Christmas Hope: Author Interview with Kathy Ide

How did you come up with the idea of your 21 Day of Christmas book?
I’ve always loved Christian fiction, and I’ve seen the power of fiction to touch hearts and change lives, both firsthand and hearing about the experiences of others. But you know, in my quiet times with the Lord, reading a chapter from a novel just doesn’t seem quite appropriate. So a devotional with short fiction stories seemed like a great solution. When I found a publisher that shared that vision, we talked about the best themes for the first four books in a series. Christmas was a given, since it’s such a great time to share books as gifts and since there’s such a wonderful focus on Jesus during the holidays.

Could you give me a short synopsis on the book for my readers?
Each book in the Fiction Lover’s Devotional series contains 21 engaging, inspirational short fiction stories written by new, intermediate, and well-known Christian authors. Each story is followed by a brief “Life Application” written by that author about how the themes and messages inherent in the fictional story can apply to the reader's daily life. 21 Days of Christmas: Stories that Celebrate God’s Greatest Gift is the second book in this series.

What made you decide to do a Christmas-themed book?
For many people and families, stories are a natural and beloved part of Christmas. 21 Days of Christmas contains fictionalized accounts of Mary and Joseph at Jesus’ birth as well as stories about modern-day people celebrating that important event. With 21 short chapters, it’s perfect for Advent. We are working on a Study Guide to accompany the devotional, for deeper personal study or group use. It will be available as a free PDF on the www.FictionDevo.com website or as a 99-cent e-book at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?
Since both of my kids are grown and out of the house—out of state, even—my husband and I travel from California to Colorado for Christmas every year to spend the holiday with my parents, my sister and her kids, and my younger son. My older son and his wife join us every other year. This year they’re bringing my new grandbaby!

What’s next? (future books, novellas, special appearances you want to mention)
21 Days of Love: Stories that Celebrate Treasured Relationships comes out next January, for Valentine’s Day. 21 Days of Joy: Stories that Celebrate Motherhood comes out in April, for Mother’s Day. If the first books sell well, the publisher will continue the series with more books.

What’s the best writing tip you’ve learned or been give that you’d like to share?
Learn all you can about the craft from reading books, studying books about writing, joining a critique group, taking online courses, attending writers’ conferences. When your manuscript is the best you can make it, hire a professional freelance editor to help you take it to the next level. Do this whether you’re planning to self-publish or shoot for a traditional publisher. You want your book to be the best it can be, and a freelance editor can help you get there. (If you’re not sure how to find a good editor, check out the Christian Editor Connection, www.ChristianEditor.com.)

What do you know now about writing and publishing you wish you had learned sooner?
I wish I would have realized what a long and complex journey writing for publication is. Like most people, when I started, I didn’t see writing as a “career” that required years of training and practice. Then again, having that information early on might have discouraged me from even trying! But I know now how incredibly rewarding it is to write something that someone you’ve never met will read and be blessed by. That makes all the time and effort worthwhile.

Any last words or tips?

If you believe that God has called you to write, do it. Don’t let discouragements stop you. The Lord knows who He wants to reach with the words He has called you to write, and He knows all about the journey it’s going to take to get from wherever you are now to that moment in time when those readers will hold what you’ve written in their hands. Trust in Him and in His timing. Don’t let the Enemy steal this blessing from you and from your future readers.

Want to learn more about Kathy and her writing? Here's some options for that.

My website: www.KathyIde.com
My Facebook page: www.facebook.com/KathyIde.AuthorEditor
Fiction Lover’s Devotional website: www.FictionDevo.com
FLD Facebook page: www.facebook.com/fictiondevo
Amazon order page for 21 Days of Christmas: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1424550513/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

Christmas Stories for Children: Author Interview with Laura Sassi

Today I'm pleased to host Laura Sassi whose work has appeared in Highlights for Children, Cricket, Ladybug and Spider. She's also been featured in Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr. - two publications of Focus on the Family. She is also the author of the delightful Goodnight Ark (Zonderkidz, 2014) 

How did you come up with the idea of your latest book, Goodnight, Manger?

As a mom, I have tender memories of putting my babies to bed and how hard it was when they were overstimulated or overtired. I also have memories of my sweet daughter playing with the little Baby Jesus that was part of our nativity set. She’d carry him around the house saying things like, “Baby Jesus crying. It’s okay, Baby.”  Then she’d gently feed him or rock him and sing a lullaby. Before listening to her tender play, I’d never thought of Baby Jesus as ever crying. But, he was human (and God) and so he must have cried.  With those sweet sparks of inspiration, I was ready to write my Christmas bedtime story. 

Could you give me a short synopsis on the story for my readers?  

It’s bedtime for baby Jesus, but who knew a stable could be so loud? Mama, Papa, and all of the animals try to lull the baby to sleep, but between itchy hay, angels singing, and three kings bearing gifts, it’s too noisy. Cuddle up as everyone tries working together to shepherd Baby into peaceful dreams. 

What made you decide to do a Christmas themed book?

I wanted to write a fun Christmas-themed book that would center on Christ, rather than Santa, in what has become a very secularized Christmas season. I was not born into a Christian home, so I have a heart for families like mine - and wanted to write a Christmas story that would be fun for anyone to read, but which would point them in the direction of Jesus - the real gift of Christmas.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?

I love Christmas! Our family’s favorite traditions include: picking out the tree for Christmas, making homemade ornaments, baking cookies, reading a snippet of the Christmas story each evening during advent, and caroling in our neighborhood on Christmas Eve (after the children’s service). 

My son, who is now 15, also likes to keep his eyes pried open as best he can so that he and I can stroll into down at 10:30 for the candlelight service that gets out at midnight. I’m not a night person, but I love that he wants to go to church TWICE on Christmas Eve and I cherish this extra mother/son bonding time. It’s quiet as we walk into town and part of our emerging tradition is talking about our faith and God’s wondrous gift of a Savior.  

What’s next?

I am always working on new picture books and I have several at various stages of completion. I’ll leave the details up to your imagination, but let’s just say that some of my new characters include a mouse, some cheese, a lamb, and a hedgehog. Stay tuned for updates.

Any special awards or achievements you’d like to mention?

My first picture book, GOODNIGHT, ARK, also illustrated by Jane Chapman and published by Zonderkidz, was a 2015 Christian Book Award® finalist.  That was exciting.  =)

What’s the best writing tip you’ve learned or been given that you’d like to share?

One of the best tips I’ve learned as a writer of rhyme is to make sure that I have someone else read my pieces out loud. This is an effective way to ensure that the piece I’m working on reads smoothly. It’s a good check against forced rhymes or meter that work only because of faulty pronunciation, misplaced emphasis on a syllable, inverted word order etc.

What do you know now about writing and publishing you wish you had learned sooner?

I wish I had learned sooner that you can’t rush the writing process. Looking back at the earliest manuscripts I sent publishers, it’s no surprise they were rejected!  I wrote and sent them off much too quickly.  Good, multi-layered, rich writing takes time and more rounds of revision than you ever imagined.

I spent TWO years revisiting and revising my first book, Goodnight, Ark before it was fit to float and many, many months revising Goodnight, Manger. That might surprise readers, but I believe that the time and effort spent revising was the key to capturing Zonderkidz’s interest (and hopefully readers’ interests as well).

Any last words or tips?

I’ve found that the long, hard journey to publication just wouldn’t be the same without a nice support system. For me this includes my family, my lovely agent, and the wonderful network of children’s writers I’ve connected with over the years, many of whom have become dear friends and trusted critique partners. So, my parting bit of advice today is to find a writing buddy or two to join you on the journey! I think you will find, as I have, that it makes all the difference. Happy writing!

As a special kick-off to the holiday season, Zonderkidz is offering a hardcover copy of Goodnight, Manger - fresh off the press to one lucky winner who will be chosen in a random drawing from all entries. To be eligible, just sign up as a follower (click on "join this site"  which is located on the left sidebar across from this text)  The winner will be required to provide a physical address, not a P.O. Box address for the book delivery. U.S. residents only. Contest ends December 4th and the winner will be announced on this blog December 8th.

 Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/LauraSassiTales

Blog:  https://laurasassitales.wordpress.com/

Book Trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kppv9AMwJrA

Links to the blog tour for Goodnight, Ark

https://laurasassitales.wordpress.com/2015/10/03/goodnight-manger-blog-tour-itinerary/

Celebrating Christmas and Writing: Author Interview with Geraldine Guadagno

Today's interview is with a children's author who is now also moving over to writing for adults. In keeping with the holiday them we will begin with her story on Christmas. 

What inspired you to write your book on Christmas?

It was a time when I was “stuck” for writing ideas, so I returned to the old saw, “Write what you know.”  I took a fresh sheet of paper and listed everything that I thought I knew.  Then, my stomach turned.  I “knew” just a few things.  Very few things!  If I remember right, I literally walked away from my list for about ten minutes.  While wandering around my house, I said, “Calm down, Geri, there’s a story in there somewhere.  You’ve always had a good imagination, etc.” 

Over the next week, I avoided the list, but kept thinking about my childhood and growing up in St. Joseph Parish in Mountain View, CA.  The church’s large portrait of Joseph kept appearing in my mind’s eye.  I asked myself, “Do I really know Joseph?”  I realized that he was often in the background, even in the Christmas story, and that he never said anything in the Gospels, but he played a very important role in God’s plan for humanity.  God must have created and prepared Joseph just as carefully as he did Mary.  Then I began researching and writing Joseph’s story.

Could you give me a short synopsis for my readers? 

Joseph’s tale begins when he is a boy, learning both his trade and his faith from his father.  When he is older and meets Mary, his special mission from God unfolds, and the Christmas story is seen through his eyes.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions? 

Our family has a special, handmade Nativity set handed down from our parents that we love arranging on our fireplace mantle.  We always hide Baby Jesus until midnight on December 25th.  We also love driving the Hill Country Trail of Lights and admiring all the displays.  We drink hot chocolate while watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” and almost always watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “A Christmas Carol” together, too.

What was your first piece of writing that was published? 

My first published piece was a middle-grade Christmas story in My Friend magazine (a Catholic children’s magazine, no longer in print).  “Out in the Cold” is about an 11 year-old boy who feels left out when his much older brother brings home a girlfriend, who becomes his fiancé, just before Christmas. 

How many rejections would you say you had prior to that acceptance?

Prior to this story I had about a dozen rejections.  This was very early in my writing career, so I have dozens more now. 

How do you get past rejections? 

The way that I get through rejections is to not take them personally.  Again, I adapted something that I’d heard long ago about dating to my writing:  My story might be a strawberry, and this particular editor is allergic to strawberries.  I think that J.K. Rowling’s rejection experiences have shown every author that the process is a very subjective one.

How did you go about finding a publisher for your first book? How long did that process take?

I knew that the best chance of getting Joseph’s story in print was with a Catholic publisher.  A little Internet research turned up an association of Catholic publishers in San Antonio.  Their members and what they published were also listed on their website.  I looked for those that published both books about saints and children’s books.  Then I picked ten to start with and sent them individual queries by e-mail.  It took about one to two weeks to get responses (except for undeliverable addresses, of course).  Two or three publishers asked for the manuscript, which I also sent by e-mail. 

It only took a few days for The Word Among Us to say that they liked it.  They are really a distributor, and had me send it to Anno Domini, the publisher from which they purchase books. Anno Domini liked it too, and we began the editing/draft illustrating process, which took about six months.  Once they had a “dummy” of the book, it took another month or so to get an agreement to buy from The Word Among Us.  Then it took a year or so to get printed, bound and on the shelves. 

Did you at any time think it would never happen and wanted to give up? 

Despite pretty quick success finding a publisher, I needed a lot of patience with this process, but I never thought that it wouldn’t happen because of the editor’s encouragement, commitment and communication with me.

Your bio says you’ve taken  workshops through Highlights Foundation. Can you give me some details of what that included?

I took writing courses for children from The Institute of Children’s Literature and for adults from Long Ridge Writers Group.  In these courses, I worked one-on-one with a professional author/editor, getting very specific comments on a dozen assignments. 

The Highlights Foundation used to host an annual writers and illustrators conference in Chatauqua, New York.  (I think that now they are more focused on smaller workshops at their campus in Honesdale, PA.)  You had your choice of all kinds of workshops on craft, genre, marketing and publishing from professional authors and editors.  You also received one-on-one critiques of your work.  It was wonderful!  I’ve also attended their “Writing from the Heart Retreat,” which gives you guidance and lots of writing time in addition to one-on-one critiques. 

You’ve also attended SCBWI conferences. Why do you think they are important to writers? 

The SCBWI conferences offer similar workshops and critiques, as well as the opportunity to submit work to publishing houses that might be “closed” to authors who don’t have an agent.  These are very important opportunities, because without direct feedback from professionals or “an open door,” we might never get anywhere.  Also important is connecting with other authors, who help to support and inspire you.

You’ve mostly had children’s stories published, but you now have a book for adults coming out called Five Steps to Facing Suffering. Tell me how that came about.

It came about through the publisher of my second picture book, Irene the Elephant.  New City Press asked what I thought of their latest project:  a series of “Five Steps” books on a variety of topics such as forgiveness, tolerance, dialogue (with those of other faiths), and so on.  They also offered me the opportunity to work on a topic.  I chose the subject of suffering, because one of my fondest desires has always been to help ease the suffering in the world.  (Books helped ease my loneliness when I was a child; and they still are “friends” to children today, especially when the child can say, “Someone gets me.”) 

It was quite a leap to write non-fiction for adults, especially about spirituality.  I picked several sources, read them, and wrote a first draft; but the editor didn’t like a few of my resources and I had to select others and rewrite.  Since I’m not a theologian by any stretch of the imagination, knowledgeable clergymen reviewed my next draft.  The editor-in-chief read my third draft and recommended more changes, which were indeed needed.  But, don’t get the idea that it was all one-sided; I also made a few suggestions about things to add or delete, which the editors liked and accepted.  Then the book was finally approved for typesetting.  It was a challenging project, but very satisfying.

What’s the best piece of advice on writing you’ve been given?   

Just to keep going.  Keep learning, keep writing, because as Ray Bradbury is reported to have said, “Quantity produces quality.”

What other books/works do you have in process that you would like to tell me about?   

I’m writing the true story of a special boy who died at a very young age.  By all accounts from his family and their close friends, he was like an angel on earth.  I’m honored to be working on it.

That's it for today's interview. I hope it gave you some new insight to writing. If you would like to learn more about Geri and her writing, here's some helpful links... Website           Amazon

Getting to the Heart of Christmas: Author Interview with Renee Robinson

What inspired you to write this book on Christmas?

Traditions have always been important to me as I see how they bond a family together and strengthen the family unit.  Christmas provides a unique opportunity to create memories that will last a lifetime.  

When my 3 boys were very small, I began searching for a book that would help our family to create traditions that would somehow tie into the true meaning of Christmas.  I was looking for a few key things:

1. Something they wouldn’t outgrow within a few years and could grow with us.
2. Something that was manageable for a busy family
3. Something that wouldn’t add to the stress of the already busy season
4. Something that used hands on elements or the power of the senses
5. Something that really gave meaning to what we were doing

I was unable to find anything that fit what our family needed.  Our kids were too young for most devotions I found.  Other devotions they would outgrow within a few years. I began talking to other families and realized we all had the same needs and desires.  We wanted to be intentional, but we didn’t have the tools or the time to make it happen.  

The pull of commercialism and the pace of life were making it nearly impossible for families to connect with the hearts of their children and grandchildren the way they desired.  This is ultimately what led me to write Seeking Christmas.  I wanted to give families a way to slow down, focus, reach the hearts of their children, and bring the meaning to the center of the celebration.  

Could you give me a short synopsis for my readers?

Seeking Christmas is a 7 day Christmas devotion that guides families into creating memories and traditions using hands on activities that tie to the daily readings which center on the birth of Christ.  The activities use the power of the senses to create a more meaningful impact in storing away memories.  

Families will read selected scripture for the day, reflect on the reading using age appropriate questions, remember favorite memories while creating new ones, research legendary roots, and rejoice through fun, hands-on activities that will tie into the daily readings.  

Readers are invited to download the free ornaments that tie to the daily readings at www.renee-robinson.com.  In addition, readers are encouraged to create a journal to record the activities and memories in order to reflect back each year.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?

My favorite Christmas tradition was having my dad read Twas the Night Before Christmas each Christmas Eve.  It was something my sisters and I always loved and he carries the tradition on with his grandchildren.  He always calls and reads to them on the phone before they are tucked into bed Christmas Eve.  My boys love it as much as I did.  

You also have a blog. How long have you been doing that? 

I began blogging about 6 years ago about my family and the things that were important to us.  Over time I transitioned as I became more passionate about the family and sharing my journey of faith with others.  I blog in order to encourage and inspire others in their journey of faith and life.  

I know other moms have turned their blog content into books. Is this something you see for you in the future?

I do plan to write additional books in the future.  Blogging helps me to discover what I love to write about and explore what topics others find important or interesting. 

Do you have any other books in process now? If so can you give me some details?

I have a couple of book ideas in the works but haven’t officially decided what I will write on next.  

If you would like to know more about Renee and her writing, here are her links. You can also purchase her book through Amazon and B&N as well as many independent bookstores.  

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