Sharon Lavy Visits Today With Her New Book

I'm Thrilled to have Sharon Lavy visiting this week on my blog! She is such an encourager and a great author to book. Please be sure to check out her links and her other books. 

Sharon is giving away a print or e-kindle copy (reader's choice) of her first book (Dreaming of a Father's Love) to one person. Be sure to leave your email addy and your comment for a chance to win!

Now, read on to find out a little more about her:

How long have you known that you were a writer?  Did you receive a clear “call?” Or have you just loved writing all your life?
I have always been a writer, because writing is how I make sense of my world. In fact to study a subject I often have to compile the works of several authors on the issue and make a composite. 

Now if you had asked how long I have known I was a writer of novels … but that is a story for another day.


What is the genre you write in?  Would you explain what it is?
I’ve been told my genre is Women’s fiction because the main theme is always about relationships. In fact I think the most important part of our lives here on this earth is our relationships. And our Relationship with Jesus is at the top of the list.


How do you spend your writing days?  Do you set goals to reach a certain number of words per day?  Can you give us a general idea of how long it takes you to write a novel?
I try to write 6 days a week. Sometimes the characters refuse to talk to me and I find myself staring at a blank screen.

The first three novels have taken me years just to write the first draft. Then many years of re-writing and editing. 

Each one took fewer than the book before, but still … years. 

As I wind up the draft of Farewell for Awhile, my goal is to write a complete draft of Forgiving the Unforgivable before the end of 2014. What a challenge.


What is the spiritual message in Deadly Secret?  What can readers expect to get from reading it? 
The theme of Deadly Secret is that sometimes we are asked to forgive the unforgivable. In fact that is also the theme of the manuscript I am working on at the moment, Farewell For Awhile.  Different situation, but it still deals with something unforgivable.

The actual title of my next book is Forgiving The Unforgivable.  And I’ve developed a problem with this one, because how do you forgive a monster who … well when he is still a monster. Makes no pretense of repentance?  

That is the struggle many authors have. At first the idea seems straight forward. But before you know it, you’ve written yourself into a corner and wonder how you are going to pull it off this time. If not for the grace of God, I don’t think I will be able to do it.


Would you take this time to describe your latest novel to us?  How and where can readers buy your books?
The back cover blurb for Deadly Secret is:

The covering on Evalena Davidson’s head invites all kinds of confidences and sharing, a blessing on Denton Community Hospital’s oncology ward. But people expect her to be perfect, which makes living up to the promise of her Old German Baptist uniform a challenge.

Pete Neper, head of the sanitation department senses unrest among the employees but finds it a challenge to track down the cause. 

Danni Wagoner, another oncology nurse is implicated in a drug scam. 

Old German Baptist Brethren with their adherence to traditional ways do not get involved with the law. But how can Evalena turn her back on a friend? 

This unlikely trio put their lives and reputation at risk to uncover a deadly secret in an attempt to identify a killer before someone else dies.

My ebooks and paper copies are listed on Amazon. 
The paperback copies are also found on Barnes and Noble and Books A Million.


Where do you get ideas?
Interesting question. Author's are often asked how they get their story ideas. That’s sort of a hard question to answer because a writer's mind is normally going a million miles a minute, but occasionally stops with an Ah,ha moment. 

So I always say, if you see a writer with a faraway look in the eye ... DO NOT DISTURB!


Do you ever feel like giving up?  Most people don’t understand the stress, the work, and the joy of being a writer.  How tenuous becoming a writer is. Do you care to share how it feels, what discouraging/encouraging times you’ve gone through?  Who’s inspired you the most?
Because of my background I was never real secure in my desire to write novels. Did God really approve? Joining American Christian Fiction Writers was the best thing I ever did to get affirmation. 


Would you explain how you “chose” (or was chosen) a publisher?  Do you just go “inny, minny, miny, moe?”  Grin.  
My first novel, Dreaming of a Father’s Love was set in 1973. My agent said this was a hard time frame to sell to traditional publishers. She gave her blessing for me to publish this one independently. 

With my husband’s blessing we formed our own publishing house and learned the ropes by publishing Dreaming of a Father’s Love and later a Children’s picture book, Ella’s Surprise, that I had written for our children years before. 

We had interest from some traditional publishers with Deadly Secret, but husband couldn’t understand why we didn’t use our own company with this one as well. I finally submitted and pulled the book from the agency and the house that was still considering it.


Now, that you’re published, can you sit back and relax from the success you’ve experienced?
You are joking, right?  No matter which publishing house publishes the book, the moment an author is published, he or she has the responsibility of marketing, marketing, marketing. I am still trying to find out what works and what doesn’t. And I don’t want to turn people off. I need all the friends I can get.


Do you mind telling us some of your likes and dislikes?  Hobbies, interests?  Where would you like to travel if you could?  
I enjoy sewing and working on dress patterns when I am too stressed by characters who won’t talk. Giggle. 

I like working with graphics and creating Book covers. I have great instructors and am making book covers for other books as well as my own.

Husband and I do a lot of traveling. Our next trip will be to Israel. We love visiting the old city of Jerusalem and look forward to seeing the rock city of Petra again.


To Buy her book, go here:
Amazon
barnesandnoble
booksamillion
Author Bio:
Writer of Inspirational Women's fiction with Suspense. Sharon A Lavy lives with her husband in SW Ohio. When not reading, writing, or sewing for her family, she enjoys traveling with her husband in his small plane. 

She is best known in the novel writing community as that German Baptist lady. 

In the Old German Baptist community she's a dressmaker, a pattern maker, and the sister who writes.

And in her own mind she's a wife, a mother, and a grandmother, but above all a child of God. ~~ Her greatest desire is to be a woman after God's own heart~~ 


You can find her on the web:
Amazon Author Page

Facebook Author Page

Website/blog

Twitter

How great is the love The Father has lavished on us... Therefore Sharon writes to encourage hurting women who have had problems with a troubling family relationship.


Thank you, Sharon, for visiting!
Blessings, readers! Don't forget to leave a comment and your email addy for a chance to win Sharon's book.