Welcome back, Sharon. Why do you write the
kind of books you do?
The easy answer is that women’s fiction seems to be what God
has given me to write. I’m more than a little surprised at that since women’s
fiction is not my first choice when I’m choosing something the read.
Besides when you came
to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?
Oh, there are too many…The birth of my daughters, signing
that first contract…The day my husband accepted Christ into his heart.
How has being
published changed your life?
So far the only change is that it has made me busier. Now I
have three jobs and I need an extra three hours in every day.
What are you reading
right now?
Wings of Glass by
Gina Holmes
What is your current
work in progress?
I’m working on the fourth Valley View story. The Women of
Valley View: Samantha
What would be your
dream vacation?
Every year is my dream. This year a four day Bahamas cruise,
followed by two days at Disney.
How do you choose
your settings for each book?
Default mostly. Since all I’ve written has been a part of
the Valley View series, all the settings are in Garfield , OK
What are your
hobbies, besides writing and reading?
I like to bake, cookies mostly. Problem is, if I make them,
I eat them…
You can send some my
way any time you want to. My husband loves cookies, but I don’t bake them very
often. What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome
it?
So far, staring at the blank page of a new story. All that
white paper is so intimidating. Once I get a few words down, the story takes
over and it’s okay.
What advice would you
give to a beginning author?
Join a writer’s group, find a critique partner, and WRITE.
Tell us about the
featured book.
Despite a bustling day care center and a new foster child,
Terri Hayes hungers for a family of her own. Then a plumbing mishap leaves her
homeless and questioning God’s plan. Steve Evans’s gracious offer of his basement
apartment as a temporary solution is an answered prayer.
Steve is a successful writer and a good father, but Terri is
horrified when Steve’s book research leads him to a harsh confrontation with the
parents of her foster child. She needs to distance herself from Steve, but
her efforts fall short as his two scheming daughters plot to make Terri their
new stepmother.
Will harsh words and sneaky plans drive Kelsey’s family
further apart and put a wedge between Terri and Steve? Or does God have another
plan in store?
Please give us the
first page of the book.
Terri Hayes chewed her bottom lip and prayed. Outside her
windows on this sunny Friday afternoon, the Oklahoma summer persisted in spite of the
September date circled on her calendar. Her hands sweated, and she clasped them
behind her back. She would have raked them through her hair, but she wanted to
telegraph calm and collected, not the nervous anticipation churning like ocean
waves in her stomach. The weeks of preparation, the evenings spent in class,
the hours of prayer, all came down to this.
The curly black head of her visitor disappeared under the
kitchen sink. Terri heard grunts and clanks as the woman shifted and examined
the contents of the cabinet. Her visitor stood and yanked the top of her
crisply tailored suit back into place, her stern face thoughtful as she
scribbled notes on a clipboard.
Despite Terri’s desire for calm, her lip chewing graduated
to nail biting. Had she missed something? “Ms. Wilson, I…”
Cindy Wilson held up a hand. “Please, Ms. Hayes, I prefer to
conduct my investigation uninterrupted. We’ll discuss my findings when I’m
done.”
Terri swallowed her comments with a nod and trailed
behind the imposing African-American woman whose job it was to poke and prod
into every corner of Terri’s home. She ran through her own mental checklist as
they proceeded from room to room. Outlets covered, medicines locked away,
cleaning supplies stored out of reach, covers on all of her trash cans. A
second perusal of Ms. Wilson’s expression produced no further insight. Pass
or fail? Terri shook her head. I wonder if this woman plays poker.
Terri opened the door to the larger of her two spare
bedrooms. The odor of fresh paint drifted out to greet them. This was the pride
of her summer. She motioned her guest inside, aching to point out the
highlights of what she’d worked so hard to accomplish, but she held her peace
in the face of Ms. Wilson’s strident and silent inspection. More notes on the
clipboard, murmurs, and hums. Approval or disapproval? How can I tell?
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
Blog: www.Sharonsrock.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SharonSrock#!/SharonSrock
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/SharonSrock
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6448789.Sharon_Srock
Thank you, Sharon, for sharing Terri's story with us today.
Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
