Meet Sherri Wilson Johnson

Today I'm happy to welcome my friend and fellow OakTara author, Sherri Wilson Johnson, to my blog. Her novel, To Dance Once More, was recently released.

Hi! I am Sherri Wilson Johnson. I love to spend time with my family, ride roller coasters, eat ice cream, and read and write. Writing has been a hobby of mine since I was a little girl. As a young adult, I began writing Inspirational Romances, which quickly became my favorite pastime and grew into a calling. I took the writers course through the Christian Writers Guild and have never looked back. I write heart-warming Inspirational fiction (Historical and Contemporary) that challenges readers to have faith even in life's most difficult of storms. Pure Romance is usually the main theme of my books but they have so much more to them than just that. I love to sprinkle in suspense and mystery, as well. Although my primary focus is ministering to women readers, I am a former homeschooling mom so much of what I write is suitable for the Young Adult market.

My debut novel, To Dance Once More (OakTara), is set in Victorian-era Florida, bringing the romance of the beach, Victorian times, and debutante balls together (some of my favorite things). I hope to prove that true love still exists and that it is worth the wait. I never shy away from speaking candidly of the purity of not only the heroine but of the hero, as well, because I believe in today's world, we need to encourage both men and women to live pure lives. I believe that writing is so much a part of who I am that I must use it to share what I am passionate about. I desire to point others to Jesus through my words.

To Dance Once More: When Victorian debutante, Lydia Barrington, accidentally discovers that her father has promised her to the son of an unscrupulous businessman in payment for his own debts, she must make the biggest decision of her life…to concede or to fight. To Dance Once More explores the possibilities for a young woman, who longs to find God’s will for her life, yet is faced with a decision that will change her life forever. If she follows her heart, she disobeys her father; if she abides by her father’s wishes, she betrays herself.

My next book, Song of the Meadowlark (OakTara), will be out in May 2012 and the sequel to To Dance Once More should be out by the end of 2012. I am also polishing a third novel, After the Raging Storm, and working on a legal mystery and a sequel to Song of the Meadowlark. In addition to fiction, I also write homeschool resources and Bible studies, which I self-published, and are available on my secondary website www.sherrijohnsonministries.com. I guess you could say that there will be plenty of books to read in the future and I would be honored if people chose them for their libraries.

* What was the major driving factor that led you to write your story/series?
I have worked with teenagers for years through volunteering at church. I have seen the pressures these teens go through to conform to the world and how they believe that love is the same thing as sex. I want teens everywhere, including my own two young adult children, to know what true love is.

* What do you hope readers will gain from reading your book? I hope my readers will come away from reading To Dance Once More feeling challenged to live a life of purity, encouraged to think of others before they think of themselves, and to never let a day go by without telling people how much they love them.

* What character would you most identify with? Lydia, the main character. She's a little on the mischievous side and it takes her a while to realize when she's being selfish. I deal with the same issues.

* What advice have you received that's had the biggest impact on your writing and who gave that advice? My writing instructor through the Christian Writers Guild, Norm Rohrer, advised me to "show, not tell" when writing. He said instead of using the words "was" and "felt" to find a way to demonstrate the character's feelings or actions. Also Gail Gaymer Martin advised me to replace "said" and "asked" with an action.

* Other than finding time, what was your greatest challenge while writing your book? Besides my Chihuahua, my greatest challenge is staying focused on the project I'm working on at that moment instead of flip-flopping to other projects.

* If you could meet any author, past or present, who would it be and why? James, the brother of Jesus, who wrote the Book of James in the Bible. He's full of spice and tells it like it is and I have learned so much from him.

Readers can find me on:
Facebook
Twitter
 
Websites: 
Sherri Wilson Johnson and Sherri Johnson Ministries
Amazon Link
Book Trailer