All posts by Sharon Hinck

Reviews for Stepping Into Sunlight

I recently heard from my publisher that ForeWord journal will include a favorable review of Stepping Into Sunlight in their Nov/Dec issue.

In part, the reviewer wrote, “. . . At this moment, Penny’s long journey of healing begins. If this were all the book had to offer, the author’s language and pacing would be enough to carry it forward, but Penny confronts not only the fear prompted by her brush with death, she also discovers pockets of shameful judgments she holds about people.”

I loved that the reviewer commented on some of the secondary character-growth themes that mattered to me in the story. I’m always tickled when someone catches what I’m going for in a story (besides my mom or my wonderful editors).

I’ve been so humbled and blessed by the positive reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal, and other journals like ForeWord. You can read professional reviews and endorsements here.

But I’m also delighted when I hear from readers.

Here are a few thoughts from recent emails about Stepping Into Sunlight:

“Your writing reached so deep into the hurting places of my own life that I could only read a chapter or so at a time. I could so identify with Penny and her pain. Yet, hope shone through, too.” — Judy

“I have NEVER related so deeply with a fictional character before… that was so perfectly descriptive…I even had my husband read some of the passages because you were able to articulate things I have been unable to.” — Robin

“You gave voice to the broken and showed how beautiful we are in God’s eyes.” — Amy

I treasure mail from readers and am in awe that God had a message of hope for various people who picked up the book with a variety of needs. He’s amazing that way.

Blessings!
Sharon Hinck

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Creative Writers at Crown College Rock!

The Writing Life

Last night I had the privilege of hanging out with a college class and chatting about the writing journey, answering questions, etc. It was my first time visiting Crown College (St. Bonifacius, MN).

I had an incredibly uplifting and inspiring time.

The students were earnest, engaged, bright, fun, and asked terrific questions. Their faith and mission-minded hearts were obvious. They didn’t only care about “How do I get published?” sorts of questions – but also the “How do I serve God as a writer? What does it mean to be a Christian who writes novels?” issues. I sensed that they really cared about communicating effectively for God’s kingdom, and serving Him with excellence.

Their professor, Casie Szalapski, is a treasure, and I’m so grateful she invited me to visit.

If you are ever feeling a little blue about the world, find a Christian college’s writing class to visit. You’ll be smiling for days.

His,
Sharon Hinck

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A Visit from Wayne Batson

Visiting Authors

I’ve always loved books. Growing up, authors were mysterious and amazing gifts to my little world. So once I became a novelist, one of my favorite perks was the opportunity to get to know other authors and spend time with them.

Each week for the next two months, I’ll share a little about one of the authors from the Motiv8 Fantasy Fiction Tour. I toured with these authors from October 3-12, 2008, all over the West Coast. You get to know a lot about an author when they get up at 4:00 a.m. to hit the road for another long day of events, or you see them sit beside a child in an oncology unit to share a book, or you teach an English class side-by-side with them. I hope whatever genres you read, you’ll enjoy hearing about the HEART of each of these authors.

This week, I’m welcoming Wayne Batson. His website and blog do an excellent job informing about his books, so be sure to visit them. He’s the author of the best selling Door Within series, and Isle of Swords books. He’s been a middle school teacher for sixteen years, and although readers of many ages enjoy his books, he has a special appeal to the 10-12 year-old reader.

Anyone who has heard Wayne do a reading from his stories, complete with English accent, creepy voices, and dramatic pauses knows that he is a gifted actor and story-teller. And he and Christopher Hopper could do company clubs with their improvisational skits and comic sword fights.

But there is something that impresses me even more than his talent for writing and performing. After two tours with Wayne, and many conference calls and emails, I have deep admiration for his passion to give God his best every day, and his empathy for the hurting. When I’ve felt discouraged by a professional setback, he’s been the first to email and agree that the road IS hard, but he also reminds me of God’s love and purposes.

If you have children in your life who enjoy fantasy tales, or pirate adventures, (or you enjoy them, too!) they will be drawn closer to the heart of God by Wayne’s stories.
I know that to be true, not only because I’ve seen hoards of kids mob him at book signings, but because he’s talked to me about his walk with God, and I know his kind of faith will always bleed through the pages of a story and impact the reader.

Blessings!
Sharon Hinck

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Author of the Month

Interviews, Stepping Into Sunlight, The Writing Life

One of the highlights of the Fantasy Fiction Tour was getting to meet Deena. She’s had a long-running blog that actively and fervently promotes Christian fiction, posts reviews, and supports Christian authors.

The photo shows our meeting in Sacramento.

Deena has begun a new feature on her blog – highlighting one author, in depth, each month. The month of October she’s been posting about me – including a new interview, a review of Stepping Into Sunlight, and several contests. You can see the menu of features here.

Be sure to stop by and thank her for all she does to help get the word out about novels by Christian authors!

Blessings!
Sharon Hinck

The Secret Life of Becky Miller (2007 ACFW Book of the Year – 2nd place, Lit category)
Renovating Becky Miller (2008 Audie Award Finalist, ACFW BOTY finalist)
The Restorer (2008 Christy Award Finalist, ACFW BOTY finalist)
The Restorer’s Son (ACFW Book of the Year Winner, Romantic Times 4.5 stars, Reviewer’s Choice Award – Road to Romance)
New Releases:
The Restorer’s Journey
Symphony of Secrets
Now Available:
Stepping Into Sunlight

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Starting From Scratch

Visiting Authors

For several years, I’ve been a member of the Minnesota Christian Writer’s Guild – and during many of those years, Sharon Knudson has led the group with grace and encouragement, and Mary Heitzman has also served as a board member and generously served other writers, and is now stepping into leadership.

One year, I had breakfast with them both at Mt. Hermon Christian Writer’s Conference. I shared some difficult challenges I was facing in the writing journey, and Sharon said, “Could I pray with you?”

She took my hand and poured blessings over me. Her words literally gave me strength that year.

I have also enjoyed speaking to the MCWG, and always felt tremendous support from Sharon and Mary. (Not to mention that great lunch at Cheesecake Factory!) 😉

So it is no surprise to me that Sharon and Mary have created a touching and encouraging book for people facing difficult change–often unwanted and unexpected. You can learn more at their website.

——-
Q: Mary, as you talked with women, what did you find helped them cope with their situation?

Mary: Many of the women we visited with often spoke of turning to Scripture. While some had a strong faith that allowed them to draw comfort from great passages in the Bible, others questioned God at first, or had feisty conversations with Him.

All were needy of, and appreciated, kind words and gestures from friends and family. But I was struck at how they all found comfort when their supporters were not available. Many of the women we visited with mentioned a devotional, a workbook, or some special story that encouraged them. Some started blogs or began a ministry. Many swallowed their pride and accepted help from others, including the government, recognizing that this was just for a season.

For most of these women, dependency on God Himself seemed to be the key ingredient when tragedy first struck. After that they allowed others to minister to them. And then eventually they took that one small step necessary to move forward and accept change.

Q: Sharon K., the first story in the book is from your personal experience and is titled, “Telling.” Why is talking to others—even friends—about your situation so hard?

Sharon Knudson: When I suddenly got divorced, no one knew what to think or say. It was a complete shock to everyone (including me), and it felt like a bomb had gone off in the night. People want an explanation, and if one is not readily apparent, they make their own guesses as to what probably happened. Some gossip and take sides. Some get very angry and feel betrayed: in a way, their own security is threatened and they wonder, “If that could happen to her, could it happen to me?”

“Telling”came right out of my journal. It was written as I grappled with how to tell people what had happened just a few months after the divorce. We have included this as a book excerpt on our blog.
——-
Thanks so much, Sharon and Mary! I know many women will be blessed by these stories.

And I’m giving away a free copy – drawing from names of everyone who comments to this post and leaves a working email where I can contact them if they win.

Have you ever had to “start from scratch”?

Blessings!
Sharon Hinck

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Sunday in San Diego

Devotional Musings, The Restorer, The Restorer's Journey, The Restorer's Son, The Writing Life

My last post was a week ago – hard to believe!
And it feels like that was a month ago. So much has happened on the road. But blogging didn’t. In spite of my best intentions I didn’t find many opportunities for internet access or time in our full days.

This morning I’m going to church with my friend Susie Meissner who opened her home for me to stay and then is taking me to the airport (in spite of the fact that she has a book launch today, for her wonderful new title, The Shape of Mercy).

When I get home, I’ll have many days of catch-up. Catching up on family time, sleep, emails, laundry, all the revisions I wanted to work on while on the road. So blogging may continue to be sparse.

So I’m grabbing this moment to share a little about the tour.

God was present.

We had some convocations with hundreds of students and teachers and parents. We had some bookstore signings with huge turn-out, where I was chatting with people and signing non-stop. And we had other events with tiny groups and various unexpected challenges.

But each place, I met at least one person who had been a long-distance friend, or met a reader who had been blessed by one of my books, or heard stories of people’s lives and was able to pray with them. Those encounters were a joy.

I also got to hear seven other amazing Christian authors share about their journey, their faith, their passion for the written word, and see their travel-weary silliness–a blessing that will live with me during my next year of solitary writing work.

I also have to share that I experienced a true, gentle miracle. The first couple days, I was so sick that friends and team-mates were giving me the option to fly home. I remember one teammate kindly saying, “no guilt. no one will think less of you.” I knew I should be home. Yet I still felt that God wanted me on the tour and determined to try to make it one more day. And then one more.

I believe it was Portland where I hit my lowest physically and emotionally, and didn’t know how to go on. I knew my friends at home were praying for my strength. I had prayed over and over for healing and grace for the work. Then one of the tour mates offered to pray with me and BOY HOWDY did he pray.

I dried my eyes, and got back in the van for the next drive, the next event…
no woosh of sudden peace or healing…
BUT over the course of the next few days I had more stretches of feeling “like me.” I was getting LESS rest, working more and more, but God was strengthening me.

Friday night, we spoke at Calvary Chapel in Huntington Beach – and I got to share about the way God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. And my devotion had new resonance. I SO longed to go out in strength on this tour, sharing with energy and enthusiasm, engaging people, encouraging and speaking with lively faith. Instead God called me to go out in weakness and lean into Him. I confess I was often weak and whiney, fearful and frustrated.

Isn’t it amazing that we serve a God who can use us even like that? And I continue to pray for His transforming power to reshape me. It’s just a LOOOOOOONG process.

I’ll try to blog about some of the highlights of the tour soon!
You can see video clips at www.fantasyfictiontour.com
Blessed Sunday!
Sharon Hinck

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If It’s Sunday, it must be Medford

I hesitate to blog after a few days of the West Coast Tour, and a head full of amazing and varied impressions. I can’t imagine I’ll get everything straight, or spell things correctly.

I do believe it’s Sunday night, and I know we’re in Medford.

So far we had a great time visiting classrooms to speak, conducting mentoring groups, and doing a program and then book signing for a middle-school in Abbotsford, Canada. Then we returned to our gathering point in Seattle and did a television interview for TBN, then an afternoon book signing at Harvest Logos bookstore in Seattle – they were able to borrow space from the ministry offices next to the bookstore and had a whole wonderful maze of author tables and enthusiastic readers who came out to meet us. We hurried from there to the Salt Shaker bookstore in Enumclaw for an evening event. They had decorated the walls with medieval castle backdrops, and Wayne and Christopher entertained with a sword fight, and several authors read scenes.

We hit the road early and made it to Portland by 11am to meet in an outdoor gazebo with readers (some of whom traveled four hours to meet a favorite author or two). After a long afternoon driving south, we reached Medford, where we were warmly welcomed to the Bridgeport Mall’s Evangel bookstore – and were blessed by a huge group of readers who kept thanking us for the books we write and for coming to visit.

We have been humbled, honored, exhausted, delighted, and amazed at God’s provision.

Those of you who’ve been praying for my health and strength on this tour . . . thank you. Tonight I felt close to normal after a couple days of really struggling. That was such a huge gift, I can hardly express it.

Now I’m off to grab a few hours of sleep. We hit the road early tomorrow.
I must at least mention that:

Jonathan Rogers has claimed ownership of the subgenre of swamp fiction within fantasy,

Amanda explained that she used kitten milk to feed baby squirrels and the guys asked, “How do you milk a kitten?”

The Miller brothers told me gullible isn’t in the dictionary…and I believed them.

When crossing the border into Canada, Bryan handed the border guard all our USA passports and was asked where we were from. “All over the country,” he answered.
“What country?” the guard asked.

Wayne said (about Seattle), “So this is where the sun goes down in the east.” (Um, Wayne. The sun sets in the WEST).

The amazing writers on the tour are not only a bit silly… they are amazingly talented and unceasingly kind – which has helped carry me through feeling a bit weaker than I’d like to be while undertaking this adventure.

More soon!

His on the road,
Sharon

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Two Tours

As I’ve shared recently, I’m preparing for a book tour of the west coast with seven other Christian authors. You can find out more about the Motiv8 tour here.

But I’m also releasing my new women’s fiction novel in October, and various friends are blogging about it.

So I invite you to have fun following both tours – visiting blogs that are chatting about Stepping Into Sunlight, and watching live video feed from the in-person Motiv8 events in Canada, Washington, Oregon, and California where I’ll be highlighting The Restorer books. Better yet, if you live near any of the cities I’m visiting – please come out and visit with me in person!

Amazing blogger Deena is featuring my books all of October on her site, with games, prizes, challenges, interviews, and loads of fun. Be sure to visit her site often.

The effervescent Jill Hart did a radio interview with me about the book that you can listen to here.

And I’ve already posted excerpts from the television interview on The Harvest Show on the media page of my website.

My Down-under buddy, Rel, posted here.

Dear friend Amy Wallace posted a review of Stepping Into Sunlight here.

My friend Susie Meissner is doing a give-away.

Camy Tang had an early post about the book here.

Katrina Wampler and several of her blogging friends are posting about the book, and sharing an ongoing interview with me.

Cara Putman posted about “Penny’s Project” (the interactive way to get involved in the story) here.She’ll be doing more posting soon, so stop back at her site.

My friend Jeanette Hanscome wrote about her adventures with “Penny’s Project” at her blog.

Those are just a few of the corners of the cyberworld where you’ll find me. There are other bloggers who’ve been participating in “Penny’s Project” during September and you can see them all in my list of links there.

You can find all sorts of bonus goodies about Stepping Into Sunlight here.

Blessings!
Sharon Hinck

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More Photos

Here are a few more fun moments from the ACFW conference in Minnesota last week.

Booksigning at Mall of America:

The jumbo-tron screen at the main rotunda – featuring my new release, Stepping Into Sunlight.

And then a fun moment – seen in the lobby of the hotel. Yes, that is “The Restorer” being read. 🙂

And a friend caught a better picture of my thank you speech after The Restorer’s Son won Book of the Year in Speculative Fiction.

Today I’m doing a lot of the Mary thing – “keeping all these things and pondering them in my heart.” I met so many dear, gifted, amazing, precious people, had so many fantastic conversations, and absorbed so much, I think I’ll be processing it for the next several months.

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