Sunday, August 30, 2009

My New Book, Now Available!

Imagine yourself on a wagon train, headed for California to pan for gold.
Now imagine your parents are taller than everyone else, and so are you. Now,
imagine that the animals can talk. Take a trip with Paw and Maw Bump and
their six children as they head West on the California Trail. And, just when
you think you know how the story will end, something extraordinary happens!

GOLD! A Tall Tale by Shannon Nicole Wells is now available for purchase!
Published by AG Press, this juvenile fiction is ten pages and costs $7.35
plus shipping and handling if purchased online. You buy a copy for yourself,
please go to
http://agpressma.books.officelive.com/ShannonNicoleWells.aspx

Friday, August 28, 2009

Author Fridays Presents...Dave and Lillian Brummet!

Welcome to another edition of Author Fridays! Sit back, relax and read about
this week's featured authors, Dave and Lillian Brummet

Dave and Lillian Brummet, a husband and wife writing team presently have
published three books in a variety of formats and have used several
different publishers over the years.

The first book, "Trash Talk" based on a column that Lillian wrote between
1999 and 2007. The book covers the 4-R's of waste management and the proper
order for them, with a focus on the 3rd R: Reuse. They also discuss other
green issues that can be impacted by the individual from organics and water
conservation to energy consumption. The purpose of the book is to inspire
readers, empowering them to feel more positive in life and leave a lasting
legacy.
www.brummet.ca/trashtalk.html
This book is currently published in soft cover and hard cover via
www.publishamerica.com
However, they have plans of releasing this book as an e-book through
www.booklocker.com
in the upcoming near future.

The second book that they have produced is "Towards Understanding"
www.brummet.ca/towards.html
which has just recently been revised to include 5 more poems and a few other
updates and released as an e-book through
www.booklocker.com
The original edition is still available through
www.publishamerica.com
in paperback and hardcover formats. This book depicts a true story of a
young pre-teen female growing up on her own after surviving a broken home
life and abuse from her stepfathers. Witness the journey of recovery and the
dawning of becoming aware of a purpose in life, and finding understanding of
the value of life.

"Purple Snowflake Marketing How To Make Your Book Stand Out in a Crowd" is
their most recent release. It is a reference guide for self-marketing
authors who want to be noticed in a snowstorm of writes without spending a
fortune. They offer nineteen chapters filled with step-by-step information
guiding the reader to create a unique marketing plan for each piece they
produce. Following this they offer twenty-six appendices, and resources in
the chapters, that list more than nine hundred opportunities for book
promotion. This e-book was originally released in June 2007, and since then
has made the recommended reading lists of over a dozen writing courses. The
revised and fully updated revision was released in June 2009 through
www.booklocker.com

Lillian Brummet loves to garden. It is a huge passion of her's. She has a
great love for pristine nature, and she adores animals, especially dogs!
(she smiles) "I do love to read... I am a voracious reader, reading when I
am stirring a pot on the stove, when I'm getting ready for bed or brushing
my teeth ...or when I am eating meals or during the commercials of a
favorite TV program. In the past, especially when I was able to do more book
reviewing projects, I read as many as 457 books per year. Now a lot of those
books might have been children's books for very young people and so are
not that large, but that really is a true number. Now, I read as time
allows, and probably consume as many as two novels a week. (She laughs) It
seems funny to look at that and realize that I consider that a greatly
reduced amount of reading!"

Looking back," Lillian says, "now nearing 40, I can see all kinds of signs
from when I was very young right up to the point I decided to pursue writing
as a career that implied writing might be for me. As a very young child I
would write deep, emotional short stories ? such as one about a very old,
lonely widowed woman who dressed in bright, gaudy clothing to ease her
emotional pain and brighten her day. I wrote that story when I was 7 or so
and it brought my teacher to tears. I couldn't understand her reaction at
the time and was kind of scared that my writing could invoke emotions. At
the same time I was awfully proud to have my work read to the whole class
and sent to other english teachers in the school. That was really cool and
I'll never forget that. But I kind of clung to the pen ? it helped me
survive a tumultuous youth, being on my own at under 14 years old and having
to survive the big-bad-world. Even
winning a few literary awards didn't spark the idea of pursuing writing as a
career ? it was after a really bad vehicle accident that the idea came to my
mind. The accident was a catalist for me to follow my passion ? to make a
difference in the world, to give reason to the fact I live and breathe
today, to find purpose and value in life."

There are two places Lillian looks when deciding on a project: 1) what
inspires her or interests her on a deep level, and 2) what she already knows
or has a desire to learn about. The marketability of the project is
determined by doing enough research and evaluation of the genre so that she
knows what is missing out there, What information or angle can she provide
that people reading this material are not receiving elsewhere?

"So, what makes your books so special? What will readers get out of reading
them?" I asked, Mrs. Brummet.

She answers, "That is a very good question and is the very question that
should be used to scrutinize each piece a writer produces. What is it about
this piece that makes it so special, so unique? Often there are several
angles that are unique. For instance, "Trash Talk" was written to counteract
several issues facing today's society ? reduced finances, fewer resources,
stressed environment and emotional baggage from apathy to being overwhelmed
and depressed. The book is written in such a way as to provide real tools to
deal with these issues while educating the readers about their power to
impact the health of this planet. "Towards Understanding" was written to
reveal the journey and wide array of emotions a victim of violence, abuse
and neglect will undergo as they learn about themselves and come toward some
form of understanding their personal value and purpose in life. I tried to
share the raw emotions while providing a postive guide for both the care
giver and the individual going through similar issues. The poetry will
appeal to anyone who loves nature and introspective, conscious thought and
contemplation about the real issues in life ? and society itself. "Purple
Snowflake Marketing" provides resources authors can click on and access
opportunities immediately ? which is fairly unique in its genre. It offers
up-to-date information on every step of a marketing guide, and then offers
information on how to organize the office, manage contacts, how to do follow
ups and deal with family members and friends. These are all the points that
we felt were so lacking in other marketing books. We also aim in all our
work to keep the voice fresh, postive, uplifting and leave the reader with a
?can-do? attitude.

If someone wishes to become a published author, Lillian suggests, "Write a
few articles and get some immediate experience with your local print
publications and try to get a few online publications to take a chance on
you before going straight into book writing. You'll want to have at least a
few things to show publishers to prove that you have been in print before.
Do a lot of research about
the publisher and your genre in particular. Know the business side of things
well, be very organized, always follow up with your contacts and keep good
records.

"So, Lillian, is there anything else that you would like to share with us?"

"I'd love to invite your readers to drop by my blog:
http://consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com
where they can find eco-news, writer's resources, fun and green family or
youth activities and all kinds of stuff ? including weekly prize draws where
people can enter to win things like books, or magnetic fridge note pads, or
posters, or herbal tinctures... there is something new each week and all the
prizes have to do with conscious living. Also, if your readers have time,
I'd encourage them to drop by
my radio show where I've interviewed dozens of professionals from a wide
array of experiences in the world of writing ? from publicists and
publishers, agents and book reviewers, coaches and educators, and leaders of
writers organizations. I'm sure your readers will find this a wealth of
information ? and it is all free:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions
If your readers want to contact me, find excerpts of my books or want to
find out how to help us raise funds for charity by purchasing a copy of our
books, they can go to:
www.brummet.ca
this is our main site and it has links to, and examples of, most everything
we do."

Thank you for joining me once again for another edition of Author Fridays.
Please come back again next week and read about Arlington Nuetzel, our next
week's featured author!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Blood's Thicker Than Water, Ye Know

Nowhere in all the world, except for the hills and hollers of the Allegheny
Mountains will you hear such phrases as "He's kin to ye," or "She's over
yonder." Maybe, it is because up until about 50 or 60 years ago, the roads
leading in to the hills and hollers of places like West Virginia were not
the best to travel on, keeping those who live there in a bit of isolation.
Maybe, it's because children just naturally pick up on their parents
expressions. Whatever the reason, on any given day, when I was a teenager, I
was told, "Ye can't date that boy, 'cause he's kin to ye." I grew up hearing
expressions like, "I'll git to it dreckly." (directly). And, speaking of kin
folk, I'm related to a lot of people. In fact, the pictures that you see
here were taken of me with some of my family, the Adkinses.

On Saturday, August 22 around 1:00PM, the man who was my biological father,
Bill Adkins passed away. I am the oldest of four girls by him. My sisters,
Janisa, Britany and Jenny are younger and scattered about the US. Janisa and
Britany along with many other family members traveled to meet here in WV for
the services and to see family they hadn't seen in a long time. And, what a
reunion it was. It was so good to meet my sisters that I had not seen since
1990, the day I first met Bill Adkins. We exchanged phone numbers and
promises to keep in touch.

The funeral was yesterday, and let me say that it was one of the hardest
ones I had ever been to. Raw grief is pitiful to witness, but when you're
kin to them, it's even worse. I didn't know Bill AKA Billy as well as the
others, but still I couldn't hide my emotions inside, when everyone else was
having such a rough time of it. I don't feel betrayed, I have no regrets; I
know I did all I could to make him know he was welcome in my life. But, it's
my sisters who needed more from him.

To be perfectly honest, it's hard putting my thoughts about everything in to
words, but I think I summed it up yesterday when I told my husband, "If only
Billy could have been alive to see his own funeral, it might have changed
his ways, seeing all the love poured out for him." We will just never know.

So, when it comes to your kin folk, take nothing for granted, take advantage
of every moment you have with them, and forgive their tresspasses; they
aren't perfect, after all, but they are your kin.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Author Fridays Presents... Katie McCurdy!

Welcome to another edition of Author Fridays! Sit back, get comfortable and
read about this week's featured author, Katie McCurdy.

Katie McCurdy is the author of "Journey of Faith", a book geared toward
teens, but suitable for the whole family. It is published by Outskirts
Press, a self publishing company out of Colorado
www.outskirtspress.com

I first met Miss McCurdy when she contacted me about exchanging book
reviews. She had read the synopsis of my book, and finding our books to have
similarities, she wanted to know if I would be willing to read and review
her's. I looked up her book on the internet and intrigued, I decided to send
her a copy of "Wild Heart". She sent me a copy of "Journey of Faith", and I
think I read it all in one day. My review of her book I posted on
www.amazon.com
Katie's review of "Wild heart" is posted on Amazon.com as well. Just so you
will know, in the picture, Katie is on the left, and her sister, who is also
her editor is on the right.

An active young lady, McCurdy enjoys playing volley ball, acting in plays,
crocheting and cross stitch, but, as she has said in her interview, " My
absolute favorite hobby is to sit down with a good book and read! I can't
tell you how much I like to read! I like it just as much as I like writing.
Some of my favorite authors include: Frank Peretti, Sheridan Elaine Claude,
Shannon Nicole Wells, Elizabeth George, and Jane Austen."

"My urge to write a book began when I was very young, probably around the
age of nine or ten," McCurdy says. "At night, I always loved to lay awake
long into the night, thinking up my own adventures. Many of them I thought
would make a great book. But I always thought that writing books and
becoming an author was only for adults. So I satisfied myself with daydreams
of becoming an author 'one day'. But when a friend of mine let me read a new
book of hers, I was astonished to find that the author was only fifteen
years old! I thought about that for weeks after reading it and I finally
realized that I didn't need to wait until I was an adult to start writing
books. So shortly after that conclusion, I began my first book, Journey of
Faith, at eleven years old."

McCurdy goes on to say, "My ideas for the stories that I write come from
many different sources. The idea for my first book, "Journey of Faith", came
to me after I read the book "Stout Hearted Seven". It is a story about a
certain family with seven children who traveled on the Oregon Trail. When
they finally arrived in Oregon, both parents had died along the way and only
four of the children made it to Oregon. Their courage was so awing that I
wanted to write about another family who takes on the Oregon Trail. And so
began Journey of Faith. The story line has changed much since my first draft
of the book, but that is where the idea of the book came from. I have
several other books in the beginning stages. Whenever I think of a great
story line, I write it down before I forget it and sometimes even start the
first few chapters. But they have not grown much because I am presently
concentrating on the Legacy of Purpose series. But the ideas for these come
either from a movie I saw, a book I read, or an event I heard over the news
or in the paper. It's amazing where ideas can come from!"

One way that Katie tries to set her books apart from the thousands of
worldly books is to keep them pure and clean. "Life out in the West was
often hard and gruesome," she says, "but I have tried to present all of
these in a way that brings glory to God and doesn't pollute the mind of the
reader. There are so many books out there filled with trash, that finding
good books for teens is difficult. When I go to my local library, I have to
search high and low for a book that I will be able to read. Many of them are
harmful romance novels that aren't the most edifying thing for a girl in her
teens. Now this is not to say that I can never read a book that is about a
boy and girl who end up getting married, for even God is a lover of romance.
But the way that it is portrayed says everything. And in my second book
"Journey of the Heart", which is nearing completion, Faith goes through that
period of her life. It's a neat adventure and I hope that, when it is
published, everyone will enjoy a clean book that travels through the
interesting waters of courtship."

When I asked Miss McCurdy if she had any advice for any aspiring authors,
she said, "I know that authors hear this advice all the time, but it is so
true. If you want to become published, keep writing! Don't stop! If you
think your story isn't any good, keep working on it! My first draft of
Journey of Faith was both dull and simply awful! It went through many
changes to become what it is today. Just keep writing, keep imagining, and
keep dreaming!"

Talking with Katie via e-mail has been a delight; she reminds me of myself
at that age, the age when I was hard at work on the first rough draft of
"Wild Heart". It blesses me, knowing there are still young people out there
willing to spread the word of God. McCurdy is home schooled, and truly
routed and grounded in her faith, which shines through each page of her
book. I am honestly looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

In a closing statement, Katie says, "I hope that I can continue to write
books for the glory of God and the edification of my readers. Thank you,
Shannon, for interviewing me today!"

No, it's I who need to thank you, Katie.

To learn more about Katie McCurdy and her books, please visit her website
www.booksbykatie.webs.com

Thank you for joining me for this week's edition of Author Fridays! I hope
you will come back next Friday to read about a husband and wife writing
team, Dave and Lillian Brummet.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Author Fridays Presents...Cheryl Zemke!

Welcome to another edition of Author Fridays! Sit back, get comfortable and
read about this week's featured author, Cheryl Zemke.

Cheryl L. Zemke is the author of "Defenders of Naturion" published by
Publish America.
www.publishamerica.com
Zemke, a first time author holds a B.S.B.A and Associate degree in
merchandising, and owns her own business, CZ Creations Custom Sewing and
Alterations. She is married with a teenaged son.

"I am and probably always will be an artist, first," she says. I love books
with innovative and unique characters. So, the pictures have always meant
more to me than words." When asked about her hobbies, she replies,
"Drawing, camping, scrapbooking and having a great time watching my son grow
up. I do not have a favorite author, but as I learn about being an author
myself, I am growing to respect the classic children's book authors like Dr.
Seuss. Authors like him take Something very simple and make it yet so
creative, that everyone can enjoy reading. I have enjoyed reading books
like Spiderwick with my son. The artwork is amazing
And so is the imaginative story."

Zemke says she has never considered being an author before, however, she has
considered doing artwork for someone else's book. What inspired her to
write her story were some sketches that she and her son worked on, while
camping. The story developed from there," she says, "but it was my son and
his cousin who had confidence in me to tell the story in writing. They kept
me motivated to complete the book."

A woman who cannot resist putting a creative edge to everything, Cheryl
Zemke is inspired by nature and everyday life, both past and present.. She
feels that she is different from most authors in that she did not grow up
writing or even wanting to write. "This book was an inspiration from God
through what I love to do; draw and create." Cheryl wants to tell a good,
moral story that children will find adventurous, that parents will not have
to worry about the content therein, and one without all the blood and guts
that alot of fantasy stories have.

So, what will you get out of reading "Defenders of Naturion"? Cheryl says
she hopes that readers will connect with the characters. She tells me she
attempted to make each of them with some special, God-given natural ability
and also as realistic as possible. They do Not have the perfect DAD+MOM+2
kid and dog families. They have problems with their Peers at school and
things that they are not good at, as well.

God gives each of us an unbelievable talent of some sort," Zemke believes,
"and it is up to us to discover it and do things to praise His name! To any
aspiring author, she says, "Write as much as you can and never give up on
your dreams."

When I asked Cheryl if there was anything more that she wanted to share, she
informed me that all the artwork in "Defenders of Naturion" was created by
none of than herself, including the cover and its design, and 15 pages of
characters scattered inside the book. More characters can be seen on her
website,
www.defendersofnaturion.com

From her website, you can purchase a copy of her book and learn more about
it. There is a popular page called "the Fairy Realm" which features a new
fairy to vote on each week. Her site has been viewed by people in forty-five
of the fifty states and numerous places around the world, so stop by and
check out the characters from Naturion. There is a new character featured on
"Inside the story" page each month.

As a published author myself, it seems that once you've held your book in
your hand, you yurn to publish again, and again, and this seems to be true
with Cheryl Zemke. She is currently working on three more books: a sequel
to "Defenders of Naturion" titled "Color of the Jewel";
A picture book for young children ages zero to six years entitled "The
Adventures of Freddy and Teddy Book #1- Where's Teddy?"; and a book for ages
six to eight, entitled, "The Magical Dream Belt".

"I would like to thank Shannon for interviewing with me and taking this time
to help promote a story that means so much to me."

"No problem, Cheryl. It has been a pleasure."

To learn more about Cheryl L. Zemke, go to her website
www.defendersofnaturion.com

Thanks for joining me on another edition of "Author Fridays." If you are an
author and would like to be featured here, please send an e-mail to
SShannonNicoleWells@suddenlink.net
Put "author interview" in the subject, and I'll get back with you as soon as
I can. See you next week for another edition of "Author Fridays!"

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Procrastinate? Me?

Yip! You heard it here, folks! I procrastinate so badly that my dad has been
quoted as saying, "You put more effort into thinking how to get out of doing
something, than it would take to just do it." AHEM, he's kind-a right...All
right, so on to other things.

As far as how we're doing, well, Kierstin, the 20-month-old got up this
morning around 3, turned on the TV, but instead of watching it, she came and
got in bed with my husband and me. I thought it was almost time to get up,
so I didn't think anything about it. However, when hubby gets up and turns
off the TV, and Kierstin got mad and cried, I checked my watch and sure
enough, it was just 3AM. It was funny how mad she got, cause he turned it
off, though. Anyway, so I put her back to bed, but as usual, I couldn't go
back to sleep. So, for the third morning in a row, I got up way earlier than
even the birds and played on the computer. I tried to write some, but this
crazy laptop of mine kept shutting down on me. Oh, y'all don't ever buy a
Toshiba! As soon as I have the money, i'm replacing it. I miss my old Compaq
I had; that wonderful laptop lasted 5 years straight before needing anything
done to it.

I tell you, it's so muggy outside that I've been running the AC to keep it
comfortable in here. However, I think I'd better go turn it off for a bit;
the babies get cold, sometimes. They are playing in their room right now, I
think, but still... If I'm getting chilly, then you know the babies are
probably freezing. Mean ole mommy, me.

Just FYI, my publisher tells me we should get an ISBN for my new book, some
time this week. Come to find out, it's more of a juvenile fiction, than a
children's book, and soon, when I have a release date and all, I'll put a
picture of the cover on here and give y'all more info about it. But, if you
want to save a buck or 2, you can preorder a copy from
www.agpress.8m.net
and save a couple of dollars. The first 50 people who preorder get it
without paying shipping and handling.

As for "Wild Heart" I should get the CDs of the audiobook any minute now. I
tell y'all it's so good...the reading, I mean. There's mistakes in the book,
my mistakes and big ones, but the reading is really good. You are in for a
treat, if I do say so myself. I listened to the MP3s over the weekend and
I'm amazed! I mean, W.B. Ward made the book come alive in a way i did not
expect. He gave emotions to the story that I didn't know were there, and he
made it sound as if someone famous had wrote the book. It inspired me to
write on the sequel, too, which I know will make some of you very happy.
But, I will caution you, don't get too excited about a sequel. I am writing
it, but remember, it took 15 years to write "Wild Heart", so don't get in a
hurry. Now, I know it isn't going to take no 15 years...I'm already up to
181 pages, but it will take a few months. What I do have so far is good, but
I digress. I was talking about the audio version of "Wild Heart". Ok, so
it's going to be 6 CDs and it's going to cost $20. If you're interested,
email me at
ShannonNicoleWells@suddenlink.net
Put "Wild Heart audiobook" in the subject and I'll get back with you as soon
as I can. If you're not sure and want to read more about the book, go see
the trailer for it at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TyA3l3-KrI
If that link doesn't work, go to YouTube and in the search box type in "Wild
Heart movie 3".

Well, now I'm starting to actually get cold, and I hear the washer getting
ready to spin the final time, and I'm getting hungry and... Catch y'all
another time, and don't forget to come back soon for my featured author this
Friday. It's going to be good.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Author Fridays Presents Sheridan Elaine Claude

Welcome to another edition of Author Fridays! Sit back, get comfortable and
read about this week's featured author, Sheridan Elaine Claude

Sheridan Elaine Claude is the author of "Across Time, Across Tears" and" The
Long Walk Home", both published by Publish America.
www.publishamerica.com
She gives credit to the grace of God for honoring "The Long Walk Home" as
book of the week and the number one best seller for three weeks. It was
among the top ten best sellers for three months.

"I was raised in a pagan household," Claude says. "My parents weren't saved
until after I was grown. The Lord had mercy on me when I was
thirty-three-years-old, but it is interesting to note that my initial
inspiration came from reading the Christian apologist, C.S. Lewis as a
child. My imagination was awakened by his "Narnia" series. My mom also had
the entire "Nancy Drew" series when I was young, so I spent hours inside
mystery books. When I was in fourth grade, I was no longer content to read
the stories of others. I wanted to create. This desire became a driving
force. By the time I was in sixth grade, I had written and illustrated three
books. The last book was a time-travel novel called "The Time Tunnel". When
a TV program came out with the same title and a similar premise, I was
crushed, and threw my book away, thinking that only one of us could legally
hold the rights to the story, and they had beat me to it. I turned to art,
only coming back to writing when I was a senior in High School. After a
hitch as a Navy medic during the Vietnam War, I used the GI Bill to major in
creative writing at Northern Arizona University, and began writing a fantasy
series for the world. The series, very popular among the college students,
was in the early stages of publication when the Lord allowed my life to fall
apart. My husband left me for another woman, and I moved to Florida. Five
months later the Lord graciously had mercy on my soul. Again, I threw away
my books, two of which were complete, and the third was under way. I didn't
want my name associated with such stories. Needless to say, I lost my
literary agent. After that, I donated my computer to my church's Christian
school and stopped writing. That is, until the Lord drew me back to it."

When interviewing Ms. Claude, my heart was touched to learn how she came up
with the ideas for her books. An idea for "The Long Walk Home", started
while she was listening to a testimony given by a friend from her church,
Gita. "I was amazed that she had survived the sinking of a ship and the
devastation of World War II, as a young woman," says Claude. "I had been her
prayer partner for two years and knew nothing about her horrific past! As I
listened," Claude continues, "I noticed tears on the faces of Gita's
audience, even as I wiped my own eyes. My pulse was pounding. The urge to
write returned full force. I silently prayed to be allowed to tell her
story. When the evening ended, one of Gita's daughters asked me to consider
writing her mother's story, and my heart leapt for joy and wonder. However,
Gita was dismayed by the idea. She was terrified of revisiting her memories,
and afraid that the Russian Secret Police (KGB) would arrest her. Old fears
die hard, especially deep ones. I suggested that the three of us pray about
the matter, and if the Lord wanted her story told, He would have to supply
me with a computer or typewriter. Within the month, my estranged husband
sent me a computer, printer, monitor, and even the paper to get started!"

Sheridan's novel, "Across Time, Across Tears" began as a burden on her heart
for a young Moslem convert to Christianity, who was sentenced to die. He was
to be executed the next morning, so Claude spent all night praying for him.
The next she heard, he had been released from prison, and exiled to
Australia with his wife and young child. For this, she gives God all the
praise! Two nights later, she had a vivid dream about the Middle East. "I
don't usually remember my dreams," Claude confides, "but this one wouldn't
leave me alone. From that dream came the idea for a story about a young
woman whose undercover medical-missionary parents are killed in the Middle
East, leaving her alone to flee their murderers. The twist comes when Rachel
is sold to the crown prince responsible for the jihad, but since she is
veiled, he has no idea who he has bought. Then God begins to work on both of
them! The book is a Christian thriller."

When it comes to ideas for her books, Claude says that they do not come
easily, although she wishes it were otherwise. She encourages beginners to
write about what they know and what they have experienced. "An idea can come
from anywhere," she says. "Keep your eyes and ears open. Jot them down when
they come. Don't think you will retain them. I've lost many thoughts because
I failed to write them down." And, when asked for her best advice, she
continues, " Write, write, write, and then write some more! Writing takes
practice, just like any skill. The principle that I live by is even if you
are the only person who will ever see your manuscript, do the best job that
you can. Why? Because the Lord sees, and you never know from what direction
your breakthrough will come. Do it unto the Lord. Also, remember that the
best stories have a character with an overriding goal, a deep fear, and the
opportunity to achieve the former and confront the latter. Don't be afraid
to let your characters be themselves. It will stretch you as a writer.
Create your characters, devise incidences, tell stories, and do it with
sincerity and passion!"

As an adult, Ms. Claude does not have a favorite author, but when she was a
child her favorite was J.R.R. Tolkien, followed closely by C.S. Lewis. She
says she doesn't read as much as she used to, because she has been
disappointed by the shallowness of so many Christian books. She says, and I
quote, "Most mainstream Christian publishers are interested in turning a
nice profit, so they sacrifice biblical truth for broad-audience books that
cause no offense. There is a balance that can be found between a book that
is preachy (which I personally dislike, unless it is a doctrinal book) and
one that is so shallow one can hardly tell it is Christian. I hope my books
have found that balance."

In times past, Sheridan has enjoyed outdoor sports, such as downhill skiing
and scuba diving, and less extreme engagements such as golf, camping and
swimming. Art (her minor study in college) was a hobby for many years until
her eyes dictated that she give it up. Now, she spends time at her computer,
writing, emailing, editing for others, and enjoying both mind-stimulating
and relaxing computer games. She takes daily three-mile walks to help her
mind to focus. In 2005 she began co-authoring movie scripts, which took her
in the direction of screenwriting. "All three of the scripts that I was
privileged to work on," she tells me, "were produced: two by an independent
Christian studio called Last Acts Studio, and the third for the University
of Florida. I directed and edited the movie for UF, as well as co-authored
the script."

I personally have not had the privilege to read Ms. Claude's books, but be
assured, I would love to do so, especially, after writing this article. When
I asked her what makes her books so special, she replied, "We are entering
into hard times as a nation and as a world. Christians need to know and
understand God's mercy in allowing us to suffer. We need to know that it
strengthens faith. We need to know that we can trust Him with our lives no
matter what happens. God is with us, and still loves us. Both of my books
tell stories of young women that lost everything and continued on to victory
with God's help. Both books give courage, lift depression, and draw people
into Jesus' loving embrace with tears and laughter. There is laughter, love
and life after total despair. Hold on; the light is coming, and that light
is Jesus."

For more information about Sheridan Elaine Claude and her books, please
visit her website
www.sheridanclaude.com

Thank you for joining me today! If you are a published author and would like
to be featured here, please send an email to
ShannonNicoleWells@suddenlink.net
Put "author interview" in the subject, and I'll get back with you as soon as
I can. Thanks for reading and come back next Friday for another edition of
Author Fridays!