Let me say upfront: I'm totally biased when it comes to my good friend, Jeanette Levellie. She's a star in my estimation. Even though I'd read bits and pieces of her work over the years, I was unprepared for the effect her book had on me. My emotions ran the gamut of laughing, crying, and "wow, I never thought of it that way."
Her book launches this month. It's in both print and Ebook format (Kindle, Nook). This book is a read-it-more-than-once keeper.
Jen is doing a a super drawing on her Facebook pages. There will be free downloads of her book for ten winners, who like one of her Facebook pages. A second giveaway is a drawing for those who read her book and answer ten EASY questions. The winner will get a $100 gift card to one of the following: Amazon, B and N, CBD, WalMart, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, or Ruby Tuesday.
I'm happy to welcome her to Christian Writer/Reader Connection to share the details of her journey.
1) What prompted you to embark on a writing career? I never intended to have a career at it--I wrote articles and devotionals and calendar poems for several years. Then I had an idea to approach my newspaper's editor and ask if I could do a column combining humor and inspiration. He agreed. That was 11 years ago.
Over that time, many people have told me I needed to turn the columns into a book. I always said, "NO, I don't. Getting a book published is too much work and trouble. I just want to have fun (hey, that sounds like a song title!). After so many people asking me to write a book, I started seeking the Lord to see if He wanted me to pursue publication. He led me to a friend, Clella Camp, who published a devo called, Just Walking, and she encouraged me to attend a writers conference. That was in 2008.
2) What was it like moving from writing columns and short pieces to tackling a book? What was the hardest part of the transition? The easiest?
The book is a compilation of columns and short pieces, but I needed a theme to weave them together. I noticed that I write a lot about the Lord's grace and mercy, so I decided to choose the articles that focused on that theme. Plus, I tried to pick ones that had an element of humor in them.
The hardest part of any book is writing the proposal. I've written four now, and I think we should receive a million dollars, a mink coat, and a trip around the world each time one is complete. Oh, and a boatload of chocolate!
The easiest part was looking up Scriptures to go with each piece. I love to peruse the Word of God and find fun, wise nuggets in there. It never grows old; it's like a perpetual ice cream cone that doesn't deplete, no matter how many bites you take. How blessed we are to serve a God that has given us this living, breathing book to guide, encourage and help us.
3) Please tell us a little about the book.
Two Scoops of Grace with Chuckles on Top is a light-hearted look at God's enormous heart. I've taken 72 stories of everyday battles, brouhahas, and bliss and added a touch of humor. My goal is to make you laugh, help you like yourself, and enable you to receive God's love. I've aimed it primarily at Christians, but it has some "salt" sprinkled in it as well, to make pre-believers thirsty to know Jesus.
Susan: We'll share Part 2 of the interview next Wednesday, April 11, 2012.
Question for writers: Have you considered writing a non-fiction book? If yes, what type?
Question for readers: Is humor an important element in non-fiction books for you? If so, why?
Personally, I'm a spoonful-of-sugar-makes-the-medicine-go-down type of gal!
