The only hopping I usually do is in my aerobics class, and I complain while I do it, but Connie Miller Pease invited me to blog hop and I agreed.  What is a blog hop? It’s a game of tag bloggers play in hopes of widening their circle of friends.  Here’s how it works: I get tagged and given four questions to answer in a post; I tag another blogger  who agrees to post answers the same four questions a week later; We try to entertain you and engage you in our process. 

1. What are you working on right now?

My attitude! I just came down from the mountain (Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference) with a long list of impossible tasks that will take me decades to perform and an admonishment to choose the ones I love. That will shorten the list considerably. Summoning up faith to believe I can distinguish my voice from 900,000 other published authors is a challenge but hey, if God can distinguish my voice when I talk to Him who am I to lack faith?

So what am I working on right now? My faith walk and drafting my third novel while my second book is under my publisher’s red pencil.

2. How does your work differ from others of its genre?

My books are listed as Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction and Christian Fiction. In fact, I write literary fiction. I try to disguise my literary bent with gripping plots and snappy dialogue. Realistic characters, stylish writing and insights about what really matters in life  are what I hope distinguishes my writing. You may not like some of the words I use but if I do my job well I hope you will recognize my characters and be blessed by their stories.

3. Why do you write what you do?

Ah, good question. Why do I set myself up in a genre dominated by authors who win awards and still can’t sell a lot of books? Because I love the classics. I heard a good definition of a classic at a conference night owl session. It’s the book that scores a 10 in both entertainment and education. I write the kind of books I love to read; books that use language and metaphor to delight me and help me be a better person.

4. How does your writing process work?

Very well, thank you! I begin with a ‘What if?” What if a middle-aged woman came to a crises point and had no resources to depend on? What if a just wed mother and daughter moved in together with their new husbands and tried to form an untraditional family in a very traditional neighborhood? What if a young man born into a poverty culture had a genius IQ and his mentor was evil?

Next I story board my themes, profile my characters, and describe my settings. I outline my chapters in Scrivener and draft my story like a non-stop freight train. Then I slow down and revise, send my manuscript out to my Beta readers, listen to what they say, revise and edit and send the manuscript off to my publisher.

At points in this process I pop my head up out of the hole I’ve dug and blink in the daylight; blink, breathe and take breaks with family and friends.

Connie had a whole different take on these questions. Read what she says.  And next Friday May 2, hop over to  Romance writer Maria Michaels’ blog and also  Linda Clare’s Writer’s Tips and Humor blog.  They are  “it”!