World Blog Tour—Catching Up with Andrea Merrell
By Andrea Merrell
Christian
writers support and encourage one another by letting readers know about other writers.
We do this through blog tours. Edie Melson invited me to answer four
questions and then point you toward three authors whose work I support.
What am I working on now?
The majority of my time is spent editing, editing, editing—books for
Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, devotions for www.christiandevotions.us, and freelance
jobs. My biggest challenge is balancing my time between writing and editing. My
second book, Praying for the Prodigal,
releases in March of 2015, so I’m busy with the finishing touches. I write
devotions, articles, and blog posts, but I have three novels in various stages
that are begging to be completed. I also have a short Christmas story due to
release online in September of 2014.
Blogging is
a new adventure for me, but I am exited to partner with Alycia Morales to bring
you www.TheWriteEditing.com. This
site is designed especially for writers, written from an editor’s perspective, and
we strive to give helpful tips to both new and seasoned writers. We feature a
guest blogger on the first Monday of each month to share their wisdom with our
followers.
How does my work differ from others in its
genre?
Because I
write in a variety of genres, that’s a difficult question to answer. I always
want my words to be informative and uplifting to the reader, whether fiction or
nonfiction. It’s important to be as real, transparent, and down to earth as
possible, especially in nonfiction. If I can challenge a reader to keep moving
forward, inspire them to reach higher, and give them hope and encouragement, I
feel I have accomplished my purpose.
Why do I write what I write?
Someone once
said, “If you think about writing when you get up, go to bed, and all through
the day, you’re a writer.” I am a writer
and find inspiration all around me—through a song, a movie, or something silly
one of my granddaughters says. Other times it comes through a trial, or simply
during my morning devotion time.
I love to
mentor new writers and help them get started on their writing journey. Murder of a Manuscript gives writers short, simple, easy-to-read-and-follow
guidelines to help them polish their manuscripts, making them as clean and
professional as possible. The purpose of my prodigal book is to share my own
heartbreaking experience and the lessons I learned, giving other parents hope,
encouragement, and practical advice from someone who’s been there and survived.
I enjoy writing Christian fiction with relatable
characters and real-life scenarios that will inspire the reader and point them
to the Lord, without being preachy. To me, writing is not a job; it’s a
ministry and a calling.
How does my writing process work?
Sometimes
it’s as easy as sitting down, putting my fingers on the keyboard, and allowing
the words to flow freely. At other times, it’s more difficult, especially when
my inner-editor wants to keep interrupting the flow. I am primarily a pantser
or SOP writer (seat-of-the-pants). I do
a lot of editing, proofreading, and rewriting (and eat a lot of dark
chocolate).
Next on the world blog tour, I’d like to
introduce you to these writers:
Ann Tatlock
Ann
Tatlock is an award-winning novelist and children's book author. She also serves
as managing editor of Heritage Beacon, the historical novel imprint of
Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. Her books include Sweet Mercy, The Returning, and Travelers
Rest. She teaches workshops at writers’ conferences, and lives with her
husband and daughter in the mountains of Western North Carolina. You can read
more about her work at http://www.anntatlock.com.
Cindy Sproles
Cindy
Sproles is an author and speaker, whose dream is to do nothing more than craft
words that speak from the heart. She’s a mountain gal, born and raised in the
Appalachian Mountains. Cindy is the Executive Editor of
ChristianDevotions.us, and Acquisitions Editor for Lighthouse Publishing of the
Carolinas. Her devotions and articles
are published weekly in several newspapers across the country. Cindy is the
coauthor of He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to
Cultivating a Life of Passion, and
the author of New Sheets: Thirty Days to Refine You
Into the Woman You Can Be. Connect with her at http://cindysproles.com.
Kathy Ide
Kathy Ide is a full-time freelance editor and writing mentor. She
is also a ghostwriter/collaborator
and a speaker/teacher at writers’
conferences. As an Editor Services Coordinator,
Kathy matches authors, publishers, and agents with professional freelance
editors/proofreaders through the ChristianEditor Connection. She is the
founder and director of The ChristianPEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, a professional support
organization for aspiring and established editorial freelancers. Kathy
is the author of Proofreading Secrets of
Best-Selling Authors (formerly Polishing
the PUGS). She is the abundantly
blessed wife of a
fabulous man and mother of two terrific sons. Visit her at http://www.kathyide.com.
Thank you to Eddie Jones for starting this World Blog Tour
and for being a publisher who cares about furthering God’s
kingdom through the ministry of the written word! Visit Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas.
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