World Blog Tour

Hi there.

My dear friend and writing buddy, Ann Shorey, invited me to join

the World Blog Tour. Ann and I met years ago at an OCW Summer
Writing Conference. She was a student in one of my writing classes, and it was clear she was a gifted writer. We are now part of the same critique group and Ann can always be counted on for insights that make my writing better.

ANN SHOREY has been a full-time writer for over twenty years. Her writing has appeared in Chicken Soup for the Grandma's Soul, and in the Adams Media Cup of Comfort series. She made her fiction debut with The Edge of Light, Book One in the At Home in Beldon Grove series for Revell. Her latest releases include Love's Sweet Beginning, the third book in the Sisters at Heart series, and a novella in the Sincerely Yours collection, also from Revell. She's tempted to thank Peet's French roast coffee and Dove chocolates when she writes the acknowledgments for her books.
     She may be contacted through her website, www.annshorey.com or find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AnnShorey.


Last week Ann posted on the blog tour. Make sure to stop in at http://annshorey.blogspot.com/2014/09/writers-world-blog-tour.html and see what she has to say about her place in the writing world and what her writing life looks like.

As part of the tour, each writer was given four questions - the same four questinos. Here's how I answered mine.

• What are you working on?      

     I'm in the midst of a book launch, my first non-fiction memoir. It's the most difficult project I've ever done. Memoir writing was a whole new beast for me. It took a great deal of time to master then I put in hundreds of hours of research and story writing.The woman who lived this tale grew up in the Alaskan wilderness in the 1940's and 50's. Her father taught her how to hunt, work as a hunting guide and run a trap line. He also taught her all about brutality. But she had a sweet mother and the Great White God who loved her.

     I'm also working on my first contemporary novel. - a story about lost hopes and dreams, friendships and a special journey that helps my beloved characters reclaim their dreams.

     This is a season of change and discovery for me.

• How does your work differ from others in its genre?

     We each have our own path to follow. 

     I choose tales that confront difficult issues. People are imperfect and I strive to present the truth about real people and God's workings in their lives. The destination is not to end a tale by tying it all up in a pretty bow, but to bring it to a satisfying conclusion that motivates, causes one to think, and maybe even cry a little.

• Why do you write what you do?    

My favorite books are about people who overcome the odds. Life isn't easy. When I write I want to entertain, but I also hope to encourage readers to not give up, to hang onto hope, to push forward and believe they are valuable ... because they are.

• How does your writing process work?  

I need a map, so to speak. When an idea for a story drops into my mind I usually know where it will end, but how to get to its destination requires tools. I begin with research, lots of it, then I create a story arc, a detailed outline, character outlines and timelines.

Even though I have a plan when I begin writing a story my characters have been known to wander off and lead me down unexpected paths. I love it when they reveal a deeper meaning of a story than I had intended in  the beginning. Some of my best ideas come from wayward characters. I love traipsing after them.

Thanks so much for spending time with me. Now it's my turn to hand off the blog tour baton to Janice Hanna Thompson. If you haven't met her yet, you're going to love her. She is multi-talented and a lot of fun. 

Janice is an award-winning author who also writes under the pseudonym Janice Hanna. 

She got her start in the industry writing screenplays and musical comedies for the stage. Janice has published over ninety books for the Christian market, crossing genre lines to write cozy mysteries, historicals, romances, nonfiction books, devotionals, children's books and more. She particularly enjoys writing light-hearted, comedic tales because she enjoys making readers laugh. In addition, she enjoys public speaking and mentoring young writers.

Janice formerly served as Vice-President of CAN (Christian Authors Network) and was named the 2008 Mentor of the year for ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). She was thrilled to be named the 2010 Barbour/Heartsong Author of the Year, with three books on the top ten list for that house. Janice is active in her local writing group, where she regularly teaches on the craft of writing.

Her online course, "Becoming a Successful Frelance Writer" (www.freelancewritingcourses.com) has been helpful to many who want to earn a living with their writing.

Janice is passionate about her faith and does all she can to share the joy of the Lord with others, which is why she particularly enjoys writing. Her tagline, "Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters!" sums up her take on life.

She lives in Spring, Texas, where she leads a rich life with her family, a host of writing friends, and two mischievous dachshunds. She does her best to keep the Lord at the center of it all. You can find out more about Janice at www.janiceathompson.com or www.freelancewritingcourses.com

Make sure to continue on to Janice's blog to find out more about this inspiring author.

 http://janiceathompson.com/blog/category/janicethompsonauthor