The Next Big Thing - continued

I am now able to tag fellow-author Carol Brown who will be posting on her blog next Wednesday 12th. Carol is the acclaimed author of a number of great books, including the 'Sassypants' series for children. Visit Carol's blog at http://connectwithcarolbrown.blogspot.com

The Next Big Thing

I've been tagged by the very talented Claire Dunn  (C.F.Dunn, 'Mortal Fire') to take part in The Next Big Thing, which is a way of telling potential readers about our WIP (Work in Progress.)I didn't manage to tag any other authors to take part but if this changes I'll put them in a future post. You might like to visit Claire's website, though - there are lots of good things to read there and news of her latest projects which are very exciting. (www.cfdunn.co.uk.)

So here are my (sometimes slightly baffled) answers to the NBT ten questions.

What is the working title of your book? 
I call it, for now, 'A Shed in a Cucumber Field'. The titles of my previous books ('Leviathan with a Fish-hook', 'The Monster Behemoth' and 'The Land of Nimrod') are all Bible quotations and this one is no exception. It comes from Isaiah 1 verse 8. Some people don't like this title at all, others think it's great. I might change it to 'Lost Sheep.'

Where did the idea for the book come from? 
Don't think me obtuse, but...where do ideas come from? I don't know.

What genre does your book fall under?
It's contemporary realistic adult Christian fiction with a British background. Is that a genre?

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I have a very clear picture in my mind of what my characters look like, and they don't resemble any actors I can think of. At a pinch, perhaps Meryl Streep for Vic.

What is the one-sentence synopsis for your book?
Two sisters, estranged for many years and thrown together by circumstance, are forced to deal with their difficult past and come to greater understanding.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
This has not yet been decided. I self-published my trilogy and I don't regret that for one moment but now I am thinking it would be good to try a more traditional route.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I started cogitating and note-taking at the beginning of this year. I started writing in July and finished in October.

What other books would you compare your story to within the genre?
I haven't read hundreds of books in Christian fiction, but what I have read isn't anything like mine.It comes chiefly from America and has many forms there. So that is one clear difference: the cultural background. But also my stories aren't romances, don't contain much that is supernatural (in the spooky sense), nor are they historical, nor triumphalist...Now I've told you what they aren't, perhaps you'd better read one to find out what they are! I would be delighted if you did and am always glad to have honest feedback.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
These questions are tough. If this doesn't sound hideously conceited (it isn't intended to be) I think it was the Holy Spirit.

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?
It's different!
It's overt and unapologetic Christian fiction, so it is a 'clean' read, in other words there isn't any swearing or graphic sexual description. (I think such things are best left to the reader's imagination anyway.) Apart from that it's about  people we can almost all identify with, people with daily lives and recognisable issues.Readers have said that my stories make them think, but not in a heavy or preachy way.

'A SHED IN A CUCUMBER FIELD'

As of yesterday the first draft of my new novel is finished. From cogitation and note-scribbling to the final word on-screen has taken under a year. It's also shorter than my previous books: am I
 becoming less verbose? It's called 'A shed in a cucumber field.' (Isaiah 1 v 8). You can tell I like interesting titles.
Of course there's a way to go yet, many edits by myself and others, before it's sufficiently polished to let it out on its own. And I haven't decided yet how to go about getting it out in the big world of books. There are many routes these days.
Like its predecessors, 'Leviathan with a Fish-hook', 'The Monster Behemoth' and 'The Land of Nimrod', it's British Christian fiction, but it's a stand-alone this time.
I'll post here when it emerges.
What next? I have absolutely no idea.

Great new review

Book three of my trilogy, 'The Land of Nimrod,' has received a fine review on Amazon UK from C.F.Dunn, author of the critically-acclaimed 'Mortal Fire.' Why not check it out if you have a moment?

K9

That dog of mine's been posting again.

A bit of tomfoolery!

Anyone who loves dogs as well as books might like to sneak over to Doghair1.blogspot.com where my dog Rosie has started her own blog. She is much chattier than I am, it seems.

Interview

Today 26 June I'm interviewed by Sylvia Browder on the author page of  the National Association of Women on the Rise (www.nawomenrise.com.) Here's the link: http://sylviabrowder.com/community-news/sue-russell.html/
If you have a minute you might like to take a look and leave a comment - it all helps to get the word out! Thank you.

New review of 'The Land of Nimrod'

Today Julie Saffrin has posted a review of the third title in my 'Leviathan' trilogy, 'The Land of Nimrod,' on Amazon. com and Amazon.co.uk. It's a fantastic review and I am very thankful to her for reading and commenting with such sensitivity and understanding. Feel free to visit Amazon or Julie's blog, take a look, and leave a comment or a 'Like.'
I'm currently reading Julie's own book, 'BlessBack'. I love it so far and will be reviewing it when I finish reading and have had time to mull.

Announcing the winners

The winner of my book 'Leviathan with a Fish-hook' is Carmen 7351. Congratulations! Hope you enjoy it.
The winners of the Kindles are Marnie Pohlmann and Patricia Day. I have a Kindle myself and I love it. Hope you ladies have a great time downloading and reading. There are a lot of wonderful books out there to be discovered.

Nearly the end of the blog hop!

The John 3:16 blog hop is almost at an end. It finishes at midnight tonight PDT. If I am not too off-beam in my calculations that's around 8 o'clock tomorrow morning here in the UK, so some time after that I'll post who's won a Kindle and who's won a copy of my 'Leviathan with a Fish-hook.' It's been great to visit people's blogs and get to know them better. Hope it's been fun for all of you too.

Great new book just out!

May I alert you to a great new novel, first in a series, to be launched this week and available to pre-order on Amazon? 'Mortal Fire' by British author C.F.Dunn has history, mystery, romance and edge-of-your-seat suspense. It's a terrific read.

List of John3:16 authors on blog hop and their addresses

1. Lorilyn Roberts (John 3:16 Network Blog) –http://john316mn.blogspot.com/
2. Lynn Dove – Word Salt (Host blog) -http://wordsalt.wordpress.com/
3. Laura J. Davis -http://interviewsandreviews.blogspot.com/
4. Paulette Harper -http://www.pauletteharperjohnson.blogspot.com/
5. Carol A. Brown -http://connectwithcarolbrown.blogspot.com/
6. April Gardner - http://www.aprilwgardner.com/
7. Sue Russell –http://www.suerussellsblog.blogspot.com/
8. Thomas Blubaugh - http://tomblubaugh.net/
9. Susan F. Craft –http://historicalfictionalightintime.blogspot.com/
10. Heather Bixler – http://heatherbixler.com/
11. Joy Hannabass –http://splashesofjoy.wordpress.com/
12. Deborah Bateman -http://www.DeborahHBateman.com
13. Kimberley Payne -http://www.fitforfaith.blogspot.com/
14. Rose McCauley –http://www.rosemccauley.blogspot.com
15. Lisa Lickel -http://livingourfaithoutloud.blogspot.com/
16. Alice J. Wisler -http://www.alicewisler.blogspot.com/
17. Amanda Stephan -http://www.thepriceoftrust.com/
18. Saundra Dalton –http://gracetolivefree.blogspot.com/
19. Tracy Krauss -http://www.tracykraussexpressionexpress.com/
20. Ashley Wintters -http://ashleyschristianbookreviews.blogspot.com/
21. Deborah McCarragher -http://www.godmissionpossible.blogspot.com/
22. Lorilyn Roberts -http://lorilynroberts.blogspot.com/
23. Anita Estes - http://anita-thoughtsonchristianity.blogspot.com/
24. Martin Roth – http://www.military-orders.com
25. Janet Perez Eckles -http://www.janetperezeckles.com/blog
26. Kenneth Winters –http://www.lostcrownofcolonnade.com/
27. Eddie Snipes – http://www.eddiesnipes.com/
28. Diane Tatum - http://tatumlight-tatumsthoughts4today.blogspot.com/
29. Janalyn Voight - http://janalynvoigt.com/
30. Alberta Sequeira –http://www.albertasequeira.wordpress.com/
31. Tammy Hill –http://tammyhillbooks.blogspot.com/p/blog-hop.html
32. Marcia Laycock – http://www.writer-lee.blogspot.com/
33. Julie Saffrin - http://juliesaffrin.com/category/blog/
34. Nike Chillemi - http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/
35. Elaine Marie Cooper http://wp.me/PVo1a-1vM
36. Sidney W. Frost -http://christianbookmobile.blogspot.ca/2012/05/welcome-to-john-316-giveaway-blog-hop.html
37. Jairus B. King – http://ministerjking.blogspot.com
38. Bill Burt - http://kotbooks.blogspot.com/
39. Kathy Eberly -http://authorkathyeberly.blogspot.com/
40. Bob Saffrin - http://bobsaffrin.com/
41. Theresa Franklin - http://theresa-lifesjourney.blogspot.com/
42. Ray Lincoln - http://blog.raywlincoln.com/
43. Lilly Maytree -http://www.lillymaytree.blogspot.com/
44. Valerie King - http://www.valeriekingbooks.com
45. Yvonne Pat Wright -http://www.spicetoeternity.co.uk/
46. Pauline Creeden - http://fatfreefaith.blogspot.com/
47. Katherine Harms -http://livingontilt.wordpress.com
48. Brenda Wood -http://heartfeltdevotionals.wordpress.com/
49. Deborah Malone -http://deborahsbutterflyjourney.blogspot.com/
50. Melissa Main – http://www.mainwriters.com/
51. Kevin Main - http://mainchristianbooks.com/
52. Sandy Humphrey -http://www.kidscandoit.com/blog/
53. Felice Gerwitz -http://www.writingandpublishingblog.com/
54. Hallee Bridgeman -http://www.bridgemanfamily.com/hallee
55. Lisa Mills - http://www.authorlisamills.com/blog/

John 3:16 blog hop starts today!

Visit http://john316mn.blogspot.com from today May 7 till May 14. There are 55 blogs with free gifts and the chance to win a Kindle! Leave a comment on my blog, plus your e mail address, for a chance to win a free signed copy of my book, 'Leviathan with a Fish-hook', volume 1 of the Leviathan trilogy.

John3:16 Blog Hop

Visit my blog and leave a comment between 7 and 14 May to have a chance of winning a signed copy of book 1 of my trilogy, 'Leviathan with a Fish-hook'.

Join us and win prizes!

ONLY ONE MONTH TO GO UNTIL THE JOHN 3:16 GIVEAWAY BLOG HOP!

                                    

                                                   MAY 7-14

Join over fifty authors and bloggers who will be offering great books and other prizes on their blogs during that week. As a reader, you just 'hop' from blog to blog and sign up to win great prizes at each blog.

                                                    

                                                      But wait...

YOU ALSO HAVE A CHANCE OF WINNING ONE OF TWO KINDLES!

                                                How's that for fun?

Tell your friends and join us May 7-14 for the John3:16 Marketing Network Giveaway Blog Hop!

God's extraordinary timing

The writer's life can be one of unremitting discouragement at times. As a newish British writer of Christian fiction it can feel like swimming against the tide in a sea of liquid cement. But then sometimes God reminds me how he works very differently from us. A friend of mine has been much on my mind lately. She's been going through a particularly stressful time and I've been concerned, but didn't want to bombard her with e mails. As I went to vacuum the dirt and dog-hairs from my car this afternoon I was thinking about her - and at that point she phoned (we live in different countries.) We exchanged news, of course, but what she rang to tell me was how my latest book, ('The Land of Nimrod'), a copy of which I gave her some months ago in the hope that she would review it, had spoken to her condition and given her support and insight when she had a great need. Like, I imagine, many others I tend to dream in terms of big numbers, great sales, a growing base of readers; but perhaps I am being gently told that what matters is meaningful connection with one reader at a time.

Isaiah 55 v.8,9 

Interview on Word Salt 13 March 2012

Hop over to www.wordsalt.wordpress.com if you have a few minutes and see the interview of me and my books by Lynn Dove on her great blog. Thanks, Lynn! And thanks to the good folk who left a comment.

My first post!

Hello,
I heard today that I'd become a member of the John3:16 network. Brilliant! I hope to meet a lot more members as time goes on and I figure out how to make the most of this blog, not to mention taking a look at other people's. My last book 'The Land of Nimrod' came out in October, completing the Leviathan trilogy. If you care to, you can find out more about it on my website www.slrussell.co.uk. Like most authors I'm always keen to hear feedback from readers. I can learn even from those who hate my work (may they be few!)
Now I'm mulling over what might become my next book, but I think it'll be a while yet just gestating.
I just finished reading a quite extraordinary book called 'Baby, baby' by Mari Howard. It deals boldly and sensitively with some complex issues, but it's also a great page-turning read with sympathetic characters.