JEN TURANO: Blessing others through her fiction.

Dear Friends and Readers, 

I am so thrilled to host Jen Turano on Everything Writerly. If you're not familiar with this fabulous author's work, here's her bio:

Jen Turano is the best-selling, critically acclaimed author of The Ladies of Distinction series, and A Class of Their Own series, published through Bethany House Publishers.  Her novel, After a Fashion, was chosen as a top pick from Romantic Times, as well as being named a top ten romance of 2015 from Booklist.  It is also a nominee for Romantic Times 2015 Reviewers’ Choice Award.  Her book, A Most Peculiar Circumstance, was chosen as a top ten romance by Booklist in 2013.  Her seventh book, Playing the Part, will release in the spring of 2016, followed by a new four-book series, Apart from the Crowd. 

Jen is visiting today to tell us a bit about her latest book, Playing the Part.

"The process of writing Playing the Part turned out to be a bit of a struggle for me at times, especially when I first began the story.  All the plotting I did simply wouldn’t work out, and before I knew it, I was creating a story where reconciliation seemed to be the theme that demanded time on the pages. I’ve since come to the conclusion that God led me in that direction because of a distant relative I’ve recently reconnected with, a lady who has allowed her life to pass her by simply because she let the hurts and slights of her past color her perspective of the future. By having both Lucetta Plum and Abigail Hart embrace their respective pasts in Playing the Part, I was able to craft a future for them filled with hope instead of despair, something I’ve been praying my distant relative will someday be able to do as well – which is why she’ll be getting a copy of the book in the mail."

That is awesome, Jen. I pray your distant relative will be blessed by your book. I believe you've captured the essence of Christian Fiction -- blessing others through the art of story.

Thank you for sharing, Jen.

Friends and Readers, you'll be interested to know that when Jen is not writing, she spends her time outside of Denver with her husband and neurotic Cattle Dog, enjoying herself as an empty-nester since her son recently abandoned her for the college life. 

I thoroughly enjoy Jen's books, and if you want to connect with this talented author, she can be found on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jenturanoauthor/ 
or visit her on the web at www.jenturano.com. 
She is represented by the Natasha Kern Literary Agency. 
Her books can be found in most fine bookstores, or follow the Baker House Publishing link to find additional places to purchase her work - http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/authors/jen-turano/1761

Thank you for visiting Everything Writerly, Jen. I wish you God's best on your latest book. 

KIMBERLEY WOODHOUSE: Layering the effects of gossip

Dear Readers-

I am so pleased to announce that Kim Woodhouse is visiting Everything Writerly. She co-authored BEYOND THE SILENCE with Tracie Peterson. The book is getting fabulous reviews.

Kim ministered to me at a conference in Texas several years ago. I have a chronic condition similar to one of Kim's family members. We discussed it at length and I realized that I hadn't been taking my condition seriously--and was suffering because of it. Now I do. God used Kim in my life in a miraculous way! 

She's also a sweet, caring person. Those of you who know Kim will agree. So it's a true pleasure to host her here on EverythingWriterly.

Kim, Please tell us how you and Tracie came up with the idea to incorporate gossip into the theme of your story.

Kim: Tracie and I have Bible study together and we pray together. It was during one of our Bible studies that the Scripture tackled the topic of gossip. After our discussion, 

we knew we wanted to layer the effects of gossip into a story because words can be so hurtful and everyone has dealt with it at one time or another.  

Andrea: How very true. And for those readers who aren't familiar with Kim and her work, here's her bio:

Kimberley Woodhouse is a best-selling, multi-published author of fiction and nonfiction. A popular speaker and teacher, she’s shared her theme of “Joy Through Trials” with hundreds of thousands of people across the country. Kim is a pastor’s wife and is passionate about music and Bible study. She lives and writes in Colorado with her husband of twenty-plus years and their two amazing kids.

Find out more about Kim, such as the book she's written with her daughter, Kayla, by logging on to her website.

MEET KIM WOODHOUSE 

Kim, thank you for stopping by for a quick visit. I wish you God's best on your story, BEYOND THE SILENCE.

Author Tracie Peterson Tackles Gossip and Innuendo

Dear Readers--

I'm so pleased to announce that author Tracie Peterson is my guest today on Everything Writerly.

Tracie has been instrumental in my writing career. For a time, she was my editor when I wrote for the book club, Heartsong Presents. Tracie is also a beloved, bestselling author of over 100 titles. She speaks and teaches at a variety of women’s retreats and writer’s conferences. She makes her home in Montana with her husband Jim.

But what does Tracie's success mean to her? How does she view it, and what does she hope her new title, Beyond the Silence will mean to readers?

Here's what Tracie had to say.

    "Writing has always been a ministry for me – a chance to share the Gospel and Bible application.  Beyond the Silence was no exception to that. 

    As Kim Woodhouse and I developed this story we thought it was important to portray characters who were struggling with their identity.  The heroine from a perspective of past loss and future uncertainties and the hero from past loss and the judgmental attitude of those who were supposed to be friends.

    Throughout the story, the theme is one of not jumping to conclusions or judging by what gossip is being spread around, no matter how certain that gossip seems.  It’s also about learning that God is trustworthy even when no one else is. Having learned over the years how easy it is to fall victim to people misjudging you for something you didn’t do, as well as hearing others talk about the same painful experience, I thought this story was one that might make readers think before acting on gossip and innuendo.

    Ultimately, I hope the story will draw the reader closer to God and His love."   

   *     *     *

Thank you, Tracie. I'm sure everyone can relate to misjudging others or being misjudged. I can't wait to read your latest book.

Readers can learn more about Tracie by visiting her website: http://traciepetersonbooks.com/

Later this week, Everything Writerly will host author Kimberley Woodhouse, coauthor of Beyond the Silence.