The Winner of Carla Stewart's Book, "Broken Wings"

Congratulations to JESSICA NELSON! You've won Carla Stewart's book, "Broken Wings." As soon as you respond to my email with your address, I'll forward it to Carla.

Thanks to all, who participated in the comments. Carla and I enjoyed doing the interview and interacting with you.

Interview with Carla Stewart & Giveaway - Part 2

Carla Stewart, author of  "Chasing Lilacs" and "Broken Wings," joins us today for the second part of our interview. Giveaway details are at the bottom of this post. We interrupt this post for an important announcement:

NEWSFLASH! After you finish this post, I hope you'll pop over to Jill Kemerer's blog where I'm answering her "Five Easy Questions."

4) Hi, Carla! I'm brimming with questions for you. What advice would you give writers seeking publication?

Community is the best gift you can give yourself. Writing groups, conferences, critique partners - the human interaction keeps the solitary life of writing from feeling like you are alone. Although it's a cliche, iron really does sharpen iron. Pay attention to what those who've walked before have to offer in craft and networking. For your writing, don't be afraid of being unique.

5) I notice you're fairly active with Social Media. How do you strike a balance between writing and marketing? What's your favorite Social Media outlet and why?

Marketing is a huge time gobbler. I struggle continuously with it and am still eager to learn more about how to be an effective marketer. My favorite is FaceBook. Even with its drawbacks, it's the most efficient way for me to interact with family, friends, colleagues, and readers. I'm by nature a social person, so I like being able to offer congrats, condolences, and words of encouragement to a variety of people all in one place. I'm not crazy about the "selling something" aspect. Hopefully, people will buy my books because I've developed a relationship with them.

6) What authors influenced your work in the early days of your career?

I've always been a fan of mysteries and thought when I wrote my own novels, they'd be mysteries. I did write one, and it was terrible (the one in the bottom of the closet). Then I discovered Anne Tyler, and I knew relationship stories were what resonated in my heart. Rosamund Pilcher, Barbara Kingsolver, Billie Letts, and Sue Monk Kidd were some early influencers and great examples of literary women's fiction writers.

I didn't know CBA had literary equivalents and was delighted to learn of Lisa Samson, Susan Meissner, Mary DeMuth, Dale Cramer, and Charles Martin. So many wonderful authors to love and learn from.

7) I'm looking forward to reading more of your books. Can you share about your current WIP?

"Stardust" (Faith Words) will be out early next summer. It's lighter in tone than "Broken Wings," but still has some knotty issues. I've returned to a nostalgic time and found some real characters in the bayou country of East Texas. The year is 1952 at the height of the polio epidemic. Here's a thumbnail sketch:

The Stardust Tourist Court beckons an East Texas widow to a new life, but when her dead husband's mistress arrives and polio strikes, George Peyton's dreams are crippled.

Susan, thank you for having me! I've had a grand time!

Bio: Carla Stewart's writing reflects her passion for times gone by. She's the author of two current novels, "Chasing Lilacs" and "Broken Wings," an alum of the Guideposts Writer's Workshop, two-time winner of the ACFW Genesis contest, and a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award. She believes in Jesus, the power of the written word, and a good cup of coffee. She and her husband have four adult sons and six grandchildren. You can find Carla at http://carlastewart.com/. Follow her on Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/ChasingLilacs and FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/carlastewartauthor

Giveaway details:
1) To enter, comment on this post, including your email. Sorry - no email, no entry. You can have up to two entries by commenting on Part 1 and Part 2 of the interview.

2) Residents of the U.S. are eligible for this giveaway. It is void where prohibited, and the winner is responsible for their eligibility.

3) You must be a Follower of Christian Writer/Reader Connection to enter the giveaway.

4) Deadline: Saturday, 10/22/11, 11:59 p.m. The winner will be selected by random drawing, emailed, and announced on the blog on Sunday, 10/23/11. When I receive the winner's snail mail address, I'll forward it to Carla, who will mail you her book, "Broken Wings."
Disclaimer: I have not received any remuneration for doing this interview from the author or the publisher. I loved the book and wanted to showcase the author.

Writers: Carla said, "...don't be afraid of being unique." Do you shy away from writing something that's not a current favorite? Also, what authors have influenced your writing journey?

Readers: What was your favorite part of this interview and why?

Interview with Carla Stewart & Giveaway - Part 1

When I read Carla Stewart's book, "Broken Wings," I couldn't wait to approach her for an interview. Not only has she agreed to the interview, but she's sponsoring a giveaway for her book. See the bottom of this post for details.

Without further preliminaries, let's get on with the interview.

1) Welcome, Carla! We'd love to hear about your journey to publication. Were you "discovered" or was it a long road?

Definitely the long road. It took almost nine years to the day from the time I got serious about writing (bought the book, put on the writer's hat, and whispered, "I'm a writer.")

2) Is your genre considered Contemporary Women's Fiction? Did you face any obstacles because of the genre you selected? If so, please share your experience and how you overcame them.

What I write straddles the fence between contemporary and historical. I usually call it nostalgic women's fiction. This is something of an anomaly in the CBA, so yes, there have been obstacles. My first book, "Chasing Lilacs," was rejected many times before it found a home. It was six years in the making!

In retrospect, I think my belief in the story, being willing to rewrite it a dozen times, and listening to the experienced and wise people God put in my path led to it finally being published. Now, I don't think of it as an obstacle, but a learning process and God's timing.

3) What was your inspiration for, "Broken Wings?" Did you base some or all of it on incidents in your life?

It began with a short story I wrote a number of years ago based on my own family's tales about the Great Depression and Black Sunday in particular. In "Sand Plum Summer," three orphans were taken in by a farm family when their mother perished in the worst dust storm in history.

I loved this story and thought of the characters from time to time. It was almost like they were waiting backstage for their cue to make an entrance. It kept coming back to me that the oldest of those three orphans surely had a story to tell.

Then one day, I read a newspaper article about the possible renovation of Tulsa's Big Ten Ballroom, a jazz hall in the forties and fifties. I knew at once my little orphan had grown up to become a jazz singer. She would be quite elderly now, of course, but perhaps she needed to tell  her story.

None of, "Broken Wings," is based on my life or people I know, but about a month after I'd received the contract offer, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with mid-stage Alzheimer's. The story took on a very personal meaning as I was writing it.

Next week, Carla will share her advice for writers seeking publication, discuss social media, and talk about those who influenced her career.

Writers: Are you facing obstacles with your choice of genre? How do you stay motivated?

Readers: Do you ever wish publishers would expand their horizons beyond their usual offerings?

And now what you've been waiting for...the giveaway details!

1. Please comment on this post, including your email address. Sorry - no email, no entry. You can have up to two entries if you comment here and on Part II of the interview.

2. You must be a Follower of Christian Writer/Reader Connection.

3. The giveaway is limited to residents of the U.S. and is void where prohibited. The winner is responsible for their eligibility.

4. Deadline: Saturday, October 22, 2011, at 11:59 p.m. The winner will be selected in a random drawing, notified by email, and announced on Sunday, October 23, 2011 on the blog.

5. When the winner sends me their snail mail address, I will forward it to Carla. She will send you, "Broken Wings."

Disclaimer: I have not received any remuneration for this interview from either the author or the publisher. I loved the book and wanted to showcase the author. :)

On My Nightstand - Broken Wings by Carla Stewart

Two women deal with the realities of life. Mitzi Steiner volunteers as a Pink Lady at the local hospital and visits her husband, Gabe, in a nursing home. Brooke Woodson finally has a boyfriend at age 30. She's the envy of many single women, and her family adores him. Too bad, he has a temper.

An accident causes the paths of these ladies to intersect, and their lives are changed forever. The author handles sensitive subjects without diluting the powerful emotions involved. This story touches on issues common to many women, while showing how God uses relationships to help us see truth.

Carla Stewart is a new author to me, but I'm looking forward to reading more of her work. This book sat on my TBR pile for a long time. Little did I know there was a gem hidden in my stack.

Have you read any books lately that took you by surprise?