Welcome, Mrs. Johnson, to my
library! How are you this fine Autumn day?
I'm great!
Thanks for having me.
Do tell us a little about your latest
writing project!
My newest
project is To Laugh Once More, an
Inspirational Historical Romance. It's not your typical romance though because
in this book, the hero and heroine, Lydia and Hamilton, are already married. They
struggle with a lot of family issues and their marriage is suffering because of
it. So as they begin to pull away from each other, they must learn to draw
closer. The book is set in Florida, but after a tragedy, the couple moves to
Georgia. They start out in Atlanta and then move further north to Marietta.
This book is the sequel to my first book, To
Dance Once More, but is written as a standalone and can be read without
reading the other one.
What made you want to become a writer?
I have always
wanted to be a writer. I wrote my first short story when I was eight years old
and fell in love with writing! I suppose the reason behind that is I always
loved to read. I loved the way a good story made me feel.
How do you get inspiration for your
stories?
Story ideas
just come to me all the time in the strangest places. Riding down the road. In
the shower. In the grocery store. While I'm sleeping. I wake up in the middle
of the night and have to write down my latest ideas because I know if I wait
till morning, I'll forget. (I'm getting old.) I'm always inspired by stories of
faith, stories of overcoming, stories of people who have had to persevere
through the worst trials. I love to write about those kinds of things and to
inspire people to press on!
Are your characters inspired by
real-life people, your imagination, or a mix of both?
I think my characters
are inspired by both real people and people I dream up. Of course, I say that
to protect myself from being accused of creating the bad guy based off someone
I know, haha!
Which area would you say you’re
strongest in as a writer? {Plot, dialog, description, action, characterization,
showing vs. telling, etc.}
I suppose my
strengths lean more toward plotting, characterization, and dialog.
Which area are you weaker in?
I am probably
weaker in action than anything else.
What do you do when you hit writer’s
block?
I don't
usually have an issue with writer's block because I'm working on so many
projects. If I find it difficult to work on my current manuscript, I hop over
to editing an already finished project, or I answer interview questions or
write a blog post that's due for one of the blogs I write for.
Do you have a favorite spot to
write?
I can write
anywhere, even in the car while I'm driving. I use my phone's voice-to-text
feature and send my scenes back to my computer. When I get home, I copy and
paste it into my manuscript. My favorite spot to write would probably be at the
beach, although I really just stare at the waves and don't get much work done.
But since I only get to the beach once a year (if that), I'm happy writing in
my study with my Chihuahua by my side every day.
Do you work best in peace and quiet or
surrounded with background noise and action?
I work best
in quiet but can write with people talking or the TV on. I do not write with
music on anymore unless it is instrumental. If the music has lyrics, I find
myself singing instead of writing.
How do you decide which story to work
on next?
I don't
really decide. The story decides for me. Whatever idea rises to the top first
and fights its way out of my mind gets first shot.
Which genre do you prefer to work
with?
I love
romance. All the way! Historical or Contemporary, it doesn't matter. But I do
stick to Inspirational romances. I'm not a 50 Shades kind of girl. I also have
written some romantic suspense.
Who has influenced your writing the
most?
I have so
many favorite writers who I aspire to be like, I can't name them all. But I do
love Carrie Turansky, Karen Witemeyer, and Anita Higman.
Who are your favorite authors?
As I
mentioned above, Carrie Turansky, Karen Witemeyer, Anita Higman are some of my
favorites. I love Julie Lessman and Maggie Brendan too. My absolute favorite
male writer is Creston Mapes. I also enjoy reading Davis Bunn's books.
I understand you’re a homeschooling
mother; how do you balance writing and motherhood?
I homeschooled
for fourteen years until my youngest graduated in 2012. I will always be a
homeschooling mom at heart. How did I balance it? Wow! I don't know. Except by
the grace of God. I also worked several part time jobs during those
homeschooling years and volunteered a lot too. But I wouldn't take back one
single day of that time. I'd do it all over again even though it meant that the
writing had to sit on the back burner a lot of the time.
What is your advice for other aspiring
authors out there?
Never stop
writing! And never let others discourage you. There are so many choices out
there now for writers and they need to pick the one that suits them best. I
always striven to be traditionally published. I finally got the coveted
contract in 2008 and then another one in 2010. My latest book is Indie
published. I have two other books that are in the proposal stage. If publishers
don't want them, I'll put them out there myself too, and keep coming up with
new ideas. What matters most is that you follow your heart and do what fits you
best.
Where can my readers go to find out
more about your books?
Here's a link
to my website: http://sherriwilsonjohnson.com/sherris-books/
Make sure to
check out my devotional for homeschool moms!
And for a random question, what is your
favorite thing to do with pumpkins?
Let other people make pumpkin muffins or pumpkin bread out
of them and then eat them!
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to help promote your book and for having so much fun with the interview! It's been a blast and I hope to do it again for your next book.
2 comments:
Thank you so much for hosting me!
It was a lot of fun. Thank you for participating. :)
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