Offering an acquaintance a ride to a writer’s conference changed the direction of Patti Shene’s life, setting off a chain of events that eventually led to her being named Editor of a new children’s publication.

Now, fully entrenched in her “Divine Detour” as Editor of Starsongs magazine, Patti spends much of her time speaking to school groups, encouraging young writers/photographers/artists and helping them navigate the road to publication.

You are the editor of a new magazine for kids. Please tell us about Starsongs. Is it an online or a print magazine?

Starsongs is one of five magazines slated for publication by Written World Communications. It is a general market magazine for youth ages 9-19 and the majority of contributions will come from youth in that same age group. Our goal is to give voice to the future through the writings, photography, and artwork of today’s youth. Starsongs will also feature a column by an adult writer that will provide advice on some aspect of the craft of writing.

Starsongs will be a downloadable magazine with a limited number of print copies available. Our first edition is due to be launched in September 2010. Our website is in the process of revision, but I would advise readers to check there periodically for updates on the progress of the magazine.

How would young people learn more about writing for Starsongs?

Simply email me at starsongs.mag (at) gmail (dot) com. I will be happy to send guidelines to anyone who requests them.

How did you become involved with Written World Communications? What other magazines do they produce? Are they currently seeking submissions?

Last year, I gave the CEO of Written World Communications, Kristine Pratt, a ride to the Colorado Christian Writers Conference. On the way, she told me about her plans to start her own publishing company. She was mentoring with Jeff Gerke of Marcher Lord Press and Terry Burns of Hartline Literary Agency at the time to learn the business. I expressed an interest in the company at that time.

During the September 2009 ACFW conference, Kristine sent out an email to announce the launching of Written World Communications. I checked out the website, but my name wasn’t on it! I had not heard from Kristine in a while and decided she had found someone else. I was disappointed.

I prayed about it and decided to send Kristine an email of congratulations about the launching of her company and offer any assistance. She wrote back and told me she had been meaning to talk to me for quite some time and very much wanted me to be a part of the company. She asked that I take the position of editor to Starsongs since I have worked with youth.

I learned a lesson through that experience. Sometimes, you need to stand up and wave in front of people to let them know you are interested in a project or opportunity.

The other four magazines Written World Communications plans to publish are Untapped, Harpstring, Other Sheep, and Gambatte!. Untapped is a Christian magazine geared to youth ages 12-19. Harpstring’s mission is to glorify God’s kingdom through inspiring stories that resonate. Other Sheep is based on John 10:16, which speaks of “other sheep not of this sheep pen” and addresses those Christians who demonstrate their faith in new and exciting ways. Gambatte! is a magazine for anime/manga fans.

All of theses magazines are currently seeking submissions. Go to www.writtenworldcommunications.com for guidelines. Again, the website is in revision, so if you don’t find what you need, check back in a few days or send an email with questions.

How did you become interested in helping young people develop their writing talents?

I think that interest stems from my work with youth at Colorado Boys Ranch YouthConnect. As an RN formerly employed by that residential childcare facility, I dealt with many young people who had so many deep feelings. Some of them expressed their thoughts, their hurts, and their fears through the written word.

Young people today have a great deal on their plate. They are pulled in every direction through peer pressure, stress to achieve in academics and sports or other extracurricular activities, parental tension during the economic downturn, and values that seem to be constantly changing. Our society, unfortunately, appears to place less and less emphasis on the safety, well-being, and welfare of our young people. They are tossed about in a sea of uncertainty, grasping for a slippery dock that provides little support, and gazing toward a lighthouse whose brilliance shines dimmer and dimmer in the dense fog of apathy.

I believe if young people are encouraged to express their thoughts through writing, then we as adults are able to understand more clearly how they perceive themselves, the world, and their future. Through that understanding, we can guide them in the direction that will provide a firm foundation to build a strong value system that will sustain them through the trials of adulthood.

I understand you also speak at schools. Do you find that a large number of students are interested in writing?

I spoke at a local school in a relatively small town. The students had to sign up for the presentation, so I didn’t expect more than maybe fifty students altogether between the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. More than twice that many attended the sessions, and all the students seemed very interested in the information I had to offer. It is my hope to connect with many more area schools at the beginning of next year so they can put me on their schedule as a speaker for the 2010-2011 school year. I also plan to contact home school organizations to reach home schooled students.

What is the one thing you hope students will learn from hearing you speak?

I wish to convey the message that a person is never too young to begin writing and submitting. When I attended the Colorado Christian Writers Conference this year, Kristine and I encountered a couple of ten-year olds who are well on their way to becoming great writers. They already have a command of the language and are quite articulate in their expression of ideas. I also have a grand nephew who has written letters to public officials, expressing concerns that affect him and his school. He is nine, but his writing skill surpasses that of some high school students.

I would like to mention here that I have a series on my website entitled I Want to Be Published….But I’m Just a Kid! The postings can be found under the tab Kids/Youth Getting Published.

I know you are also a fiction writer. How old were you when you began writing? What kind of writing do you do now?

I can remember starting a novel in one of those black and white composition notebooks when I was in high school. I never completed it, though, and have no idea what happened to it. Since then, I’ve started three novels that all beg to be finished. My biggest problem is that I can not corral that internal editor, so I’ve written those first few chapters a dozen times, at least. Every time I learn some new facet of the craft, I feel like I need to start over again.

Lately, my writing has become somewhat diverse. I write a monthly article for my church newsletter. We recently started a Spiritual Gifts Ministry Team, so I’ve been writing articles for our blog, found at fpcsgmt.blogspot.com. I post on my own blog, Patti’s Porch, at my website. I was contracted by my former employer to write articles for their newsletter. I’ve even been asked to help our county nursing service personnel with grant writing.

I grew up with TV westerns and continue to be a huge fan, especially of the TV western Gunsmoke. I wrote some Gunsmoke fan fiction and always have a Gunsmoke story in mind. Fan fiction is fun because I send the stories to others who love the show as much as I do. All of my three novels have a western theme, probably due to that strong influence in my life.

Since my return from the Colorado Christian Writers Conference, I’ve been working on some short articles and devotionals for magazines. Just need to polish them and work up the nerve to send them off! Occasionally, I still work on those novels, hoping to get them completed for possible publication.

How does your faith play into your writing?

The more I write, the more I want my work to glorify God. I don’t necessarily believe that everything I write needs to specifically mention God or Jesus, but my intent is to convey a message from the standpoint of a Christian worldview.

Has God ever provided an unexpected “detour” in your life that turned out to be positive?

Definitely! I’d say aspiring western novelist to executive editor of a children’s magazine is quite a switch. I’m very excited about Starsongs and have been in contact with some exuberant, inspiring young people It is exciting to receive work from a young person and be able to send back a contract, or to send suggested changes and have that young writer take the time and effort to make the corrections.

A few fun questions…

What was the first story you remember writing as a child?

Hmmm. I probably wrote a short story or two about life on my great uncle’s farm in Connecticut. Can’t recall the plot or characters—or if they even had a plot—but I have fond memories of spending time there during my summer vacations.

Which kind of children’s song best describes you? A riddle song, a lullaby, a counting song, or a musical round?

Probably a counting song. I tend to have some OCD tendencies and I love numbers. Yep, I’m one of those people who count the stairs as I walk up or down!

Tell us about your granddaughter. Is she interested in writing?

Oh, man, now it’s time to brag! Madison will be nine next month and will be in third grade in September. She already reads way above her grade level and comprehends exceptionally well.

She was enrolled in three dance classes during the school year, tap, jazz, and acrobatics. She enjoys the acrobatics the most and is always doing cartwheels and front and back walkovers. Makes me hurt just to watch her bend that way! She is signed up for the swim team this summer and is excited about that.

She enjoy fishing and camping with mom and dad. Inside activities include the time she spends in Webkinz World. She has eight or nine Webkinz by now and loves to decorate their rooms and enter them in contests. She always beats me at the games we play to earn kinzcash.

Yes, she is interested in writing. She loves to play school, and one day, she set up a scenario, where “Miss Patti Shene, editor of Starsongs, will now speak to the class about her magazine.” Of course, she was the only student, and I gave her a summary of our guidelines. That night, she emailed me a short work with the title “Please use this in your magazine.” We need to work on it a bit, but she has potential.

Thanks, Patti!

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to appear on your blog, Kathy. I look forward to hearing from any young writers out there who wish to submit to Starsongs.

~ ~ ~

For more information about Starsongs, visit the Written World Communications website at www.writtenworldcommunications.com.

To visit Patti’s personal website logon to www.pattishene.com.

Deborah Allen is a storyteller who has the gift of music. Her songs have been to the top of the charts time and time again, but it’s her passion for life and helping others that is most infectious.

With a new album, a new mentoring project, and a new charitable foundation called The Art of Dreaming, she has a lot to talk about.

How old were you when you knew you wanted to make a career with music?

The best way to answer this question is to tell the story of my mother and me. When she was pregnant with me she started noticing a slight glitch in her voice every now and then. She knew something was wrong but didn’t say anything about it to anyone. It was just occasional, but enough to make her aware.

As she did during her previous pregnancies, she would pray for a healthy baby. But with me, because of her disturbing slight vocal problem, she would always add, “Oh, and please let this baby have a strong voice.”

The day I was born, my mother had a spiritual revelation that her prayer had been answered when, as she was holding me in her arms, she saw my name appear above my head in the shape—and in all the colors—of the rainbow. Then, she says, there were little lights flickering from each letter…D E B O R A H. “You know, like out in Las Vegas,” she always adds when she tells the story.

The nurse took me back to the nursery, and then she came back and asked Mother what she was going to name her baby girl.

Mother said, “Deborah.”

“Oh…D E B R A,” the nurse said.

“No…it was D E B O R A H,” Mother told her, referring to her vision from God. The words it was being the only subtle proof that she had had the spiritual revelation in her hospital room earlier that day.

As time went on, I was about four years old when I was riding in the car with Mother, and (I remember this) I slid over beside her and confidingly asked her, “Mother, can I tell you a secret?”

She said, “Mother’s your best friend, you can tell Mother anything.”

I went on to say, “I would like to be a singer or an entertainer or an actress. Do you think I can?”

She later said her heart started pounding. She felt it was another affirmation that her prayer had been answered.

I remember, she told me that day, “You can be anything you want to be, and Mother is going to help you all I can.”

My mother was not a stage mother. What is so amazing about her is how she listened to me as a person and not just a little child with a foolish dream. She gave me immediate validation and encouragement. I love her so much for that.

So, I would say, I was born to sing. When that went from a childhood dream to a career and a dream come true, I can’t really say. All I know is there have been many opportunities to quit, but I never would and never will. That would be like a slap in the face to God, who so generously answered my mother’s prayer for a healthy baby—with a strong voice.

By the way, after years of many doctor visits, my mother finally discovered that her vocal problem is called Spasmodic Dysphonia. (She kind of sounds like Katharine Hepburn in On Golden Pond.) She goes once every three or four months to a doctor in Memphis for Botox injections directly into her vocal chords. It really seems to help. My mother is an amazing person.

How did you get your start in the music business?

When I was growing up in Memphis, I participated in a few local talent contests and pageants—anywhere to be seen. I was honored to be a WHBQ-tie on world renowned DJ George Klein’s weekly Saturday television show. (Not as a singer but as a spokesperson and dancer.) That was my first introduction to the public through television, so I would say he was the first professional to “discover” me.

But one of my first starts came in Nashville at a chance meeting with Roy Orbison and Joe Melson at the IHOP. It was so funny. I felt comfortable at the IHOP, because I had worked there for a little while as a waitress. I knew the cook and all the waitresses, so I felt okay to dine alone there.

There I was in my funky little red dress and dark red fingernails eating breakfast when I saw this man with jet-black hair and black sunglasses sitting across from this salt-and-pepper haired gentleman.

I thought, ‘Hmmmm, I’ll bet they’re in the music business.’

So I gathered my courage and walked over to their table. Why I said this, I’ll never know, but it went like this. “Excuse me. But are ya’ll in the insurance business?”

They looked up and said, “No, darlin, we’re in the music business.”

I felt my eyes widen with excitement as I quickly slid into their booth and said, “That’s what I thought! Listen, I’m a singer and I’m trying to get started!”

They were so sweet to listen and let me go on about it. They were very encouraging and told me to keep in touch.

At the time, I didn’t have a phone, and I was saving my money to join AFTRA. Finally, when I had enough, I went down to join.

The lady at the front desk said, “Deborah Allen…I’m so glad you came in, and so glad you have a phone now! Joe Melson has been trying to contact you to sing on something for Roy Orbison!”

I was so excited!

It was very shortly afterwards I did meet with Joe over at what was then called DBM Studios. He asked me to sing background on two Roy Orbison tracks. I wish I could tell you what the songs were, but I really can’t remember. I was just so happy to be there singing. I do remember it was going to be on some sort of K-tel type collection. I believe I was paid somewhere around $87. That was my first paying job as a singer! What a great place to start!

Another milestone early on for me was my duets with Jim Reeves. Those were the very first recordings to use the overdub process in a way that allowed someone who was very much alive, like me, to record with a deceased superstar, like Jim Reeves.

My favorite recording out of the five songs was When Two Worlds Collide because, as I stood there in the dark at Woodland Studios listening to the silky smooth voice of Jim Reeves coming through my headphones, singing with him “that’s what happens when two worlds collide,” I could truly feel his presence in the room. He was there. And, through the magic of modern day technology, our two worlds truly were colliding.

World-renowned children’s book author, playwright, cartoonist, and songwriter Shel Silverstein provided another instant life change for me. He came to hear me sing at the Hall Of Fame lounge. After my set was over I sat with him and asked for his feedback.

He said, “You have a great voice, but so do a lot of other people in this town.”

I had no idea where he was going with the conversation but, in the end, every comment he made pointed toward songwriting as the key to finding my own uniqueness, and having a creative outlet, while I tried to build a career.

He said, “You know that wonderful feeling you get when you are onstage? Well, it fades after you come offstage.” Then he said, “When you write a song, it’s yours to keep forever.”

This was all beginning to make sense to me.

Shel also said, “The sun doesn’t shine on the same dog’s back everyday and, besides, songwriting will keep you from going crazy.”

Well, the first part of that statement is true, but I’m not so sure about the last part.

Anyway, I told him I’d give it a try but that I wanted him to listen and be honest with me.

The first couple of songs I wrote were ac cappella songs, Four Leaf Clover and Mother And Daddy’s Song. I sang them to Shel and his response was, “I think you’ve got a way with words!”

Thanks to Shel sharing his generous wealth of wisdom and encouragement, my life was changed in an instant. Suddenly, right then and there, I became a songwriter!

You have been blessed with two careers—one as a Grammy-nominated recording artist and another as a songwriter. Which has been more fulfilling?

Singing definitely came first but after Shel inspired me to begin writing songs I loved the creative process. Really my love for singing—expressing feelings and connecting with people through performance—fuels my passion for writing.

I love to write songs that make me want to sing. Also, after live performances, it is such a great feeling when I hear comments on particular songs in my show. But after I began enjoying the huge honor of having other artists record my songs, I realized the even deeper, fulfilling rewards of songwriting.

So singing is my first love and will always be fun and personally fulfilling, but as Shel so wisely shared with me early on, “A song is forever.”

I couldn’t imagine one without the other.

When did you write your first song?

The first song I really ever wrote was the ac cappella song I sang for Shel, Four Leaf Clover, which I mentioned earlier.

My first guitar was an old Washburn 1800’s ladies Parlor guitar. It’s really pretty. It has some abalone inlay around the hole. I had two four leaf clovers inlaid in abalone on the headstock to commemorate that first song.

Can you give us a short list of some of the artists who have recorded your songs?

I have been fortunate to have my songs recorded by so many great country artists, such as LeAnn Rimes, Patty Loveless, Brooks and Dunn, Janie Fricke, Tanya Tucker, John Conlee, Brenda Lee, George Jones, Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Lorrie Morgan and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, to name a few; as well as pop artists, Diana Ross, Sheena Easton, and Fleetwood Mac. It’s a huge compliment.

I have also enjoyed having songs on television and movie sound tracks, for instance, the movies Coyote Ugly, Clinton and Nadine, The River Rat and A Thing Called Love. It is a lot of fun reading the credits as they roll at the end of the show.

Where do you get most of your song ideas?

I get my ideas from real life, whether it is mine or whether it is inspired by others. I also have a pretty big imagination, which keeps me entertained.

Has God ever provided an unexpected “detour” in your life that turned out to be positive?

I am a very spontaneous, adventurous person at heart, so in a way you could say my whole life has been a detour. That’s not to say that I am not an extremely focused person who has definite ideas about what I would like to accomplish in life. It’s just that, I guess I innately know that, as big of a dreamer as I am, God has an even bigger plan for me and His imagination is much larger than mine. Therefore, I like to keep myself open to the many unique life experiences that unfold. I like to explore the possibilities. I know that every seeming sidetrack in my life has enriched me, making me better and more.

When I was in high school back in Memphis, I had a boyfriend who I and everyone else was sure I would wind up spending my whole life with. Unfortunately, or fortunately for me, he had a roaming eye, and I don’t think that’s all that roamed : -)  But it was just enough for me to break the ties and move on.

I rebounded into a relationship that, after a very short period of dating, wound up in marriage. I had no business getting married, but he seemed to be crazy about me. Still recovering from a disappointed heart, I remember thinking, “Oh well, at least one person can be happy.” And besides that, he was a drummer and I could sing in the band. Funny how we simplify our choices when we are determined to move on.

Well, turns out he was a drummer who used to practice on me. Needless to say, that marriage did not last long at all…about a year and a half.

But what it did do, after many nights of playing hotels and clubs in the southeast, was bring me to Nashville. Because of my love for great jazz singers, I kind of had visions of moving to Berkley or New York, but he wanted to move to Nashville. He had it all figured out. (As if that’s possible.) He said he could be a session player, and I could be a country singer.

So, you see, there was a detour. It seemed like a bad choice for me, but it got me to Nashville…right where I was supposed to be!

There has been a lifetime of detours since then—personally, musically and otherwise. It has been a wild and wonderful ride so far. A couple of years ago, through an unlikely chain of events, I wound up judging a talent contest here in Nashville. A couple of weeks later, one of the contestants reached out to me through e-mail searching for songs. I was happy to share some of my songs. Later we wound up in the studio, with me producing.

Through that friendship a gate was opened to a whole new world of young, talented friends in Mississippi. Since then, I have been spending one week out of each month for over a year and a half helping to nurture and cultivate individually the natural talents of each one of my young compadres.

There are a lot of show choirs down there. A lot of pageants and talent contests too. So at first they were all interested mostly in performance and singing. I learned so much about myself as I began sharing everything I knew and could possibly think of to help them.

After awhile though, the words and wisdom of Shel Silverstein started whispering loud and clear in my head, and I decided that, if I was really going to help them I should write songs with them, because “a song is forever.”

Over the past year and a half, over one hundred and seventy five songs have come into being, all co-writes between me and my young artist friends. Almost without exception, writing was a brand new adventure and territory for them. But now they are all developing into some great thinkers and musicians, carving their own unique direction for their careers. It has been a lot of work and very emotionally draining. I never learned to give less than 100% of myself, and I don’t think I ever want to.

It has also been very physically taxing at times because of the drive alone. But seeing the growth in all of these young artist/writers has been amazing! I am positive there are a few who we will be hearing from on a national basis as their career paths unfold.

For me, the greatest gift of all has been the enduring love and friendships I have found by merely being willing to trust and stay open to life’s mysteries and many unexpected detours.

You have worked with an incredible list of people—from Roy Orbison to Shel Silverstein—and now with the new songwriters at your One On One events. What’s going on with you personally?

I am super excited about this era of my life right now! As a result of my One On One mentoring program, we are working on developing a charitable foundation called The Art of Dreaming, which is intended to help underprivileged children reach their dreams through music. It is in the formulation stages, but it is my hope that we will be able to help through scholarships and other meaningful opportunities.

I have also just produced a new album on a beautiful, talented young artist from Yazoo City, Mississippi. Her name is Margaret Phillips. I am really proud of her and the work we have done together. I am getting very positive responses for Margaret and her music from major record labels.

She co-wrote ten of the thirteen songs on her debut album. We are planning to shoot her first video in the very near future. I see great things in store for Margaret! The sky is the limit!

Also, I am thrilled to announce that I will be releasing a brand new album I am recording for E1 Music! E1 is a record label distributed by Koch. They are the largest independent distributor in the world. So I feel we have an incredible opportunity to reach a great audience with my new music. There is even a possibility of a television show for me as well!

All I can say is, to quote a title from another one of my all time favorite bands, ‘I’m ready for all those wonderful detours on life’s Magical Mystery Tour!’

A few fun questions:

This website is about both writing and music. What kind of books do you like to read?

I like to read biographies. There is nothing more exciting, interesting or entertaining to me than real life.

I also love to read anything positive, uplifting and enlightening. The Daily Word has been part of my life for a long time. My mother introduced me to it early on in life. It is a daily devotional that helps to start your day off in a positive manner.

What kind of music do you listen to when you’re relaxing?

To completely relax I guess I have to listen to spacey, new age music with the sound of nature, you know, the kind you listen to when you are getting a message. Otherwise, I start listening to all the parts the musicians are playing, the riffs and expressions of the vocalist and all the lyrics.

Now, if you ask me what do I just plain like to listen to, that’s another story. That list could go on forever. At the top of my list for all time great listening is Aretha’s Gold. I love Aretha, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, B.B. King, Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, Brenda Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, INXS, U2, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt. There are so many greats! That’s what gets me and reels me in.

It’s not how many notes you can sing…it’s how much of the heart and soul is in it.

If you were a song, what kind of song would you be?

If I were a song, I’d be a song that started out with a soulful, out of tempo, deep emotional intro that kicked into a positive up-tempo rocker…a love song for sure! Yep…a love song.

Photo: Douglas Miller

Do you have pets? If so, please tell us about them.

I love animals so much. They talk with their eyes.

I had a horse named Pepper. He had so much personality. He was an American saddle horse, but we found out he liked to run fast. So, after we got through prancing around, looking pretty with heads held high, we were barrel racin’, pole bendin’ fools!!! Pepper loved to open the barn gate with his nose and set his other friends free. He was quite the prankster! His favorite drink was Nehi grape and orange!

Then there was Hooper the Super Dog! He was a black and white, longhaired, mixed breed, but mostly Border Collie. He loved to catch and retrieve anything. If he got bored, he would take a ball to the top of the stairs, toss it down and then run down to catch it. He would do this till he was exhausted. His big trick was…I would say, “Hooper, would you rather be married or would you rather be dead?” Hooper would flop down on his side and play dead right on cue!

I had a big sheepdog named Harley. I loved Harley! We used to go walking up in Deerfield (a neighborhood near me that has a lot of open space for the deer) on a warm starry night. I would lay down in the grass. Harley would lay down on his side and let me lay my head on his chest like a big pillow, as I stared up into the clear night sky absorbing the wonder of it all. Instinctive, as a sheep dog, he used to think he was personally responsible for herding the cars as they passed by our house. We loved Harley so much. He loved us and watched over us all the time. He lived to be fourteen.

Before he left us, we got a cat. Harley loved him. Gosh, I could write a book about Romeo, our solid white cat. The most interesting thing about Romeo is that several times a day he jumps up on the commode and uses the bathroom like a human. He even scrolls the paper into the toilet. Unfortunately, has never learned to flush. Romeo also loves to jump up into the grand piano as I play. He likes the vibration. When he was a kitten, he used to try to catch the hammers as I would play.

I have been very blessed to have great animal friends throughout my life.

Thanks, Deborah!

~ ~ ~

For more information about Deborah Allen, her music, and her One On One sessions, visit her website at www.deborahallen.com/.

To hear a cut from her upcoming album, logon to http://www.lasttimeforeverything.com/.

For more Deborah Allen music logon to http://www.myspace.com/deborahallen.

In today’s busy world, we all rush to and fro, and while Joan Hochstetler doesn’t have that market cornered, she’s definitely in the running.

A prolific writer, Joan has written volumes of fiction set in the Revolutionary War period. Her book, One Holy Night, won the Christian Small Publisher’s Book of the Year Award in 2009. And, even more unusual, the award-winning book was published by her imprint, Sheaf House, a publishing company she started a few years ago with the idea of helping other writers.

Fifteen books—and two new imprints later—Joan offers sage advice for young writers who are trying to navigate their way through the world of publishing.

You are a multi-published author, a former professional editor, and now a publisher. How did this writing life come about?

It’s been a circuitous path. I really wanted to be an artist, not a writer, but although I had some talent, I didn’t really feel I had the genius to pursue that ambition. I’ve been an avid reader ever since I was introduced to Dick and Jane, and I did a bit of writing in high school and college, mainly poetry and some short essays—nothing serious. I also wrote articles for the student newspaper published at the regional campus of Indiana University, where I attended before moving to the main campus. I don’t recall writing any fiction at all at that point, though.

When I was a young wife and mother back in 1977, I had a dream one night that was so intriguing I had to write the story to figure out who these people were and why they were doing what they were doing. That turned into my medieval epic tragedy, which I swear I will get published someday! Anyway, after I completed a couple of novels, I gathered my courage and began to submit proposals and collect the consequent rejection slips. Life kept happening, and I kept writing off and on. I finally got an agent in 2002, and she got me my first book contract that same year.

What would you want to do if you didn’t work in publishing?

Over the years I’ve been attracted to a number of careers, all of which are about equally appealing to me. I’d be either an artist, an archaeologist, an interior designer, or a landscape designer. Writing chose me, probably because I couldn’t make up my mind about the other options!

Who/what influenced your writing career the most?

To be honest, the classic stories I’ve read over the years have influenced my writing more than anyone I’ve ever known personally, so I have to credit those authors. They include Charlotte Bronté, Elizabeth Goudge, Betty Smith, Albert Payson Terhune, Walter Farley, Charles Dickens, Rafael Sabatini, James Hilton, Hemingway, Steinbeck, Shakespeare, and many others who escape my mind at the moment.

What’s the story behind Sheaf House?

I never ever conceived that one day I’d start my own publishing house. I’m a creative person. I want to write, not administer and figure out financials and plot marketing strategy. But God always throws a few curves along our path.

Over the years as rejection slips filled up my mailbox, I occasionally muttered to myself, “I just ought to start my own publishing house.” It’s dangerous to challenge the Lord, as I’m sure you’ve experienced in your own life. And back in 2006 after my two published books fizzled and every door slammed shut in my face, I was stomping around the house one day, totally frustrated, and I uttered that threat once too often. This time I heard a distinct voice saying very clearly, “Well . . . why don’t you?” Expectation hung in the air.

I stopped in my tracks. I didn’t have a single doubt as to who was speaking, and I knew that if I didn’t say yes right away or if I hesitated for a split second, reason and common sense would prevail and I’d decide I hadn’t really heard anything and slink quietly away. So I gulped and said, “Okay, Lord, if your hand is in it, I’ll walk through every door you open. You know very well I can’t do this, so if it’s going to happen, you’ll have to do it. It’ll be what you want it to be, big or small, a success or a failure, because it’s yours, not mine.”

At that point, the Lord began opening doors, and he’s still opening them. Every day I’m amazed—though underneath I’m not really surprised. There is literally nothing impossible for God. If he can enable me to run a publishing house, believe me, he can certainly enable anyone to do anything he calls them to do, no matter how unlikely it seems.

Sheaf House is relatively new, but you have received a lot of industry attention, including the Christian Small Publishers Association Book of the Year Award last year for your book, One Holy Night. How many books has Sheaf House published to date?

With the publication of our Fall 2010 list, we’ll have 15 books in print by 12 different authors. We have seven additional authors currently under contract and are going to contract at least a couple more within the next month or so.

What’s coming up next?

Books, of course! Lots of them. As an author, I’m working on completing book 4 of my American Patriot Series, Crucible of War, which is scheduled to publish in Fall 2011. We’re also going to release updated editions of books 1 and 2.

For Sheaf House, this year we rolled out a new imprint for nonfiction, Journey Press. In 2011 we’re introducing another new imprint, Narrow Road Press, which will focus on edgier, grittier fiction that’s outside the boundaries of our main Sheaf House line, including sci-fi, fantasy, literary novels, and speculative fiction.

What are the criteria for becoming a Sheaf House author? Are you accepting submissions?

Unfortunately we’re so covered up with fiction proposals that we can’t accept any more submissions until we make a decision about the ones we’re holding. We’re already scheduling into 2013, so I really can’t consider anything more until at least fall 2011 as far as fiction is concerned. We will look at nonfiction, though. We need to expand that line.

When we do accept fiction submissions again, we’ll be looking for novels with a Christian worldview and an uplifiting, redemptive message, though they don’t necessarily need to mention God as such. We’re really not in the market for the standard “CBA” type romances. We prefer authors who push the boundaries a bit and topics that delve outside the usual box in a wide range of genres. For nonfiction, we’re always looking for biographies, autobiographies, important memoirs, humor, Bible studies, and books on topics that appeal to both believers and seekers.

It’s difficult to break into book publishing. What advice would you give young writers who are looking for their first break?

I really think the most important thing for a writing career is to not become impatient and try to hurry the process. Live life and think deeply about what you experience, those you encounter along your way, and what you see, feel, and dream. Read truly excellent, challenging literature that broadens your horizons and gives you insights into life beyond what you can attain through your own experience. I don’t think it’s possible to write well unless you do so.

While you’re honing your craft—and that really is a never-ending endeavor—join a local writers group whose members are serious about their careers, maybe a national or international group too, and attend conferences that are appropriate for the kind of writing you do. Conferences offer workshops that will help you to become a better writer and also teach you the business end of this career—everything from managing your finances to how to format a manuscript and write a proposal. And you’ll connect not just with other writers, but also with editors and agents. Those connections will help you to get a foot in the door. It’s really hard to get an editor’s attention by mailing in a manuscript that then ends up in the slush pile. Trust me, I know.

How does your faith play into your work?

It’s everything. I literally could not get out of bed in the morning if I didn’t have Jesus’ arms to lean on.

Has God ever provided an unexpected “detour” in your life that turned out to be positive?

You bet! I began writing in 1977 and didn’t get a publishing contract until 2002, for Daughter of Liberty, which published in 2004. The sequel, Native Son, released the following year. That was a very long time to wait to get published, but before I even signed the contract, the editor who acquired my books and would have been my champion left the publishing house. The editor who replaced him cancelled the series well before Native Son even came out. And without any support, the books didn’t go anywhere. My agent and I ended up terminating the contract, and then nobody would touch any of my proposals. It was like I’d hit a brick wall. My dreams were absolutely shattered.

But out of that came Sheaf House and the ability to help other authors in the same situation and make sure they had a much better experience in the publishing world than I had. It’s been a calling and a joy. So you just never know what God has in mind when he allows you to walk through the fire, so to speak.

How do you divide your writing life from your role as a publisher? Do you have a writing routine? Where do you write?

You’re talking about balance, and I have no idea what that is. I sure wish I could figure it out! The truth is that there is no typical day for me. I never know what to expect or what’s going to have priority in the next 24 hours. I just climb out of bed in the morning, down my cup of coffee and bowl of cereal, then plunge in wherever the most urgent voices are screaming my name the loudest, whether that’s writing a new scene in one of my own projects or handling Sheaf House business. Row and bail frantically are my modus operandi. That’s what I do. And I LOVE it!!!

Seriously, my goal is to set aside at least an hour at the beginning and/or end of the day to focus on my current work in progress, though I don’t always manage that. I write either at my desk in my office or at the kitchen table on my laptop where I can spread out my research materials more easily. I also have a small digital voice recorder that I carry with me when I’m driving somewhere. Driving seems to allow me to free associate and come up with plot points and dialog. I record my ideas, and then transcribe them when I’m at the computer.

Let’s talk about your latest book. Wind of the Spirit is the third in your American Patriot series. Tell us about it.

Wind of the Spirit released in 2009. It begins with my heroine, Elizabeth Howard, scrambling for intelligence General Washington desperately needs if he’s going to prevent the British from capturing New York. Elizabeth’s assignment leads her into the very maw of war at the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, where disaster threatens to end the American rebellion once and for all.

Yet all the while her heart is fixed on Brigadier General Jonathan Carleton, whose whereabouts remain unknown more than a year after he disappeared into the wilderness while on assignment for Washington. Unknown to her, Carleton, now the Shawnee war chief White Eagle, is caught in a bitter war of his own against the white settlers who are encroaching on Shawnee lands, the love of the beautiful widow Blue Sky, the malicious designs of the shaman Wolfslayer—and the longing for Elizabeth that will not give him peace.

Where did you get the idea for the series?

The series really started as a stand-alone book—Daughter of Liberty. Back in the early 1980s, I watched a TV movie that was set during the French Revolution, The Scarlet Pimpernel, starring Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour. It knocked my socks off! I was so enthralled by the storyline and the characters that I didn’t want to let them go. I quickly decided I had to write my own version of the story.

Not being particularly interested in the French Revolution, I decided to set my novel during the American Revolution and made my main character a woman instead of a man. And then, of course, she had to have a love interest who would be at odds with her dangerous role—basically switching the roles of Sir Percy and Marguerite in The Scarlet Pimpernel. I dove headlong into researching the era, and everything just grew from there.

Besides providing entertainment, what is the one thing you hope readers will take away from the American Patriot series?

I hope that through these stories readers will see God’s hand working in the past and in our lives today so they can have confidence that God is in control of our future. And I want them to understand and value the sacrifices our founding generation made to provide the freedoms we enjoy today. My fear is that if we don’t learn our nation’s history and value the lessons it teaches us, we’ll lose this precious heritage. And once lost, it will be very difficult to regain.

What is your current writing project?

Crucible of War, which is book 4 of the series. This one covers the battles of Trenton, Princeton, and Saratoga, and delves more deeply into the political situation. Of course the various love stories of the characters continue to develop as well.

A few fun questions…

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food and why?

Oh, goodness, I’ll eat just about anything! Given my choice, though, I’d probably make up a big batch of fresh salsa and settle down with a bowl of lime chips and a caffeine-free coke. Even when I’m not really hungry, I can eat salsa and chips. I suppose I prefer vegetables to sweet foods because I grew up on a farm, and we always had fresh, home-grown vegetables ripe out of the garden.

If you were a song, what kind of song would you be?

A hymn. The older I get, the more meaningful the old hymns become to me, and the more comforting they are.

Are you a major or a minor chord?

Those two parts battle in my soul. I still haven’t figured out which one is winning.

In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

I’ve always been the girl next door, alas. HATE that, but there’s no getting around it. I’d much rather be the mysterious woman behind dark glasses, but that just isn’t me.

Please tell us about your pets. Dogs? Cats?

Currently my husband and I don’t have any pets, though we enjoy our grandpuppy, an apricot Shi-Poo named Sadie. My daughter and her family also have two kittens and six chickens, so we can experience pets vicariously. Over the years I’ve had dogs, cats, mice (the kids’ not mine!), and finches. I’m definitely a dog person, but at this point in our lives my husband and I are both simply too busy to take care of a pet. If we had one, I’d feel guilty and constantly agonize about its psychological needs and feel like I needed to entertain it . . .

Thanks, Joan!

Thank you so much for inviting me, Kathy! I’ve enjoyed our conversation very much!

~ ~ ~

For more information about Sheaf House and its authors, logon to www.sheafhouse.com

For more information about J. M. Hochstetler books, logon to www.jmhochstetler.com/

After a devastating illness, Michael Maness decided to paint his black and white world with the brushstrokes of a rainbow. That one decision changed his life—and the lives of many others. Now, his brightly-colored artwork graces the walls of art lovers around the world. And his charity work has positively affected countless more. He is also making an impact on the music business with his “cool-aborations” and painted guitars.

If you like colorful canvases—and colorful personalities—you will love Michael Maness.

When did you begin drawing and/or painting? What medium(s) do you prefer?

I sold my first drawing when I was eight years old. I stuttered, and I was a flirt.  My teacher was a lovely lass, and at the end of class I would give her a cartoon with a caption. She turned around and sold them to PTA and Jack and Jill magazines.

For commercial art or to entertain people whereever I sit, I prefer a Sharpie. For fine art, I like acrylic paints, for I paint too fast to use oils. Oils take four-six weeks to dry.

How did your painting and music business connection come about?

My connection actually dates back to the 1980’s. I was a jingle writer and an illustrator. I was lucky enough to have drawn a few album covers for Capitol, BNA, and Warner Brothers.

But my latest project began with a charity event for Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Steve Cropper. Steve wanted a painting that would raise some serious donations for the T.J. Martell Foundation during the Steve Cropper Classic at the Ryman in 2007. We agreed on a Gibson guitar, with the concept being to paint his songs, Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay on the front and In The Midnight Hour on the back. Steve added the lyrics, penned around the edge on the front and the back of the Gibson-donated Les Paul. To our surprise the guitar sold for $22,500. Thus began a successful concept. To paint a song, from my point of view, then have the songwriter pen their lyrics, and finally have the singer or band add their autograph to the art. It’s a “cool-aboration” between artists.

Has God ever provided an unexpected “detour” in your life that turned out to be positive?

Yes, cancer. I know you aren’t thinking of cancer as positive, but cancer has been good for me. This new art style happened because of the side effects from my chemotherapy. The chemo made me paranoid, angry, and a bit violent. I discovered, quite by accident, that painting in bright colors calmed me down and, in fact, made me happy.

Cancer, and its side effects, gave me a new calling, and a new career.

How does your faith play into your work?

My talent is God given.

My marketing concept is karma, pay it forward. I donate to a few charities worldwide.

Let’s talk about your NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International) designs. Tell us a little bit about that project and other music projects.

As I stated earlier, the SONG series has been a few years in the making. Recently, I met and hit it off with the songwriter of the George Strait hit, Check Yes or No, Danny Wells. Danny and I “cool-aborated” on a painting, where the proceeds went to the Alzheimer’s Foundation, and Danny is the one who introduced me to the NSAI. Since that introduction, I have painted another Check Yes or No, a Still with Joe Leathers, a Praying For Daylight, and another Steve Cropper Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay.

The painted guitars began when Pat Tigrett, the founder of the Memphis, Tennessee, Blues Ball, asked me to paint one for her event in 2002. Since then I have painted guitars for Steve Cropper events, The Tennessee Museum, and six of The Blues Balls.

Michael (right) with Danny Wells

Congratulations on receiving the 2010 Keeping the Blues Alive Award for Art and Photography from the Blues Foundation. How did that come about?

The Blues Foundation is one of the charities to which I donate. Over the last many years, the art has done well. At the induction, Jay Seilman, the President of the International Blues Foundation, said that having my prints of Stevie Ray Vaughn and B.B. King in their silent auction was like printing money.

This year, Dusty, a world-renown blues photographer, nominated me. And with a push from Jay and the chairwoman, Dr. Pat Morgan, I won the award. I was lucky.

Besides an obvious aesthetic value, what do you hope people will take away from your work as an artist?

A mood. The goal is to garner a smile, an OOoo, maybe even an Ahhh. And, if I’m really lucky, in that moment, that instant when the art is viewed…a WOW!

You do a lot of charity work. What charities do you work with and why?

Last year, 2009, I donated to 108 different charities worldwide. Naming them would fill a page…lets just say from Alzheimer’s to many of America’s Zoos.

Why…? The real reason is it FEELS GOOD. It’s amazing when I realize that my original art, giclees, or lithographs have helped someone I’ve never met.

If you could only pick one piece of art to represent you or your work, what would it be?

Recently I’ve been painting lots of hearts. I’m the official artist for the International Children’s Heart Foundation. The foundation performs open heart surgery for free in third world countries. Last year they did 22 mission trips.

I began painting abstract hearts with scenes from different cities within the hearts. They are inspirational, out of the box, and they raise LOTS of money for the foundation.

This website is about both writing and music. I understand you are also a writer and a songwriter. Please tell us a little bit about that.

My college degrees are about writing, not art. I have published a few children’s books, a book on preparing for a bone marrow or stem cell transplant I wrote while in the midst of a stem cell transplant in 1999, which I kinda survived, and a book on my poetry.

I’ve written greeting cards, ads, commercials, industrial movies, jingles, and in 2006, Doug Johnson, a hit maker from Curb Records who wrote the songs Three Wooden Crosses and Skin, offered to add that I published a song to my resume. He, with a little contribution by me, wrote the song, If He Hadn’t Died, a song about me, my art, and my charities.

What kind of books do you enjoy reading?

Biographies, historical novels, and any book that will add to my education or enlightenment.

What kind of music do you listen to when you’re relaxing?

Currently I’m listening to the greats, the Rat Pack and Tony Bennett and Doris Day. I love the lyrics, the phrasing, and I’m in awe of their voices; the crisp vocal styling, how I can understand every syllable.

When I was a child, besides fantasying about drawing for a national magazine, I wanted to be a Broadway lyricist. One out of two isn’t bad.

You can’t beat country, the blues, or rock. I’m sorry, but I just don’t get rap or hip-hop. The only rap I’ve ever really liked was the song Trouble from The Music Man.

A few fun questions:

If you were a song, what kind of song would you be?

A Jimmy Buffet, or Barefoot Man, Caribbean ditty.

Are you a major or a minor chord?

Major

In the story that is your life, are you the tall, dark stranger; the romantic lead; the mythical warrior; the mad scientist; or the child in an adult’s body?

I’m Peter Pan, constantly searching for his shadow, and I always have a happy thought. I’m full of Pixie Dust, and I love to fly.

I love the painting of a dog and cat you did (Down on the Farm), which was used by the Humane Society of Memphis. Do you have a pet?

Not any more. When I was a child in Des Moines, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska, we raised champion Boston Terriers, American Eskimo’s, and Siberian Huskies.  Unfortunately, I discovered when I was in the musical, “The King and I,” that I was allergic to cats.

Now, I travel too much to keep a pet. It wouldn’t be fair to the pet.

By the way, the painting you love was inspired by Abbott and Costello.

Thanks, Michael! It’s a pleasure to feature you at DivineDetour!

~ ~ ~

For more information about Michael and his art, visit his website at http://www.artbympm.com/

Born on a naval base on Valentines Day, Cheryl Wyatt has more than enough credentials to pen inspirational military romance. She is a prolific writer, releasing seven books with Steeple Hill Love Inspired since 2008, and she has earned a stack of accolades—going as far back as her pre-published days—with book debuts that have earned Romantic Times Top Picks and the Number One and Number Four slots on eHarlequin’s Top Ten Most-Blogged-About-Books.

Add to that a great sense of humor—and the fact that she is a lover of dogs—and you’ve got a terrific interview.

Creativity is often innate. Did you begin writing as a child?

Yes. I’ve been scribbling stories from the time I could hold a Crayon. LOL! My mom still has the first construction paper “book” I wrote when I was around five.

Was there an a-ha moment when you decided to turn writing into a career, or did your interest develop slowly?

I’ve always wanted to write. I went to college for nursing though because a writer’s income isn’t always stable. After a couple decades in health care, I was able to write full time.

Do you (or did you) have other career aspirations? What would you want to do if you didn’t write books?

Can a person get paid to read books? LOL. I’d want to either be a librarian or a trauma flight nurse specializing in high risk obstetrics if possible.

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food? Why?

Nuts! I am a texture person and love the crunch. The only kind I don’t like is macadamia nuts. Any and everything else is fair game…even pine, pumpkin and pomegranate nuts. I love pumpkin and sunflower seeds too. Almonds are my favorite, followed closely by cashews, Brazils, pecans and walnuts. Man…my mouth is watering as I type this.

It’s difficult to break into book publishing. What was your big break?

I don’t know that I had a big break other than taking extreme measures. LOL! I worked and prayed my tail beyond off and went without television and other media for three solid years in order to have time to write and write and write and read and read and read and write and write and write some more. I determined to keep submitting until Steeple Hill bought one. Three rejections, a complete rewrite followed by extensive revisions later…WAHOO!!!!

Actually, I believe it helped that I went to conferences and met editors from the house I was targeting. It showed them I was serious about becoming a career writer and willing to spend my own time and dime to learn from and network with them. For more info, check out www.acfw.com. They have a fabulous conference each September that I HIGHLY recommend to anyone pursuing publication in inspirational fiction.

What advice would you give other writers who are looking for their first break?

Pray. Write. Read. Pray. Write. Read. Repeat until published. Write as worship and strive to write to make Jesus famous rather than yourself.

Who/what influenced your career the most?

Dee Henderson, Margaret Daley and folks from the Steeple Hill message boards and American Christian Fiction Writers. Also, Dave Fessenden, my first instructor from Jerry Jenkins’ Christian Writers Guild. He was a TOUGH editor but EXACTLY what I needed at that stage. I’m so thankful for everyone who has mentored me along the way…honestly too many to name. Many of them are my fellow Steeple Hill authors.

How does your faith play into your writing?

It’s everything because Jesus means everything to me. No way could I leave Him out. I would dearly love to cross over to reach those who don’t necessarily read Christian fiction but I would have a tough time not writing characters who are radically in love with Jesus and running hard after God and who live their lives by His word and trusting the Holy Spirit to order their day. I can’t imagine a world without God…not a real world and not a story world. To me there is no hope in that. I love reading secular books too…but something always feels MIA. LOL!

Has God ever provided an unexpected “detour” in your life that turned out to be positive?

Wow. I think my life is a constant series of divine detours. LOL! I can think of many. A decade ago I was placed on bedrest with preterm labor and it was during that time that I was able to start writing full time. It was either write or lay there and face death by boredom. LOL! Writing helped alleviate fear about losing the baby too…only I thought the continual stream of stories was a gift of mercy and distraction from God to get me through a tough time…but the stories kept flowing after the baby (safely!) arrived.

Let’s talk about Steadfast Soldier, which released on June 1, the seventh book in your Wings of Refuge series for Steeple Hill Love Inspired. Please tell us about the book and the series.

The series features a U.S. Pararescue Jumper (PJ) team. Each story stands alone and features one man from the elite special operations rescue team. My medical background came in handy because these guys are military skydivers and combat paramedics. They are who go after downed allied pilots and other injured military personnel behind enemy lines. They also perform civilian rescues for every disaster you can think of. Steadfast Soldier is Chance’s story. The heroine uses rescued animals to help rehabilitate humans. It has a secondary romance in it too but I won’t put out spoilers. : )

What’s your secret in being able to turn out so many books in such a short time?

Honestly, it’s completely by God’s grace. Him granting me the ability and drive to do so because He knows the nature of my life and where I’m at with raising a family and my commitment to prayer and how important time with Him and my family is to me.

Besides providing entertainment, what is the one thing you hope readers will take away from your books?

Of course I love to make people laugh. I desire them to be touched by “Awwww” moments but more than that, I wish to impart “Awe” moments. Places where God reaches through the words and applies the balm of laughter, healing or insight to thin places in their heart. I would feel so blessed if people could come away from the book wondering if God would respond to them with the same love, mercy, grace, compassion and kindness that He shows to my characters in the books. If the words I write as worship could cause their hearts to stir enough to whisper, “If this is really You and how You really are, I want to know You.”

Above all else though, I just want God to continue to receive my writing as worship. That eases some of the sting out of rejections and redirections too. LOL!

Which genre do you prefer when reading for pleasure?

Romance!

This website features writers as well as musicians, so I like to mix it up a bit. Do you have musical, as well as literary, talent?

NO. Trust me…you do NOT want to hear me to sing. I sound like something between a severely tone-deaf crow with a corn cob stuck in its throat and an asthmatic blow horn with a confused larynx. LOL! I can play a few chords on the acoustic and I played the harmonica as a kid…but other than that, I totally missed the music genes. LOL!

My husband is very musical though. He is an audio visual tech and does shows for just about any major Christian band you’ve heard of and some you haven’t heard of but will soon. He also runs sound for many well-known country and rock artists.

What kind of music do you listen to when you’re relaxing with the radio or an mp3 player?

Daughtry, Three Doors Down, Twelve Stones, Jennifer Knapp, Hillsong Worship, Third Day, Kutless (Strong Tower), Mercy Me, Lo Cash Cowboys, Caedmon’s Call, Rita Springer and many more along those lines.

If you were a song, what kind of song would you be?

I’d hope to be a sweet but sassy worship song that would touch God’s heart to the core, rip the rug out from under the devil and make Heaven rock out from shore to endless shore.

Are you a major or a minor chord?

Mostly E minor. : )

In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

LOL! It depends on the circumstance. The surgeon who reconstructed my hip, femur and pelvis after an accident banned me from wearing heels…so I guess I’m probably the one who appears to be the girl next door yet who is a secret ninja tomboy. LOL. I love to write women snipers and female fighter pilots as leads…so that should tell you something.

I’m a dog lover, so I like to ask about pets. Do you have any?

OOOH! I’m glad you asked. We just got two new puppies! I’ll attach pictures. We now are the proud owners of two Yorkies and a Morkie whose favorite toy is a plastic spoon that he runs circles with and yelps when I try to throw it away. We have a beta fish too. IF dust bunnies count as pets…trust me, I have plenty of those running around the house as well. LOL.

They’re adorable, Cheryl! You may have just started a new tradition of including guest pet photos on Divine Detour. : ) Thank you for sharing your personal story with us!

~ ~ ~

For more information about Cheryl, visit her website at  www.cherylwyatt.com

Jay Speight has traveled a long way from his childhood ambition of becoming an architect. Now—instead of crafting buildings for a living—he is building a songwriting career, one song at a time.

His most recent success is a Trace Adkins’ single. But Jay’s story began about a decade ago when he sat behind the front desk of one of the largest record labels in Nashville.

How did you get your start in the music business? Have you had a lifelong desire to pursue music, or was it something that just happened?

I wouldn’t say it’s been a lifelong thing. As a kid I was very much into art and thought I wanted to be an architect. I had been taking piano lessons since I was in third grade, but it probably wasn’t until high school that I began to really be drawn to the whole songwriting thing.

I got my start interning in radio promotions at Universal Music Group Nashville (formerly MCA Nashville) after graduating college. That led to a temp job as the receptionist and for about three years I answered phones during the day and would write on my lunch breaks and at night. While I was there I met Scott Lynch, who later signed me to my first publishing deal.

When did you write your first song?

I don’t remember exactly. Sometime in high school, I think—probably my sophomore year.

I love your song, Great Great God. How does your faith play into your songwriting?

Well, overall I realize that whatever gift I have is a gift that comes from God. Not only that, but I realize that I am extremely blessed to have the opportunity to write songs for a living. So I feel like I have a responsibility to be a good steward of that, work hard and try to make the most of every opportunity.

Has God ever provided an unexpected “detour” in your life that turned out to be positive?

Absolutely! When I first moved to Nashville I wanted to do the Christian artist thing. But after about a year it was obvious that God had other plans. He had brought about the opportunity to be the receptionist at UMG, where I was meeting all kinds of people in pop and country music. It set me on the path I have been on for the last ten years and, looking back, I can definitely say it was for the better.

Let’s talk about your Trace Adkins’ single, Ala-Freakin-Bama. You grew up in the Carolinas and this song has become an anthem for Alabama football. How did the idea for the song come about?

Actually, from Shelby Lynne’s bio on MySpace. She had just put out a new record, and my publisher and I were checking it out and reading over her bio. It said she was from Ala-Freakin-Bama. Being from North Carolina, I had never heard the saying before and I just thought it sounded like a great song title.

Have other artists recorded your music?

Travis Tritt recorded a song of mine a couple years ago called “High Time For Getting Down.” Randy Jackson (of American Idol) produced it, and Charlie Daniels played fiddle on the track. We were in line for the third single. Unfortunately, the label he was signed to folded two weeks into the second single.

Where do you get most of your song ideas?

Sometimes it comes from something someone says in a conversation. A lot of times I’ll get inspired by an obscure line in a song. And sometimes I’ll just have a melody in my head and the idea just evolves as I flesh it out. I never really know.

Please tell us about your average day as a songwriter.

Most days I usually start around 8 a.m. catching up on email and brain storming for my writing session that day—which usually lasts from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. I usually write at my publisher’s office but sometimes write at home or my co-writer’s publisher’s office.

Do you usually write on piano or guitar?

I pretty much write half and half on guitar and piano. It just depends on who I’m writing with and what kind of song we’re writing, really. Most songs lend themselves to one or the other, so it’s nice to be able to switch back and forth.

I know you record, as well as write. Any aspirations to become a recording artist?

You know, not really. I mean, if the right thing came along—sure. But right now I’m happy writing songs and being at home with my wife and two little girls. It’s a good life.

A few fun questions:

This website is about both writing and music. What kind of books do you like to read?

Mostly non-fiction. I’m a big talk radio guy—so I gravitate to books about faith and politics.

What kind of music do you listen to when you’re relaxing?

Pretty much anything great—usually pop, though.

If you were a song, what kind of song would you be?

A mid tempo : )

Are you a major or a minor chord?

Definitely major.

I’m a dog lover. Please tell us about your pets. What’s your favorite dog breed and/or cat breed?

I’m absolutely a dog lover. We have a boxer named Toby who is just a big puppy. He’s smart, full of personality, very protective and great with kids. The boxer is definitely my favorite breed.

Thanks, Jay!

~ ~ ~

To download Jay’s music, visit his Myspace page, at http://www.myspace.com/jayspeight

To download Jay’s Trace Adkins’ single, log on to http://www.amazon.com/Ala-Freakin-Bama/dp/B0030XW6NI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1274670180&sr=8-1

To pre-order Trace Adkins’ CD, Cowboy’s Back in Town, log on to http://www.amazon.com/Cowboys-Back-Town-Trace-Adkins/dp/B003KR50OG/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1274670274&sr=8-12

Jen Stephens released her first book this spring, but she has been on a writing journey for a number of years, beginning with the books her dad read to her as a child. The comfort he brought to Jen is the comfort she hopes to give others through her stories.

Her story, as her life, revolves around family and a strong commitment to letting God lead through both the good and the difficult times.

The title of your first book is The Heart’s Journey Home. Tell us about your personal writing “journey.” How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing since I was in grade school. My first story was about a boy who befriends an Indian chief and together they capture a burglar who breaks into the boy’s house. I was (and still am) a slow reader with a very active imagination, so I didn’t do a lot of reading as a child, but I was always making up stories. I wrote my first novel when I was in junior high and another one in high school, which I wrote in spiral bound notebooks. My friends read it as I wrote it and then wrote their name in the margins where they left off. Anyway, I took a break from it while I was in college and gradually returned to it after I got married eleven and a half years ago. The Heart’s Journey Home started out as a mainstream novel mostly because, well, I kinda didn’t feel “Christian” enough to write Christian fiction, if that makes any sense. Once I finished it, though, I wasn’t satisfied at all. What a downer that was! Finally, after some considerable prompting from the Holy Spirit, I decided to rewrite it for the Christian market and see, if nothing else, if I’d be happier with it. That was about five years ago. The story took turns that I honestly didn’t expect and in the process, my own faith grew. Personal healing took place. It was a really awesome, sometimes trying, journey, and I’m beyond satisfied with it now!

Besides being a writer, you are a full-time teacher. Do you use your teaching skills when writing? What do your students think about your recent success?

Hmmm. That’s an interesting question, Kathy. Somehow my writing and teaching compliment each other and yet they’re completely separate. Writing fiction is my release from “real life” but I use my “real life” to inspire my writing.

I teach third grade so really my students are more interested in lunch and recess than my books! Ha! Ha! I had one student, though, who had his mom get a signed copy for him. I thought that was sweet. Of course, this past year I had the privilege of teaching my daughter and so naturally she thought it was pretty cool…but eventually recess won out with her, too!

Who/what has influenced your writing career the most?

My daddy had the most influence on my love of writing. I was (and still am) a slow reader so unlike many other successful authors, I didn’t do a lot of reading as a kid. But I loved stories so I would make them up or take every opportunity to be read to. My mom and dad divorced when I was just a baby and for a while he’d get us every weekend. He spent every waking moment doing something memorable with us. He’d say it’s about quality time, not quantity time. Well, I’d beg him for bedtime stories and since he was the epitome of daddies, he started writing a book about a little boy named Henry just for me. Every time I saw him he’d add another chapter. When he started, Henry was in grade school and he made it all the way to high school! Henry grew up with me. Daddy kept the story in a three ring binder that I now have and it’s just precious to me because my daddy’s left us for his home in Heaven nine and a half years ago, but also because it’s my roots in writing.

Let’s talk specifically about The Hearts Journey Home, the first book in your Harvest Bay series, published by Sheaf House. Tell us about the book!

The Heart’s Journey Home is a story about life, love, loss, and finding love again. It’s a story about how faith can lead you home…though it may not be on the path that you expect. Here is a brief synopsis:

Three years after Kate Sterling’s heart was shattered by the unexpected death of her husband, she packs up what is left of her life and moves back to Harvest Bay, Ohio, with her young daughter. She soon discovers that her sleepy hometown has changed—and that she has been given a second chance at love. But, is God leading her to a love linked to the past…or to one who will walk with her into the future? Which road will Kate take on The Heart’s Journey Home?

The Heart’s Journey Home is very special to me, and I hope and pray that whoever reads it will be as touched as I was writing it. I believe that many of the scenes were Spirit-led because of the way it flowed and the way I felt as I wrote them. This is NOT my biography, but, as I said earlier, I come from a blended family and my Daddy passed away nine and a half years ago, so in many ways writing this book was an emotional release for me. I pray that my readers can sense even a fraction of that emotion.

Where did you get the idea for the story? For the series?

Well, I knew I wanted to write about a young widow who moves “home” to try to find herself again. And I knew there would be an old high school classmate and a guy from the life she was leaving who would both vie for her heart. And “home” had to be in North Central Ohio because that’s where I’m from. But I wanted it to be a fictional town loosely based on mine and my husband’s hometowns. That was about all I had when I first got started on this story. The more I got to know my characters and learned what made them tick, their issues and quirks, the more I learned how this story was going to go.

I invented the fictional town of Harvest Bay, fell in love with it, and just began imagining all the stories in the town. Every small town is full of stories, you know. The more I thought about it the more I thought that I just may be able to create a series based on the town, not the characters. And so, the Harvest Bay Series was created.

What do you most hope readers will take away from this book?

I want those who read The Heart’s Journey Home to feel a sense of hope above all else when they finish the last page. I want this book to clearly illustrate Romans 8:28, that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” The key words here, I believe, are “His purpose.” God has a plan and a purpose for our lives that often may not be what we expect and sometimes doesn’t make a bit of sense in our minds, but it’s ALWAYS perfect. It’s when we put our hope and trust in Him that we can begin to see that. I also hope that my readers come to think of my characters as friends and Harvest Bay as their favorite vacation destination.

How does your faith play into your writing? Do you start with an inspirational theme when you begin a book, or does it evolve through the writing process?

Faith has everything to do with my writing. Funny, huh, since I didn’t start writing Christian fiction because I didn’t think my faith was strong enough. First of all, I have to feel confident that the Lord wants me writing. Otherwise, there’s just no point. Second, I have to rely on my faith daily as I try to balance being a wife, mama, friend, teacher, writer, and, most of all, dedicated Christian, and it’s His grace that picks me up when I feel like I’m failing in one (or more) area, which happens often. Then, I use my own experiences in my faith walk, all the the ups and downs, to help me write the scenes as my characters deal with their faith issues. What’s really cool is when my own faith is strengthened by witnessing the breakthrough of one of my characters.

I suppose I write a “story” more than a “theme.” When I begin a book, I know where my characters are in their faith walk, and I know where they need to get to. Their journey to that point evolves as the story develops and I get to know each character better and, if I write it well, will become the theme of the book.

I love the cover of The Hearts Journey Home. Please tell us how it came about.

I’m rather fond of it, too! My publisher gave me a ton of creative freedom and the go ahead to try to capture my vision which was simply Kate and Madeline walking down an old country road away from the camera. I just felt it represented so much–not just her physical move, but her spiritual one as well, and the fact that she had to find a way to move on with her life. I found the perfect models for Kate and Madeline and I have a friend, Terri Petitt, who’s a super talented photographer. I told her my vision and she went with it. She found the perfect location, which was a pretty big deal because it had to look like Ohio even though it was shot in Tennessee. Once the photo shoot was done, we got the pics to my designer, Marisa Jackson, who picked the perfect font and *squeal* made it PINK! The first time I saw it I was just over the moon. I can’t believe I’m going to admit this but I kept saying, “It’s so preeety!” (You can’t tell I’m a girlie girl, can you?) The same team is working on the cover of The Heart’s Lullaby so you can imagine I’m excited to see what they come up with!

Has God ever provided an unexpected “detour” in your life that turned out to be positive?

Yes! I love to tell this story every chance I get because it was one of the scariest times for me but I’d never felt the presence of God more and I knew without a doubt that He was leading me in a certain direction.

In November ’04, I was teaching a multi-grade level classroom in a very, very small Lutheran school. I loved it there, but it was so small (and had no support of the pastor) that they decided to close it after the school year. Now, at this point of my life, I liked the Christian atmosphere, but the best thing about it for me was there was a nursery and preschool right there so I got to have my girls (at that time ages three and eight months) with me.

My students (all eight of them) were great and would occasionally tell me casual stories of the teacher who left to have triplets a few years before I came. We’ll just call her Mrs. I. Once, just one time, they brought a yearbook in and I saw her picture.

So as the school year was drawing to a close, I knew I was going to be out of a job. Very scary thing. I didn’t make much money, but it was something. That spring, Livi had an ear infection that wouldn’t go away so we were waiting in the doctor’s office for the umpteenth time, it seemed like, and a woman came in with one child. And the Lord revealed to me that it was Mrs. I. There’s no way I could’ve known her otherwise. I introduced myself and told her where I taught. She’d heard that we were closing and asked what I was going to do. I told her I had no idea. She had gone back to teaching and said they were looking for a teacher. That’s how I got to the school I’m teaching at now–where my girls are getting a quality Christian education, but also where I grew (and am still growing) leaps and bounds in my faith walk by learning from the godly men and women that I work with. I believe that I had to have that growth to write The Heart’s Journey Home. Too cool, huh? Gives me chills every time I tell it.

Do you write every day? How do you juggle having a full-time career and a young family, as well as finding time to write?

I try to, but it doesn’t always happen. Like, for example, the past two weeks. The end of the school year is always busy, but this year Livi graduated from Kindergarten so we had to get ready for family to come to visit. Juggling it all is by far the single most challenging part of writing for me. I try to keep a routine of writing from about 8 p..m-12 a.m. year round. During the school year, I teach all day and then have my girls in the evening and usually have to run them to soccer, fiddle lessons, cheerleading, church, etc. During the summer I can sometimes write more, but I also have my girls who want my attention and I’m very aware that they won’t be young and wanting my attention for long. My husband works long hours much of the week, which I’m grateful for, but he isn’t able to be much of a help to me. Routine is very important for me. I’m working on the discipline part. As long as I’m inspired, the two aren’t a chore but a pleasure. But it’s still hard. I mean, juggling is just not an easy task!

Most writers are readers first. What genre do you prefer to read when kicking back with a good book?

I prefer to read what I write–Christian Women’s Fiction/Contemporary Romance. I can kill two birds with one stone that way–I’m reading for pleasure, but also studying the craft. But really, I’ll read anything that’s a great story. As I said before, I’m a slow reader so I have to be drawn in within the first chapter.

A few fun questions…

When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food and why?

My Grandma Dominick’s spaghetti and meatballs. She was married for somewhere around 50 years to a 100% pure Italian so, I mean, it’s really the best there is. It’s hands down my very favorite food no matter the occasion. Unfortunately, she lives in my hometown in Ohio so I only get it a few times a year.

This website features writers as well as musicians, so I like to mix it up a bit. Do you have musical, as well as literary, talent?

NO!!!!! I played saxophone for four years in grades 5th-8th where I never learned to read notes so I had to always write the letter above the note. Terrible! Then I quit band and joined the high school choir (mostly because that’s where all my friends were). I figured out quickly how to just blend in. No vocal talent whatsoever. Now the extent of it is singing in my van where my girls are my only audience and they’re still young enough to think I sing well! Heaven help them!

What kind of music do you listen to when you’re relaxing with the radio or an mp3 player? Does music help you write?

I like a mix of contemporary Christian and country. Occasionally I get in the mood for 80’s or classic rock, but usually only when we’re bored on the eight hour drive to see our families in Ohio. I love, love, love to write with Jim Brickman. He’s my favorite writing companion.

If you were a song, what kind of song would you be?

If you’re looking for a specific title, I think I’d be, “She’s Not Just a Pretty Face” by Shania Twain.

Are you a major or a minor chord?

Well, Kathy, I had to consult with my husband on this one. He is the music person in our house. He said I am a major chord because they sound happier, positive, upbeat. Have I mentioned I married a really good man???

In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

The little girl trying to walk in high heels because I’ve always felt like I have to try to measure up—to my awesome big sister, to my cooler peers, to my more dedicated teacher friends, to my more talented writer friends. I’m always striving to be a little better and do a little more than I did before. I guess that can be good to an extent.

Please tell us about your pets, your other hobbies, your family, etc.

My family is my biggest blessing. Chris and I have been married 11 ½ years. He is a songwriter so he gets the whole writing thing—the time and dedication it takes—in a way other men wouldn’t. We have nine year old Alison and six year old Olivia who are complete opposites. Ali has long, straight hair and is as easy going as they come. Livi has tight corkscrews and is a complete busybody from the minute she wakes up until she lays her head on her pillow at night! Both love reading (YEA!) and both already love the Lord (DOUBLE YEA!). I’m so incredibly, ridiculously proud of them both! I have a very sweet, old husky/shepherd mix that we adopted from the humane society named Mikita. We also have an ornery little cat named Pudge. Occasionally we will have a turtle when Chris finds one on the road in his FedEx truck and brings it home to “save” it. Besides writing, which I still consider my hobby because I have a day job and because I love it too much to be my “job,” I love to cook and I dabble in photography.

What advice would you give other writers waiting for their first break? Is there anything you would have done differently?

Be patient. I’m not a very patient person so I sent out a few queries before I was ready, which didn’t do anything but discourage me when I got a rejection. Get involved in writers’ groups. Mentors are so important when you’re learning a craft and other writers can help you in a way others can’t. Lastly, just write. This is something I still struggle with. I’m one who will write something and go back over it a hundred times. You have to just get the story out, and then you can polish it up. Above all else, believe in the gift God has given you.

Is there anything I’d do differently? No, Kathy, I don’t think there is. My journey has been perfect for me. Some may choose a bigger publishing house or maybe to self publish, but for me and where I’m at in my life, if I had it all to do over again, I’d do it all the same.

Thanks for sharing with us, Jen.

~ ~ ~

For more information about Jen, logon to www.jenstephens.net. Follow Jen’s blog at http://theheartsjourneyhome.blogspot.com/.

For information about Sheaf House, logon to www.sheafhouse.com/.

No matter where he is, Joe Bonsall always pauses to reflect on June 6. It’s the anniversary of D Day (June 6, 1944), when his father—and thousands of other Allied troops—invaded the beaches of Normandy, France, in the name of freedom. From Joe’s perspective, although he wasn’t yet born, that day changed his life in several ways.

You may know Joe as the high voice in the country music group, The Oak Ridge Boys, but he is also a notable author, with seven published books and an eighth due out in September. Joe lives in Hendersonville, Tennessee, with his wife Mary Ann and their nine cats, Sunny, Molly, Sally Ann, Ted, Baybe’, Blackie, Callie, Crockett, and LT. He and Mary also spend a lot of time at their 400-acre farm on the Tennessee-Kentucky state line.

Joe, your primary career has been in music. When, and why, did you decide to start writing?

I have always written, but I NEVER thought I would ever be considered “a writer.” That just happened over time and space. Heck, when I was a kid I wrote short stories in my head all the time. I was always in the starring role…a gunfighter, a super hero, a ballplayer…even Elvis’ secret brother, a story I relate in my new book. Kind of silly really, but the process of allowing your imagination to run free is what storytelling is all about. In later years, when I started to write articles for country music periodicals, I realized I had a bit of a flair for the written word. That eventually led to my Molly the Cat books! Talent? Perhaps. But for the most part…IMAGINATION!!

How does your faith play into your writing?

Learning to lean on God in my life has always seems to translate into writing. First of all, I have a desire to reach people with a positive message, but it seems that—no matter what I write—an infusion of faith manifests itself. Even when I am not trying to do that. My unpublished novel, The Miracle of Whitetail Hollow, is a good example. I started writing about a guy who was the best there was! My hero, Mr. Barlow, is a Patriot who loves his family and his country and would do most anything to defend our freedom. Eventually, however, I made him a born again Christian. It just seemed right to do that.

Has God ever provided an unexpected “detour” in your life that turned out to be positive?

My life has been filled with many pathways, with twists and turns and crossroads galore, and there have been a few unexpected detours for certain. Except for the life-changing event of accepting Christ when ALL things become new, the one that sticks out is my daddy’s debilitating stroke at age 39. I was just 15 then, and all of a sudden I was the man of the house. I became sole support of my family and was reclassified to 3-A, so I would not “see that hell” that had haunted my dad since D Day! My father’s incapacity kept me from getting drafted and going to Viet Nam.

Let’s talk about your upcoming book, From My Perspective. Tell us a little bit about it.

I am so stoked about this new book. I have never written an autobiography, however, between From My Perspective (Sheaf House, September 2010) and G. I. Joe and Lillie, one can learn an awful lot about Joey Bonsall. But this book is so much more. I write about many different things—from God, faith, music, and veterans, to banjo picking, guns, and barn swallows. There is a lot of The Oak Ridge Boys in this book. I joined the Oaks at age 25, and just turned 62, so how could there NOT be some ‘Oak Ridge Boys’ From My Perspective’?

Besides providing entertainment, what is the one thing you hope readers will take away from the new book?

I hope readers will enjoy my anecdotes and short stories, but at the heart and soul within the prose is a definite message of optimism and faith. It is my constant desire to portray God in everything and anything I write about. I am a positive person. The glass is ALWAYS more than half full to Ban-Joey, and I hope my experiences bring a smile, and a desire to be better and to appreciate freedom and nature and God on every level of existence!

You are working on several fiction books. Where do you get your ideas? Do your characters or your plots usually come first?

I am not sure what comes first. My head is always filled with STUFF, and I just try to write that stuff down. Ideas are all around us. My short story, Billy’s Tornado, which the publisher includes as a bonus in From My Perspective, came as a direct result of watching the devastating aftermath of tornados that hit my hometown. I wrote that story in just one day.

What kind of books do you like to read?

All kinds. I enjoy great fiction and read everything from the likes of Stephen King to folks like George Frazier, who wrote Cold Mountain, one of my favorites. But, most of all, I read books about war and history of war. Of late, I am reading Helmet for My Pillow by Robert Leckie and With The Old Breed by Eugene Sledge. Those books inspired the HBO series, The Pacific, which I thought was INCRED!!!!

This website is about both writing and music. Tell us about your latest music project.

I am actually doing some songwriting again. The Oaks’ latest project, The Boys Are Back, is doing very well, but we are planning to return to the studio in 2011, and I am trying to come up with something good to add to the mix.

What kind of music do you listen to when you’re relaxing?

I am a banjoist, so I tend to listen to a lot of top tier bluegrass, but I also listen to southern Gospel, rock and roll, and all kinds of music. The important thing to me is the quality of the song. Usually the format does not matter so much.

A few fun questions:

If you were a song, what kind of song would you be?

In my heart of hearts, I am a sentimentalist. So I would be an introspective song that might move you to tears. Most people think I would be a rockin’, heavy back beat, up-tempo song, because that IS how I live my life. But down deep I tend to run on a different track.

Are you a major or a minor chord?

A MAJOR chord for certain. I do not even like minor songs much. Have you ever heard anyone tear up a crowd with Wayfaring Journey? I think not!

In the story that is your life, are you the tall, dark stranger; the romantic lead; the mythical warrior; the mad scientist; or the child in an adult’s body?

I am a cross between the child in an adult body and the mythical warrior…who ALWAYS gets the GIRL…

You wrote a series of children’s books about your cats. Please tell us about them.

Well, I love my cats. Each one is different from the other. They occupy a special place in my heart and in my life. They are graceful and independent and just plain fun. Like little pieces of art they seem to grace your home as much as live in it, except for when they hurl on your manuscript.

Joe, your humor, enthusiasm for life, and respect for our nation’s history are always contagious. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview.

~ ~ ~

For more information about Joe Bonsall and his upcoming book, From My Perspective, visit his website at www.josephsbonsall.com or www.josephsbonsall.com/Media/JSBBookOneSheet.jpg.

For information about The Oak Ridge Boys’ logon to www.oakridgeboys.com.

Kaye Dacus has had a love affair with romance novels for years, and although she confesses to not always wanting to write them down, at a young age she started making up stories in her head. Not much more than twenty years later, she is one of the most prolific writers in Inspirational fiction. With three books coming out this year (and contracts with two major publishing houses), Kaye’s schedule is already filled. Yet, she also finds time for freelance editing—and mentoring others.

A natural-born teacher, as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers, Kaye leads a diverse group of almost 30 writers, published and unpublished, in twice-monthly workshops and critique discussions. She is also a sought-after speaker—and when she has time to pursue her musical side, an accomplished soloist.

KAYE DACUS

Creativity is often innate. Did you begin writing as a child?

I’ve heard a lot of people who say they started writing stories when they were in elementary school. When I was that young, I wasn’t a writer—I hated writing, as a matter of fact. I made up plenty of stories, but they were acted out with my Barbie dolls or in my imagination as I played outside—other people, other places, other times all came alive in my mind’s-eye and I didn’t mind playing by myself. In fact, I rather preferred it, because then I didn’t have to explain to anyone else what I was envisioning and try to get them to play along the way the story went in my head.

Was there an a-ha moment when you decided to turn writing into a career, or did your interest develop slowly?

As an adolescent, I started to read voraciously. My fancy turned to romance novels and by the age of twelve, I was reading one or two historical romance novels a week—mostly YA, but some adult fiction in there, too. These books grew in me not only a love for history, but a love for story telling because they inspired me to write. I wasn’t content with a kiss and a happily-ever-after ending. I wanted to know what happened the next day, the next year, the next decade. So the first writing I ever did was around fourteen years old when I started writing “sequels” to my favorite books. This, then, inspired me to start putting some of those stories that were always running through my head down on paper.

That experience—realizing I could put words down on paper and express the stories that I’d always had within me—opened a flood-gate; and for the last two decades, I’ve never stopped writing.

Do you (or did you) have other career aspirations? What would you want to do if you didn’t write books?

I’ve always thought I’d teach—community college or small four-year college; in fact, that’s why I went to graduate school in my early thirties to get my master’s degree (in Writing Popular Fiction): because after years of working in “jobs,” I thought becoming a college instructor (the “family business”) was what I was being called to do. But I ended up working as an editor at a publishing house and getting published myself. So if there ever comes a time when I’m no longer getting published (because I doubt there will ever be a time when I’m not writing), I will probably pursue teaching college creative writing as my “other” career.

You write both contemporary and historical romance. Which genre do you prefer to read when kicking back with a good book?

I grew up reading historical romances—I don’t think I ever read a contemporary romance until I was in my late twenties and trying to figure out why all of these contemporary characters and storylines were running around in my head when I was certain I was supposed to be writing historicals (and Civil War–era historicals at that).

So one day at LifeWay, I saw a couple of contemporary romance novels—by Linda Windsor (Along Came Jones) and Dee Henderson (The O’Malley series) and I realized that it was okay to write contemporary romance—that, in fact, it would be so much easier to put everything I was learning about when it came to the craft of writing into practice by writing contemporary settings instead of giving myself a double-whammy of learning craft and researching the historical setting.

But when reading for pleasure, I still turn to historical first. My first and enduring love is for medievals.

Word has it you sometimes write in your car. How did that come about? Where else do you write? What is your favorite time of day to write?

With having to write three books a year, I’ve had to get creative in finding time to write—even though I’m a “full-time” writer, to make ends meet, I also work almost full-time as a freelance copy editor for several publishing houses. Since my travel schedule has picked up considerably in the past six months, I was losing whole days of working/writing time. Right before Thanksgiving last year, I decided my seven-year-old laptop had outlived its usefulness, so I bought a new one. With a book (Ransome’s Crossing, releasing June 15 from Harvest House) due December 1 and me still needing to write about 30,000 words to complete it, I’d considered buying a digital recorder to take on the trip to Arkansas for the holiday so that I could dictate in the car and type it into the computer later. But then I discovered that Windows 7, the operating system on my new laptop, came with its own voice recognition software. So I started playing with it and realized that I could dictate into the laptop and have the computer transcribe it for me as I talked. Thus, “writing while driving” was born! To date, I’ve used this method on six trips and written somewhere in the neighborhood of 15,000 words this way on four different manuscripts (Ransome’s Crossing, Love Remains, Ransome’s Quest, and The Art of Romance).

I can write just about anywhere—church (yes, I have dozens of church bulletins covered in story ideas or scenes), doctor’s/dentist’s office, during concerts, etc. At home, in nice weather, I like to sit on the porch with either a notebook or the laptop, or I take the laptop to a coffee shop or café when I need a change of scenery. The place where I’m most prolific, though, is after 10 p.m. sitting in the bed with either my spiral notebook or my laptop with just the bedside lamp on and a little soft music playing in the background. 

This question seems particularly appropriate for you since one of your recent characters was a chef. When the words aren’t flowing—or when you want to celebrate if they are—what is your favorite comfort food? Why?

Popeye’s spicy fried chicken. Or McDonald’s french fries. Pretty much anything that’s fried and really bad for me is what I’m going to turn to—and then I’m going to follow it up with lots and lots of sugar. The reason why? Because I’m a food addict, and it’s been scientifically proven that for food addicts the combination of fat and sugar release the same dopamine reaction in the brain that cocaine does for drug addicts. (Okay, yes, I know that’s a lot more serious of an answer than you were looking for.)

So, I’m trying to learn to substitute other activities for food—going to a movie I’ve been wanting to see, going shoe shopping (I have a hard-to-fit foot and find most shoes uncomfortable, so this isn’t as dangerous to the pocketbook as it sounds), going for a drive (and taking the laptop with me, just in case inspiration strikes), spending an afternoon at the library or book store, or getting together with friends.

It’s difficult to break into book publishing. What was your big break? How did it come about?

I took somewhat of a back door into getting published. Rather than spending years and years and years racking up rejections, I took a decidedly different route than most authors. After my first writer’s conference in 2001, I joined a national writing organization (which became American Christian Fiction Writers). Because it was small when I joined, I very quickly got involved in volunteer positions. In 2004, I became an elected officer with ACFW, and in 2005, I was elected Vice President. Through these positions, I made contact with most of the top editors and agents in the Christian publishing industry at that time. But again, rather than leveraging those relationships at that time, I went to graduate school. Over the course of a concentrated two years, I went through a very intensive learning process—learning not just the craft of writing but about the industry and marketing as well. I continued networking with all of those industry contacts throughout this time. And once I knew I had a marketable manuscript (my master’s thesis), I knew I would never be more ready to submit. I had known agent Chip MacGregor for several years, so it wasn’t too difficult to approach him in the hall at a conference and ask him if I could submit my manuscript to him. He invited me to submit a proposal and sample chapters. Four months later, I signed my agency contract. Less than a year after that, I signed my first book contract—with Rebecca Germany from Barbour, whom I’d also known for years through ACFW—on my master’s thesis novel: Stand-In Groom.

What advice would you give other writers who are looking for their first break?

Spend more time working on your story—on developing the depth and breadth of your plot and characters—than on anything else. It’s less important to have a trunk full of rejections than it is to have a great story that will catch the eye of your dream editor/agent. And don’t rest on just one or two completed manuscripts. Once you send something out, start writing your next novel—and be planning the one after that. The best way to prepare for being a multi-published novelist is to write multiple manuscripts before you ever sign that first contract.

Who/what influenced your career the most?

My parents always encouraged me to be practical but also to chase my dreams. From the practical side comes great experiences I’ve been able to use in my writing—different places I’ve lived, different jobs I’ve had to pay the bills. From chasing my dreams comes great relationships with authors and writers around the world; knowledge of the publishing industry that allowed me to move into it on both sides: as an editor and an author; and my dream job of being a full-time writer and part-time freelancer so that I don’t have to get up and go work in an office for someone else all day every day. If my parents hadn’t taught me to be self-sufficient, to believe in my own intelligence and talent, and to lean on God (and them) in the hard times, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

How does your faith play into your writing?

Having grown up in church, with parents who are both deacons, God was never a question to me. The amount of faith I’ve had in Him at any given point in my life has been questionable, but never His constant presence in my life. I never enjoy the tough times, but afterward, I enjoy being able to look back and see how God was working during that time to mold me or teach me something I needed to know so that He could give me even greater blessings. That worldview is the lens through which my characters see the world—knowing that God is going to get them through the tough times, even when they can’t see or feel Him working, and then being able to look back and see His handiwork and blessings afterward.

Has God ever provided an unexpected “detour” in your life that turned out to be positive?

When people used to ask me what my dream job was, I’d always tell them that I’d love to be able to stay at home, write full-time, do some freelance editing on the side, and maybe a little teaching, too. But as a single woman living alone, I never really figured this would happen—at least, not for a very, very long time, until I’d saved enough money and had everything planned and organized and arranged just-so.

In 2008, I signed contracts for three books (The Brides of Bonneterre series), and Harvest House was looking at the proposal for The Ransome Trilogy. I was working full time as a copy editor for a small publisher here in Nashville, and I started doubting the wisdom of having Chip send the historical proposal out. If they decided to acquire it, how was I possibly going to be able to not only write but also promote multiple books while working full time?

Then, in July 2008, after a little more than two years of working as an editor at a publishing house, I learned I was being laid off. Thanks to those industry contacts I’d made over the years, within two days of learning I was losing my job, I had freelance work coming in. I was eligible for unemployment benefits, and I had enough money saved from the advances for the Bonneterre books that I could take my time to find another job.

Within a month of my last day of work, the economy went belly-up. Not only was no one hiring, but lots of other people were losing their jobs. Freelance work was still coming in . . . but they were small jobs, not paying enough to cover rent and utilities and other bills, but enough to keep me from having to dip too far into my savings.

By the time November rolled around, I had decided I was going to have to get some kind of job—probably secretarial, since I’d done that for fourteen years before becoming an editor—just so I could have enough income to keep afloat and not have to move back in with Mom and Dad at age thirty-seven.

The week before Thanksgiving, everything changed. I got a call from Harvest House that they wanted to acquire the Ransome Trilogy.

Getting laid off was no random chance or episode of bad luck. God wanted to bless me with my “dream job” but in such a way that I wasn’t relying on my own planning and saving and self-ingenuity. He wanted to teach me to rely on Him through the transition from being a full-time employee to being a self-employed author/editor. That experience, like a few others I’ve had in my life, strengthened my faith and opened me to new ideas, new understandings of how and what God could do.

Where do you get your ideas for books? Do your characters or your plots usually come first?

I was asked in an interview once what my superpower would be. My answer was: The ability to fall madly in love on a regular basis with characters from TV shows or movies and develop them into my own characters and write romance novels about them.

My story ideas start with characters—and then it’s usually the hero. You see, I have a tendency to develop a “crush” on a particular actor in a particular role (or possibly a series of roles that are similar) which makes a character start to form in my head. Then once I have that character, I come up with the perfect mate for him (or her, if she comes first, which is highly unusual for me). Once I have the characters figured out, I can come up with several main plot points of the story and the ending—enough to write a synopsis to send to my editors. The rest, I figure out as I write.

Writing is really hard work. How do you discipline yourself to write every day?

What? I’m supposed to write every day?

This is one part of the deal of being a full-time writer that I regularly fail at. I set daily word-count goals for myself . . . and then regularly blow them off, which means I spend the last month or six weeks before a deadline trying frantically to write several thousand words a day to try to meet deadline. Though that seems to work for me—some of my favorite scenes I’ve ever written have been written during those panicked frenzies of adrenaline-fueled marathon writing.

Let’s talk about Ransome’s Crossing, the second book in your Ransome Trilogy series for Harvest House. Tell us a little about it.

Ransome’s Crossing is the second book in The Ransome Trilogy from Harvest House publishers. Picking up where Ransome’s Honor left off, it continues the story of William and Julia, while turning the focus onto William’s younger sister Charlotte and the goals only hinted at in the first book:

To get to her secret fiancé in Jamaica, Charlotte Ransome disguises herself as a midshipman and joins the crew of one of the ships in the convoy led by her brother William. First Lieutenant Ned Cochrane has only known his captain’s younger sister for a brief time, but is sure she’s the wife he’s been praying for—except he’s about to leave for the Caribbean for at least one year.

An attack on the convoy gains Ned the promotion to commander he has long dreaded—especially once he discovers one of his midshipmen is actually Charlotte Ransome in disguise. After seeking Julia’s advice, Ned decides to keep Charlotte’s secret…and hopes to win her love. Charlotte will soon discover that losing her heart to Ned is not the greatest danger she’ll face on this Atlantic crossing.

Besides providing entertainment, what is the one thing you hope readers will take away from this book?

For me, the theme of this book is about being at cross purposes—with God, with oneself, or in a marriage . . . mostly because each of the characters is trying to run his or her life without consulting God about what He has planned for them or how He would have them behave. So I hope through their mishaps and mistakes, readers will remember to seek God’s will before making plans for their own lives.

This website features writers as well as musicians, so I like to mix it up a bit. Do you have musical, as well as literary, talent?

I’ve been a singer longer than I’ve been a writer. Through children’s choirs at church, I learned how to read music as I learned how to read. I sang my first solo in church in an elementary-school choir musical. Because I didn’t want to have to sit with my older sister in youth choir, I started singing alto—and discovered I have an ear for harmony, which turned out great, as my sister and I sang duets together throughout high school and college. I sang in two different choirs at Las Cruces High School, made the All-State choir and scored the highest marks possible in the Solo portion of the state-wide Solo and Ensemble competition my junior year of high school. One of my mom’s closest friends during that time taught vocal performance at NMSU and gave us all voice lessons.

Throughout college and into my adult years, I sang in the sanctuary choirs at the various churches I attended, in addition to ensembles and performing special music. For a few years, I even sang in a Southern Gospel quartet at my church here in Nashville.

I haven’t done much public singing in the past five or six years, but since recently joining a new church, I hope to once again get involved in singing in choir.

What kind of music do you listen to when you’re relaxing with the radio or an mp3 player?

When I’m kicking back—around the house, in the car—I’m listing to a vast library of Standards, either from the original crooners (Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, etc.) or from newer cover artists (Steve Tyrell, Harry Connick, John Barrowman, Michael Bublé). Occasionally, though, when I’m feeling nostalgic, I’ll crank up my “Hits of the ’80s” station on Pandora—Bon Jovi, Hewy Lewis and the News, Air Supply, Journey, Chicago, REO Speedwagon . . .

I always have music going. But when I’m writing or working, I can’t listen to anything with lyrics. So I have a vast library of instrumental movie soundtracks—my favorite composers being John Williams, Michael Giacchino, Patrick Doyle, and Martin Phipps.

If you were a song, what kind of song would you be?

I think I’d be a Handel chorus—lots and lots of layers with lots of different “voices” doing different things all at the same time, yet blending together into a harmonic whole.

Are you a major or a minor chord?

Depends on the day and what I’m working on. Usually a major chord, though.

In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

I guess I’d have to say the strong female lead; it’s a role I’ve had to learn to take on in my adult life, especially the longer I’ve lived on my own and had to take care of myself. But put me in a room with a bunch of people I don’t know, and I feel like the weird, awkward girl with no social skills.

I’m a dog lover, so I like to ask about pets. Do you have any? (If you are a dog lover, what is your favorite breed? If you are a cat lover, what is your favorite breed?)

I’m a dog lover, too, but because I rent—and because I travel a lot—I don’t have any pets. I grew up with Cocker Spaniels, so I have a soft spot for them. I love medium- to large-size dogs. My parents have a standard Schnauzer who’s pretty much the ideal dog (she sleeps all day, doesn’t bark, and might acknowledge your coming home by lifting her head from the pillow-like side of her dog bed). Dogs make occasional appearances in my books—in Menu for Romance, Meredith finds a stray puppy. In Love Remains, the hero’s grandparents have a Great Dane named Maximus. But like me, the characters in my books tend to be people whose lives are just a little too busy to have pets.

What’s coming next from you? What is your current writing project?

In addition to Ransome’s Crossing, I have one more book coming out this year: Love Remains, Book 1 of the Matchmakers series from Barbour, which comes out in August. I’m currently working on two books: Ransome’s Quest, the third and final book in the Ransome Trilogy, and The Art of Romance, Book 2 of the Matchmakers series. Both of those, along with the third Matchmakers book, Turnabout Is Fair Play, release in 2011.

Thanks, Kaye! Your words and your willingness to share are always an inspiration.

~ ~ ~

For more information about Kaye Dacus, visit her website at www.kayedacus.com.

For more information about Middle Tennessee Christian Writers, logon to www.mtcw.wordpress.com/.