What a treat for me to be talking to you today. When meeting someone, the last thing I mention is that I am a writer. I prefer getting to know people without a label, so this is a bit new to me to meet you as a novelist. Since it's an author chat, there is no way around it, but a treat for me just the same! Thank you for stopping by Janalyn's blog.
It’s important to note, I am way more than a writer. I am a dreamer of dreams, a truth finder, a teacher, a baker, and a candlestick maker. Just kidding. I am not a candlestick maker. For many years I have been an educator, and consider myself a recovering middle school teacher. I am still in therapy and go every Saturday morning. It's called garage saling. I wonder how many garage sales it will take to wipe out the memory of middle school sass. I will not stop until I have the answer.
If you ever get a chance to come by my place, I will tell you the story behind my garage sale finds; such as the time I drove five miles home with the iron bed sticking out the open car door. Hey, I drive a Hyundai and it was the only way to get it home. I prayed all the way a policeman wouldn’t stop me. My prayers were answered. My garage is brimmed full of goodies but I prefer the term ‘inventory.’
Cupcakes are my private—late night—indulgence. If you have a good recipe to share, please contact me. Eating a yummy cupcake is like a holiday all in itself. My baking aspirations go no higher than eventually owning my own confection oven. I plan on moving onto cookies. (I wonder how many cupcakes it will take to wipe out the memory of middle school antics. I won't stop until I know.)
Most importantly, I am a Christian who puts her best efforts into an ordinary life in order to accomplish something extraordinary. After serving overseas as a missionary, I chose the classroom for my next challenge. Twenty-five years later, I am still here—it’s home. Nowadays, I am the Special Education Coordinator at a county juvenile facility for teens that are either court-ordered to be here, or have been expelled from school. In the worst offender, I still see a person for whom Christ has died.
My days are busy. So are my nights. That is when I settle at my computer to write (and eat cupcake). For the last fifteen years I have been writing articles and short stories. I write because I have things to say. Stories to tell. People to create. Plots to twist. I begin writing with a germ of an idea that spreads. I liken it to a body. You have the basic form, then you add things like a heart, soul and spirit. You layer the storyline with good blood flow, add limbs, a brain, eyes, hair, a mouth. What does that mouth say? What does that brain think? What do those eyes see? And who does that heart love? Is it a broken heart or a dark heart? A pure heart? There is a past that creeps in, threatening to stir things up and not for the better. My characters have issues. They are flawed. Real people have both issues and flaws. Secrets too. Uncovering them is so much fun and then watching the reaction of other characters, critical.
In the last seven years, I have had seven fictional books and one eBook published. Through all of these projects, I aim to impart to my readers hope for today and a renewed belief that God does see you. He hears you and He answers. I also love the idea of entertainment and want my readers to step into the pages of any of my books, into a new life, for a few hours.
Lucy Collins has given up on Christmas since the painful break-up with her fiancé. Things only get worse when a large newspaper begins to set up shop and threatens the livelihood of the family run business, The Turtle Creek Newspaper. At the staff Christmas party, Lucy says a prayer and what seems to be the answer appears at the front door to apply for the editor position. The newspaper needs new life and energy, so this most critical position goes to Joe McNamara. Not only is he a natural when it comes to the written word, but he is also gifted with ideas about keeping the newspaper afloat. However, Joe has secrets of his own that he keeps from Lucy. If she finds out, then what looks like a promising relationship will unravel, but it's Christmas time, the season of rebirth and miracles. Will the spirit of celebration be enough to heal two hearts? Or will the reality of deception bring down Christmas and the newspaper?
The Valentine Edition followed The Christmas Edition in February, 2009. Look for The Easter Edition in spring of 2010. They fit hand-in-glove together for movie sequels.
A month past Christmas, the year is nineteen-seventy-three. Paul McCartney and his wife Linda are busted for marijuana while inflation hits 6.16%. Watergate hearings have started in the U.S. Senate, a gallon of gas costs thirty-five cents, abortion becomes legal and Mari Covington’s most excellent resumes are in the mail, putting her way ahead of the other graduating teachers. PASSAGES is the kind of novel that moves beyond the page to deeper elements of truth, family, community, and church. It's a compelling story that transcends the time period of the early1970s. A triple triumph of hope, courage and forgiveness, Passages is based on actual events. Mari Covington doesn’t want much. A teaching job, a fabulous apartment in Milwaukee, and a really great guy will suffice. She is on the verge of having it all when the man of her dreams forces himself on her. Hours after the assault, he shows up at her family dinner table announcing their engagement. Just as she resigns herself to a possible trip down the aisle as penance, Crazy Aunt Lorraine, with four weddings under her belt, arrives with the key to Mari's problem. This is a novel of difficult moral dilemmas, tinged with subtly nuanced characters and a page-turning plot that makes the reader wonder, "What would I do?"
Excerpt:
I lie in bed and stare at the ceiling, listening to sleet pelt against the window, knowing that by morning there will be layers of ice sealing it shut. On this side of the window is my desk and all my school books, my transcripts, and my letters of recommendation; everything I am proud to call my own. In the midst of academic excellence I target a goal of the personal kind—to be kissed by Mister Perfect. I better get my lip gloss ready.
I roll onto my side and think about his lips, wondering if he uses them as an artist sculpting his masterpiece with an easy stroke and detailed precision, or if he presses hard like a jackhammer tearing up cement. The thought keeps me awake for hours. Well, maybe not for hours. Maybe just until about two-thirty when I fall asleep but it is the first thing I think about in the morning while brushing my teeth.
However, my most interesting project is a murder mystery that takes place in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. I'm teaming up with a childhood friend, John Friedman, a brilliant former criminal trial attorney. He is Jewish and our faiths intertwine in ways that add layers to make this book especially interesting. Packed with intrigue (and romance), it’s sure to please a broad audience.
Besides being a writer, I'm also a reader. Mysteries with a strong romance line are a great read for me. I also thoroughly enjoy children's books and middle-school readers. Each year I give my daughter a children's book on her birthday. I started this when she was a one-year-old, and this year she turns twenty-nine. My mother started this family tradition with me. Of course there were many, many books in between each birthday.
I'd love to get to know fellow readers like you. Please send me a friend invitation on Facebook. You can also visit me at my blog, The Serial Writings of Robin Shope. Leave a comment so I know you have been by to visit.
Purchase links for my books:
The Christmas Edition
Passages
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