Interview with Jennifer Slattery & spotlight of Restoring Her Faith

We're happy to have Jennifer Slattery with us talking about her Love Inspired book Restoring Her Faith.  To learn more about Jennifer and her book please read on!

Back cover blurb

She left belief behind…
Yet this family could change her mind

With two boys to raise, a fledgling contracting business to run and a family ranch to keep afloat, widower Drake Owens finds his hands aren’t just full—they’re overflowing. When Faith Nichols is hired to help him renovate the church, he’s drawn to the beautiful artist, but he can’t fall for a woman who isn’t a believer. Can love restore her faith…and his heart?

Please tell us five random things we might not know about you.

I have a fierce ice cream addiction which my husband encourages. I may have three containers of Blue Bunny Peanut Butter Party ice cream in my fridge at this moment—as he wants to see I never run out! My daughter jokes that I would quickly choose coffee over dinner, if forced to make a choice—and she’s not entirely wrong. I would also much prefer a leisurely walk with my man on a sunny day than a fancy steak dinner. I’ve attended eight colleges in five different states but only acquired one degree. I’m a terrible cook.

Why did you choose to write this book?

Normally, my story ideas start with a character—her struggle, fears, dreams, etc. But this time, it began with a church. A series of churches, actually, sprinkled throughout Texas. They’re known as the Painted Churches of Texas, and they are gorgeous. I was immediately drawn to their artistry, the symbolism in many of their images, and the history behind them. As I spent time learning about these churches, Faith, my heroine, emerged, and the plot took form.

What one thing about writing do you wish non-writers would understand? 

Hm … That God made me to be strange. It’s just a symptom of the creative brain. ;)

What is the toughest test you've faced as a writer?

These are questions I’ve never thought of. I think the toughest test will likely be a continual one—will I serve myself or stay obedience to Christ, however He leads.

What do you hope readers to take away from your novel?

That faith can carry us through really difficult challenges, families can stay strong through chaos if they hold tight to one another, and close-knit communities make life easier and more fun.

What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of, writing-related or not?

Holding tight to my marriage and (both my husband and I) choosing to get help and push through when we wanted to quit. We almost got divorced some 20 years ago but God radically transformed our marriage, and I’m so glad He did. And that, by His grace, we stayed.

Please give us the first page of the book.

The long, deserted road felt much too similar to one Faith had taken decades before, with all her belongings crammed in a pair of tattered suitcases. Hopefully Sage Creek would be nothing like her experience in Alpine, back when she’d been a gawky, metal-mouthed kid in desperate need of a friend.

She’d received taunting and rejection instead.

Her cell phone rang, and she glanced at the screen. It was her best friend, Toni. As a fellow artist fighting to survive Austin’s competitive market, she understood Faith in a way few others did.

She answered through her Bluetooth. “Hey, girl. What’s up?”

“Girls’ night out this Friday. Bahn mi French fries, baby!”

“Sounds fun but can’t. I’m on my way to that contract job I told you about. I’m just over fifteen miles out. With no sign of civilization, except the occasional longhorn, in sight.”

“You make Sage Creek sound so appealing.”

Faith glanced at her wobbly trailer through her rearview mirror, packed with, she hoped, everything she’d need to restore Trinity Faith’s historic stained glass windows, which had decorated the church since its founding. “Let’s just say I haven’t had the best experience with small town Texans.”

“Not all ranching communities measure a person’s worth based on how well they bake a casserole. Besides, those people didn’t hire you to make friends.”

“True.” She was going to, hopefully, get some media exposure, enough to salvage her career. If she, and whoever else she’d be working with, pulled this job off well, the church stood a good chance of receiving historical status. “Depending on how this deal turns out, I may even be able to get Jeremy Pratt from Lone Star Gems to write a feature article on me.”

“Wow. Just a mention in that magazine would for sure get folks’ attention. But a full story? That’d put your name on the map for sure.”

She gripped her steering wheel with both hands as something black—a tire?—came barreling toward her in the opposite lane, while a red pickup screeched past, throwing sparks.

She screamed and slammed on her brakes. Her trailer tugged right, then left as the oncoming tire rammed into her front end. It bounced off, flying ten feet into the adjacent field.

Smoke seeped from beneath her hood as she veered onto the shoulder, and the acrid stench of burning rubber pricked her nose.

“Faith, you okay?”

“I…” Her throat felt scratchy. What had happened? “Can I call you back? I was just hit by a…a flying tire. The front of my car is smoking.”

Her supplies! She shot a glance to her trailer—lying on its side—behind her. She groaned and closed her eyes.

Faith pressed trembling fingers to her temples. Now what? All her sheets of specially ordered glass, potentially shattered. She didn’t have time to order new. And what about the damage done to her car? Fighting the urge to hyperventilate, she focused on her breathing—in through her nose, out through her mouth. In, out…

Did Sage Creek even have a mechanic? Probably one that charged outsiders ten times what they should. Through her rearview window, she watched a tall, broad-shouldered cowboy step out of his now lopsided truck. Dressed in faded jeans and a Stetson, the man had to be at least six foot five and was built like a linebacker.

 What do you do for fun when not writing?

I love spending time with my husband, our adult daughter, her boyfriend, and her dog. It doesn’t hugely matter what we do, though playing games always leads to laughs. Oh, and coffee must be included at some point. I also love spending time with my friends and reading. Does brainstorming count as writing? Because that’s crazy fun for me also!

What are you working on now? 

I’m plotting a book I plan to write a proposal for soon. I’m super excited about this one. It’s also set in Sage Creek.

Bio:

Jennifer Slattery is a writer and speaker who’s addressed women’s groups, church groups, Bible studies, and other writers across the nation. She’s the author of seven contemporary novels, including her latest release, Restoring Her Faith. She also maintains a devotional blog found at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com. She has a passion for helping women discover, embrace, and live out who they are in Christ. As the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries, she and her team partner with churches to facilitate events designed to help women rest in their true worth and live with maximum impact. When not writing, reading, or editing, Jennifer loves going on mall dates with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun husband. Visit her online HERE to find out more about her writing, ministry, speaking engagements, or to book her for your next women’s event.

Where else can readers find you online?   

They can visit my website at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com or find my blog on Crosswalk. They can also visit my ministry’s website, WhollyLoved.com, find me on Facebook, Twitter (though I’m nearly nonexistent there …) or Instagram.

Amish Fiction continues to capture readers' hearts...

It's Clash of the Titles week here on the blog and we're taking a week off from book giveaways. Please take a moment to read the guest post below from Clash of the Titles' Jennifer Slattery.

Amish Fiction continues to capture readers hearts, and this Friday, I'm adding two must reads to my list. I love the promise of plot twists in The Waiting a unique Amish Fiction about heartache, love, and laughter, by Suzanne Woods Fisher. According to readers, this novel is full of surprises, sweetened by romance, and spiced by suspense. Although readers connected to all the characters, they appeared to love Jorie most of all, a woman characterized by love.

From the back cover:
She was waiting for love--and found it in the most unexpected place. Jorie King's life is on hold. She has been waiting for Ben Zook to return to Lancaster County. Waiting for him to settle down and join the church. Waiting to marry him.But when news arrives that Ben has been killed, Jorie is devastated. She finds unlikely comfort in the friendship of his brother Caleb. Friendship ripens into love, and two broken hearts plan for a life filled with the promise of a fresh beginning--until their worlds are turned upside down.With her realistic characters whose weaknesses develop into strengths, Suzanne Woods Fisher offers a reading experience that rises above the others. You will love growing in spirit with these complex people living the simple life as The Waiting transports you into a world where things aren't as simple as they seem.

A bit about Suzanne:
When Suzanne isn't writing or bragging to her friends about her first new grandbaby (!), she is raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. She started raising the first puppy after the family returned from living in Hong Kong for four years, in a 44-story highrise.

Ten puppies later, she is hooked. She says it’s like eating potato chips: You can’t stop after one. To Suzanne's way of thinking, you just can't take life too seriously when a puppy is tearing through your house with someone's underwear in its mouth.

My second "must-read" comes from A Harvest of Hearts ,an engaging Amish Fiction about a strong-willed woman with a dream that threatens her Amish way of life, by Laura V. Hilton. Readers love the authentic realism Laura adds to her writing and image-evoking details.



From the back cover:Matthew Yoder volunteered to be part of the swap of Amish men from his Old Order Pennsylvania Amish Community, to the Amish community in Seymour, Missouri. There is nothing for him in Pennsylvania, as the youngest of twelve children, and the lack of farmland around Lancaster County, he felt he could make a better future in another district. Shanna Stoltzfus has been raised Amish, and couldn’t wait for her rumspringa so she could pursue her education. She hated having to quit school in the 8th grade to stay home and learn everything that makes a home run smoothly. But now she has earned her GED and is taking college courses, but her family is begging her to come home; her little sisters miss her. And there’s something about newcomer, Matthew Yoder that draws her attention. But is it enough to give up her dreams of education and join the Amish church?

A bit about the author:
Laura V. Hilton is a home school mom of five children – but not all five are currently homeschooled. Her sons are in college working on their associate degrees, but they are still living at home. She'd miss them if they weren’t! Her three daughters are the ones she teaches.

She's a breast cancer survivor of three years now.

She's a northern girl living in the south. Yes, she likes her tea unsweet. She has gotten acquainted with grits but she hasn’t been brave enough to try chocolate gravy. Everyone says it’s good, but seriously…gravy? She has a hard time imagining it on potatoes.

And join us next week at Clash of the Titles to meet these two great authors!

***Jennifer Slattery is a publicist, writer, and freelance editor living in the midwest with her husband of sixteen years and their fourteen year old daughter. She writes for Christ to the World Minnistries, the Christian Pulse, Internet Cafe Devotions, and Samie Sisters and her work has appeared in numerous publications. Visit her devotional blog, Jennifer Slattery Lives Out Loud to find out more about her and her writing.

Jennifer Slattery
Broken Lives Saturated by Grace
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ClashOfThetitles

Clash of the Titles Kicks Off Tournament of Champions

COTT Kicks Off Tournament of Champions

Guest post by Jennifer Slattery

Last week, Clash of the Titles launched their first annual Tournament of Champions with two clashes and four talented authors. In Clash one, CS Lakin, author of Someone to Blame, and Marianne Evans, author of Heart Crossing, went head-to-head in a nail-biting, literary duel. In Clash two, our very own Gail Pallotta, author of Love Turns the Tide, competed against Clare Revell, author of A Season for Miracles. All four excerpts rocked, and this was a tough call, but you, our faithful readers chose two Tournament of the Champions' finalists.

Those finalists were Marianne Evans and Gail Pallotta.

Exciting stuff, and yet, the games weren’t done. In the next round, COTT staff cast their votes, and once again, one writer rose to the top and will advance to the next round.

That author is…

Marianne Evans!

And here’s a glimpse of what a COTT champion excerpt looks like:

“Collin Edwards stood before the funeral assembly. Heat crawled up his body. He clutched the edges of the podium where he stood and cleared his throat. The gesture was in vain. His throat constricted so much it hurt. Before the altar, just to the right, rested a flag-draped casket.

He looked down, at a piece of paper upon which he had crafted the words to a eulogy…” (Read more of Excerpt B here.)

About the novel, Heart Crossing:

Collin Edwards, a former parishioner at Woodland Church, has renounced God without apology, his faith drained away in the face of a tragic loss.

Daveny Montgomery cares deeply about her relationship with God, and the community of Woodland . Lately though, she's been in a rut, longing for something to reignite her spiritual enthusiasm.

A beautification project at Woodland seems the answer for them both. Daveny spearheads the effort and Collin assists, but only with the renovations, and only because he wants to know Daveny better. Despite his deepening feelings for her, even stepping into the common areas of the church stirs tension and anger.

Can Daveny trust in Collin’s fledgling return to faith? And can Collin ever accept the fact that while he turned his back on God, God never turned his back on him?

We’d also like to congratulate our prize-winning readers:

 Jessica R Patch! She won a $10 Amazon Gift card from Elaine Cooper.

 LoRee Peery! She won a free bookmark design from Delia Latham.

 Larry Hammersley! He won a $10 Amazon Gift card from Author Anne Patrick.


Join us this week for more fun and prizes as four more authors jump into the ring hoping not only to advance to the next round, but ultimately reign as the Clash of the Titles’ champion of champions! Remember, every vote counts! Each vote gets your name thrown into the hat for our fab-tabulous grand prize give-away comprised of fourteen novels!

Visit our Tournament of Champions page for a complete list of prizes.


***  Jennifer Slattery is the marketing manager for Clash of the Titles. She writes for Christ to the World Ministries, the Christian Pulse, and Samie Sisters and has written for numerous other publications. She also works for Tiffany Colter, the Writing Career Coach, as a professional manuscript evaluator and publicist. You can find out more about her and her writing at her devotional blog, Jennifer Slattery Lives Out Loud. You can find out more about her critique and publicity services at Words That Keep.

Register to win a $10 Amazon gift card & reaching out to young adults...

Our new sister blog is now live. I'm honored to have Ashe Slattery as my first guest blogger. Come on over and visit and be sure and register to win a $10 Amazon gift card by naming the hero in my upcoming Zoe Mack mystery series. Visit us today at http://zoe-mack.blogspot.com/

Also, I'm looking for young adults to interview on the Zoe Mack blog. I'm open to anything they'd like to talk about from a Christian world view, including books, guys, or just life as a young adult in general. (I'm open to older bloggers who are young at heart.) Come join us today at Zoe Macks' blog and show sweet Ashe Slattery your support! http://zoe-mack.blogspot.com/

"A Vision of Lucy" from Margaret Brownley & Clash of the Titles

Meet Former Clash of the Titles’ Competitor Margaret Brownley, guest post by Jennifer Slattery

Thrills, mystery, suspense, romance: Margaret Brownley’s penned it all. Nothing wrong with that—except she happened to be writing for the church newsletter. After making the church picnic read like a Grisham novel, her former pastor took me aside and said, "Maybe God's calling you to write fiction." So that’s what she did. She now has nearly 25 novels to her credit, including bestselling and RITA finalist A Lady Like Sarah—not bad for someone who flunked 8th grade English. Just don’t ask her to diagram a sentence.

Margaret competed in Clash of the Titles’ Battle of the Blurbs. Her latest novel, A Vision of Lucy is about a girl who seems to find trouble wherever she goes, but with the help of God and the rugged, reclusive David Wolf, she’ll never face adversity alone.

Lucy Fairbanks dreams of working as a photographer at the Rocky Creek newspaper. If she can earn money making photographs, then maybe her father will see that what she does is worthy, more than just a distraction. And her deepest hope is that he’ll see her as an artist, the way he thought of her deceased mother, whose paintings still hung on their walls.

But trouble follows Lucy on every photo shoot: a mess of petticoats and ribbons, an accidental shooting, even a fire.

When Lucy meets David Wolf—a quiet, rustic man who lives on the outskirts of town—she thinks she can catch the attention of the town with his photograph. She doesn’t count on her feelings stirring whenever she’s near him.

Two things happen next that forever change the course of Lucy’s life: David says the words Lucy has longed to hear since her mother died: that she is a compassionate, creative young woman that God made in His image. And in return Lucy helps David change his perspective on an event that wounded him long ago.

God’s arms are around this unlikely couple as they leave behind long-held assumptions and discover the true freedom of forgiveness.

Margaret, that sounds like a great book! Tell us more about it. Where did you get the story idea?

First let me thank you for letting me visit you today. To answer your question, the idea for my current release A Suitor for Jenny came from a meeting notice in an old newspaper for a group called The Society for the Protection and Preservation of Male Independence. I don’t know if the members managed to remain independent in real life but I certainly had fun making sure they didn’t in

A Vision of Lucy (available for preorder) is the third and final book of my Rocky Creek series. I got the idea from an ad in an old newspaper ad (do you see a pattern here?). Julia Shannon of San Francisco took the family portrait to new heights when she shockingly advertised herself as a daguerreotypist and midwife. Lucy’s not a midwife, but after learning that photographs sometimes reveal things not seen by the naked eyes, she takes camera in hand hoping to uncover family secrets.

You have a wonderfully creative imagination. Where and when do you like to write?

I write in my Monet purple office five days a week. Fortunately, I don’t need much sleep. I think I’m what you call hyper. I’m an early riser so you’ll find me parked in front my computer as early as four a.m., coffee in hand—a whole coffee pot. Afternoons are for answering email, exercising, the business of writing and taking care of the necessary details of life. Weekends are for friends, family and dreaming.

Wow, that’s dedicated. What do you enjoy most about being an author?

I love the idea of creating something from absolutely nothing. I can’t knit a sweater without yarn. Nor can I cook a meal without ingredients. I can’t even grow a garden without soil and water. But I can create a book from nothing more than a wisp of an idea and a blank page. I love that!

I also love creating characters and letting them take me to unexpected places.

How does faith play into your writing?

Faith is an essential part of who we are. One of my frustrations in writing for the secular market was not being allowed to explore a character’s faith (or lack of it). I don’t think it’s possible to fully develop a character without including his or her relationship to God.

Thank you so much for chatting with us! We enjoyed having you on Clash of the Titles, and it’s great to keep up with what you’re doing now. I look forward to reading A Vision of Lucy!

Visit http://www.margaretbrownley.com/ to find out more about Margaret and her writing.