christian at age 26, Ira left the Amish for good. He is currently general manager of Graber Supply, LLC and Pole Building Co. in Lancaster County, PA.

Ira's book Growing Up Amish has just released and we'll be hearing all about it as well as finding out what Ira's been up to since his last Amish Wisdom appearance.

For more info about Ira or to read his blog, visit www.irawagler.com.

Leave a comment {HERE} for a chance to win a copy of Ira's book. Winner will be notified next week via email.
About Growing Up Amish: 

One fateful starless night, 17-year-old Ira Wagler got up at 2 AM, left a scribbled note under his pillow, packed all of his earthly belongings into in a little black duffel bag, and walked away from his home in the Amish settlement of Bloomfield, Iowa. Now, in this heartwarming memoir, Ira paints a vivid portrait of Amish life—from his childhood days on the family farm, his Rumspringa rite of passage at age 16, to his ultimate decision to leave the Amish Church for good at age 26. Growing Up Amish is the true story of one man's quest to discover who he is and where he belongs. Readers will laugh, cry, and be inspired by this charming yet poignant coming of age story set amidst the backdrop of one of the most enigmatic cultures in America today—the Old Order Amish.