Author Beth Wiseman - PLAIN PERFECT - Free Book

I met this debut author at the ACFW conference in Minneapolis, and I'm excited to introduce her to you. She's a fellow Texan.

Welcome, Beth. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

I think all of my characters have some of me in them. And I tend to extract character traits from those I love, sometimes not realizing it. I think Grandpa Jonas is my most loveable character in Plain Perfect. It wasn’t until my sister said, “Wow. Jonas is just like Dad,” that I thought…yeah, he really is. What a great tribute to my father. I hope he’s smiling from heaven.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

Oh my. There’s been so many. As of recently, it would probably be wrapping houses with four other middle-aged women during a slumber party following my first book signing. Getting pulled over by the friendly trooper in my small town for a burned out taillight added an interesting twist. Did I mention we were in our jammies?

Beth and I were in a large group of women who went out to eat together our first night in Minneapolis. Needless to say, we had a good time. Now, Beth, when did you first discover that you were a writer?

I announced to the world that I was a writer at the tender age of five, penning my first story to my grandparents – On a cold, rainy night… sort of thing. However, after freelancing, writing a column in Houston, and being a fulltime news reporter for five years, my writing continues to be a discovery that surprises me sometimes.

I know how that feels--wonderful. Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

There’s something for everyone on my bookshelf. I love Nicholas Sparks, his bittersweet love stories. As a romance writer, I also have tons of that genre. True stories like Don Piper’s 90 Minutes in Heaven find their way to my shelf also. Right now I’m reading The Shack. Of course, my Amish collection continues to grow as well. And I love books that scare me to death! They have their place and time, but on a cold, rainy night…perfect! Several years ago, I tried my hand writing one. I scared myself so bad by chapter seven, I put it away – where it remains safely tucked in a file cabinet.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

I didn’t know writers were sane.

We're not, but I just like to see what you'll say to that. How do you choose your characters’ names?

Usually they just come to me while the character is developing in my head. However, in book #2 of the Daughters of the Promise series, I couldn’t seem to come up with a last name for my protagonist. A trip to the grocery store took care of that. When I turned into my subdivision on the way home, the street sign jumped out at me. Carley became Carley Marek. My Amish names are a little trickier. I have a list of common names given to me by my friends in Lancaster County, and I also scan the Die Botschaft, a weekly newspaper serving Old Order Amish communities.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Surviving motherhood through the teenage years! And that I am finding my own peace by writing novels through words that glorify God.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

A big bird. I’m terrified of birds. It’s a long story, but I’ve been terrorized by them on many occasions. They’ve swooped down and pecked me on the head, stolen french fries off my plate (while I was eating!), and the list goes on. Ironically, that’s what I’d like to be. It’s the whole flying thing I’m into, but I wouldn’t steal anyone’s french fries.

What is your favorite food?

Mexican all the way!

We call what we eat in Texas, Mexican food, but I've been many places in Mexico, and the food isn't like our Tex-Mex. I love Tex-Mex, too. Tell us a little about your journey to publication.

I’ve been writing in some capacity my entire life. My journey has been a long one! But with warp speed, everything changed in 2007. Not just my writing—everything changed. I was targeting Harlequin when my then 15-year-old son got sick. Very sick. We spent a month camped out at Texas Children’s Hospital with him. It was a paralyzing fear and still hard for me to talk about. I’m glad to report that Cory is doing great now! But when we returned from the hospital, I was in a new spiritual place. There was a strong calling to do something else. Plain Perfect seemed to just write itself. It came with an ease I’d never had while writing other books. I wrote it in three months. My agent sold the 3-book series from the first three chapters of Plain Perfect to Thomas Nelson within two weeks. I thank God every day and pinch myself daily as well.

It's wonderful to be doing what God ordains, isn't it? What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

It’s all about a great story, for sure. But in the early days, I believed that a great story was enough. I didn’t take enough time to hone the craft. When I finally dove into books about writing and applied the techniques, things began to change. Even as someone who made a living as a reporter, novel writing had another set of rules!

What advice would you give to others who are trying to get their first book published?

Hone the craft! And attend workshops, network.

What would you like to tell us about the featured book?

Plain Perfect is about one woman’s spiritual journey to an unlikely place—her grandparents’ Amish farm. After years of neglect and abuse, she turns to a lifestyle of simplicity among the Old Order community. Through the peacefulness of these people, Lillian learns about forgiveness and hope, and what it means to have a relationship with God. But it’s not an easy path, and complications arise when she befriends widower, Samuel Stoltzfus, and his 12-year-old son, David. I think that most people are searching for peace, in some way. Or if they’re not at the moment, they probably have at some point in their life. If Plain Perfect helps even one person get there…I did my job for Him.

Where can my readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.bethwiseman.net/

Beth, thank you for spending this time with us. We'll want you to come back when the next book in the series releases.

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