Welcome, Janet Tell
us how much of yourself you write into your characters.
My most recent release, Worth Her Weight, has a lot of me in
the main character. Lacey, like me, was addicted to food, a people-pleaser, and
suffered from a low self esteem. I nearly always have someone I know in mind
with every character, with certain changes, of course.
What is the quirkiest
thing you have ever done?
I once did a four hour zumbathon. I loved it. It was for a
good cause. But, I couldn’t move the rest of the day.
When did you first
discover that you were a writer?
In junior high, my English teacher seemed to pick on me. At
the end of the year, I asked her why. She told me that she saw promise in my
writing, so she wanted to push me to improve. I knew then that was something I
wanted to do with my life. However, life intervened, and it was 2006 before I
began to seriously study the craft and submit my work.
Tell us the range of
the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
Fiction - Women’s fiction, romance, mysteries, suspense,
young adult, new adult
Non-fiction – Devotion, self-help, writing-related,
motivational
How do you keep your
sanity in our run, run, run world?
I often don’t, but I know when I reach the point where I’m
overwhelmed, I need to sit down, list everything I do, prioritize, and give up
a few things. It happens about once a year. Also, my sweet hubby keeps me
grounded with love.
How do you choose
your characters’ names?
Sometimes, it’s just a name I like that fits, or a name that
belongs to someone I admire. If I come up empty, I google the favorite girl or
boy names for the year of the character’s birth. I try to limit names that
start with the same letter to keep out confusion.
With my Young Adult novel Victoria and the Ghost, I used my granddaughter’s name, and in the
sequel still to come out, I use my grandson, Colson’s, name.
What is the
accomplishment that you are most proud of?
Hands down, 53 years married to my soulmate, and second, the
birth of our three daughters Other than that, I’m proud and grateful for God’s
emotional healing in my life.
If you were an
animal, which one would you be, and why?
A bear – hibernating sounds wonderful and I’m cranky if you
wake me up.
What is your favorite
food?
Cheesecake or blackberry cobbler
What is the problem
with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
Adding more emotion to certain scenes. I went to a 3-day,
fiction mentoring class by DiAnn Mills. She had us write about the saddest time
in our lives. I wrote and cried, but it taught me a lesson.
I need to think of a
time when I experienced a similar emotion whether sadness, fear, or joy and the
effect it had on me. When we allow ourselves to remember something, we relive
it. When I do, I write how I feel.
Tell us about the
featured book.
How can a woman who gives to everyone but herself accept
God’s love and healing when she believes she’s fat, unworthy, and unfixable? Can
she be Worth Her Weight?
It can be purchased through the publisher: http://www.pen-l.com/WorthHerWeight.html
Please give us the
first page of the book.
The acid from Mom’s hurtful words burned. Only a gooey,
cream-filled donut could neutralize the pain. That, and maybe a couple of
Snickers. I’m not going crazy. The phone heated her hand. She wanted to drop it
to the desk, but Mom’s prattle continued.
“You’re going nuts like your dad.” Her words sliced through
Lacey like a tornado in a Texas
cornfield.
Mom droned on about
her visit with Katie, Lacey’s kid sister. Lacey opened a desk drawer, lifting
out her bottle of Prozac. She turned it over to read the directions. If she
downed these pills, her disappointing life would end. Old thoughts resurfaced,
bringing a longing for peace but a warning of hell fire.
Mom took a breath between words. Lacey’s office was quiet
except for the phone-voice of condemnation.
As a person who has
struggled with weight most of my adult life, just this much of the book brought
tears to my eyes. Praise the Lord, He is helping me lose weight this year. How
can readers find you on the Internet?
Website/Blog: http://www.janetkbrown.com
E-mail: Janet.hope@att.net
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/nqdw75q
Twitter: https://twitter.com/janetkbrowntx
I’m also on Google+ and Linked In
Thank you, Janet, for sharing this book with us. I'm sure there are many readers who will connect with your heroine, and maybe it will help others who don't have an addiction to food better understand those who do.
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