Heading Home

Today, I am happy to bring you an interview with Lynnda Ell, author of Changing Me, Change the World. Be sure to read to the end. She has a special offer for you.

Hey, Linda! Describe Changing Me, Change the World for us.

Changing Me, Change the World contains the English Standard Version of the first forty one psalms of the book of Psalms with a contemporary prayer for each one. The format is a little unusual. Every psalm is on the left-hand page and every prayer is on the right-hand page.

Sometimes, the psalm and prayer do not end on facing pages. When that occurs, a blank page allows the reader to write his or her own prayer.

Tell us about your background and your family.

My parents raised me in a godly home where I learned to love God and to follow Him and that has shaped my life. Polio completely paralyzed me when I was a child. The effects of that disease also shape the boundaries of my life every day.

The career paths of my dad and husband dictated that I move every two or three years. I gained a wealth of experience from living in different sections of the country and in seeing other countries. After our two daughters were born, I stayed home until they were almost out of grammar school. Then, I followed careers in direct sales, accounting, and electrical engineering.

Now, I am a freelance writer and a grandmother of five. My life has not been easy, but it has always been rewarding.

You live in New Orleans. How did Hurricane Katrina affect your life?

Damage to my home exceeded $100,000, but we were able to move back to New Orleans after five months and to live in the house while we restored it. We worked on it for over two years. By a series of miracles, we did not lose everything as so many people did.

Why did you write Changing Me, Change the World?

Communicating with God has always been an important part of my life. In the spring of 2001, my older daughter suffered brain damage in a car accident. For two months, I lived with her in a rehab hospital as the medical staff worked to restore her health.

The experience drained me physically, mentally, and spiritually. I spent significant time in prayer to find renewal and I felt that God wanted me to record the prayers. In the right time, those prayers became a book.

What do you hope readers take away from it?

People want to pray. An internet search on the words “praying to Jesus” brings up twelve million results. Yet, countless people have told me they don’t know what or how to pray. I published Changing Me, Change the World to model one – powerful – way to pray. By taking a portion of the Bible, in this case a psalm, and using it to guide their prayer, I hope readers see that God wants to hear our heart-cry in a manner that honors Him.

You can find Changing Me, Change the World in both hard cover or soft bound editions at:

Amazon.com
BarnesandNoble.com
and other internet bookstores.

Lynnda blogs at Calling All Aspiring Writers of Nonfiction Books and at Passionate for the Glory of God.

Lynnda has offered a special give-away for all the followers of Heading Home. To get a free copy of Changing Me, Change the World, send an email to her at lynndaell[at]live[dot]com with “Heading Home” in the subject line. In the message, provide your full name and your mailing address. Then look for it in your mail box.

Thanks so much, Lynnda!

I am happy to bring you an interview with Robin Khoury, the author of the new children’s book The Grumpy Monk.

Q: When did you become interested in writing?

A: I have been writing since I was a little girl. I have an old attempt at a romantic novel that I attempted when I was about ten or twelve! My mom and I still laugh about the opening lines: “A tall thin blond walked down thirty second street…”

Yes, I lived on 32nd Street, but the tall and thin part was definitely poetic license! I was on school newspaper in high school, and then wrote a regular column called Robin’s Nest for the Oklahoma homeschooling magazine for many years. I have been published in several Christian magazines, such as Virtue, Brio, Confident Living.

Q: What inspired you to write this book?

A: In 2005, I picked up a copy of The Practice of the Presence of God on a bargain book table. I had read it years before and was blessed by it, so I decided to buy this nice hardback. As I reread it, I kept thinking, “I have never seen this story written for children.” I started working on it then and continued to work on it for the next year.

Q: Is The Grumpy Monk your first book? Do you plan on making this a series?

A: The Grumpy Monk is actually the third book I have written for children. It is part of a series called Miss Robin’s Christian History Heroes. Our children need to know about servants of God that did great things for Him. Then they will be encouraged to serve God, too.

Q: What is the main message you desire for children to learn?

A: The message of The Grumpy Monk is three-fold. The first is that God knows you and loves you. He created you and knows your name. He is not surprised by the place you are in today.

The second message is that every job is valuable when done out of love for God. The third message is that God gives us the ability to do this. He will guide and give strength, love, and peace for the job He has assigned to you. All of these messages are carefully woven into The Grumpy Monk.

Q: Do you have anything else you’re working on?

A: Thanks for asking! I’m so excited about this. As I read and reread The Practice of the Presence of God while working on The Grumpy Monk, I kept having to look up a bunch of words. The original was written in the 1600s, so it is pretty hard to read.

Finally, I just thought, “I’m going to write this book out so that any mom can just pick this up and read it!” So, I sat with a dictionary by my side and rewrote the text while asking myself, “How would I say this?” The book will be out in a couple of weeks.

Q: Where can your book be purchased?

A: The Grumpy Monk can be purchased at grumpymonkbook.com or littlelightpress.com if people would like to see all of my books.

Thanks so much, Robin!

You can visit Robin at her site: robinkhoury.com or facebook:RobinKhoury or twitter: @robinkhoury

It is my special pleasure and honor to bring you an interview with Liz Curtis Higgs.

Q: Your books are so wonderfully based on biblical characters. Your newest book, Here Burns My Candle, is an updated version of the story of Naomi and Ruth, set in 18th century Scotland. What did you learn from this biblical story in your research that perhaps you did not know before?

A: I always knew Ruth was from Moab. What I didn’t realize was how much the Israelites loathed the Moabites, since Moab, the son of Lot, was born of incest and because the Moabites were pagans, worshiping Chemosh. Oh, my. That rather changes our initial impression of Ruth, and her Scottish counterpart, Lady Elisabeth Kerr, doesn’t it?

I also discovered that Ruth’s husband’s name, Mahlon, meant “weakling” or “infertility,” which greatly impacted the characterization of Lord Donald Kerr. Every verse revealed some unexpected truth. And lest you fear the story will be too predictable, given its biblical underpinning, I promise Here Burns My Candle takes many twists and turns that even I didn’t see coming!

Q: How much research goes into one of your books? Is the research different for different genres?

A: For this novel, I began with the biblical research first, combing through nearly one hundred resource books and commentaries by various biblical scholars and teachers. Of even greater value was the time spent in God’s Word, carefully reading through the book of Ruth in a dozen translations, seeking to grasp every nuance of the original story.

Once the biblical story was imprinted on my heart, then I began researching my setting—Edinburgh—and my time period—1745—when the bonny Prince Charlie and his rebel troops rode into Edinburgh and turned the town upside down. I’m a real stickler for getting the historical facts straight, and so surrounded myself with information. I’m embarrassed to admit I own 850 books about Scotland and the eighteenth century. Crazy, I know, but there it is.

Q: You always have a new book coming out. You must be glued to your desk chair. Do you ever come up for air? What do you do as a diversion for fun?

A: Since I speak at women’s conferences almost every weekend in the fall and spring, I come “unglued” rather often! For sheer pleasure, I love reading—historical fiction and biographies in particular—as well as period films, digital photography, and traveling. In the past year I’ve had the joy of exploring New Zealand, South Africa, Nova Scotia, and Thailand. Closer to home, I enjoy singing alto in our church choir and connecting with readers on Facebook and Twitter.

Q: You are so talented at so many things, speaking and photography among them. If you could operate in only one gift, which one would it be and why?

A: Oh, Lynn, you’ve posed a very difficult question, because I truly enjoy all of the above! I love speaking and writing about the Bible, and using a generous dash of humor to do so. Watching women respond to the truth of Scripture and the grace of God is joy unspeakable. I also love being alone in my writing study, crafting a novel, sensing his divine leading as the narrative plays out.

But if I absolutely had to choose, it would be writing fiction. Even my non-fiction bestseller, Bad Girls of the Bible, is filled with storytelling. When all the research is done and a skeletal plot is in place, I open the curtain, invite the characters on stage, and start writing down everything they say and do. What could be more fun?

Q: What insider tips do you have for those newbie writers trying to get published?

A: Attend an annual writers conference—one big enough to include editors and agents among its faculty. Not only will you rub shoulders with other aspiring authors, but you’ll also learn more about the industry and where your work might be a good fit.

Attend the conference on your own so you’re forced to mingle. Resist the urge to offer opinions or brag about your talents. Simply observe, take notes, and listen. You’ll impress editors most by being attentive, not aggressive, your first time out. At the second gathering, ask intelligent questions. By your third appearance, they’ll be curious to hear what you have to offer. Then you’ll be ready to wow them.

Search the Internet on ”Writers Conference” and you’ll quickly find out what’s available and affordable. And check out the “Help for Writers” page on my website.

Above all, write for the sheer pleasure of it. Holding a finished book in our hands is wonderful, and receiving letters from readers can be very encouraging. But unless we enjoy the work itself, done in the solitude of our writing studies, we’ll be hard-pressed to finish one novel, let alone a series. As Katherine Mansfield said, “Once one has thought out a story nothing remains but the labour.” Learning to love the actual work of writing is the best insider tip I can offer.

Blessings and thanks, Lynn!


Here are some additional links where you can find Liz…

Video trailer for Here Burns My Candle

A virtual tour of my writing study

Scottish photo album: Land of the Kerrs

I have another privilege today to bring you an interview with Michelle Sutton, author of…

*It’s Not About Him










*It’s Not About Me










* and just recently released Danger at the Door

Michelle won the SORMAG’s (Shades of Romance Magazine) Reader’s Choice Award for 2009 as the Featured Author of the Year.

Michelle, can you tell us a little about your background?

My background in writing is that I started writing inspirational fiction in August of 2003. Never wrote a word before. Never liked writing at all before.

What makes your inspirational romances different from the other ones on the market?

All romances must have a HEA (happily ever after) otherwise they are just love stories (think Nick Sparks) and Christian, or Inspirational romances have a spiritual theme as well. I can’t imagine writing something with no spiritual arc at all.

Name the one item in your closet that is a constant favorite - the one that always gets worn even though you might have something newer or better?

I have favorite jeans and they are the stretchy kind that let you overeat without cutting into your tummy. Ahh…comfort.

What kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

I don’t really have a favorite author. I have many favorites. I read almost 100 books last year. Most were inspirational and most were fiction. Maybe two or three books fell outside that genre. I love to read historical romance (inspirational), women’s fiction, and regular romance. I just hate a boring story.

On days when you are bone tired, but know you must get at least a few pages done, how do you motivate yourself to get going?

I read a book instead. If I don’t have “the muse” then it’s wasted time for me to try to write.

What is the best piece of writing advice you didn't take at first, but then realized it made a lot of sense?

Be ready to work hard because selling the book once it is written is much harder than writing it.

Humans tend to be creatures of habit. Which habits do you have that you like, and which ones would you like to change or get rid of?

I have a habit of despising Mondays (I have to go to my day job) and I should probably try to be more chipper about it. But honestly, I would rather be reading great books or writing some.

No interview of a writer would be complete without this question: what is your favorite comfort food?

Chocolate, of course!
~~~

You can find Michelle on her website…

…on her blog…

…and you can find Michelle’s books at Amazon.