This morning, I’m happy to welcome Angela Hunt
to talk about her new release, Doesn’t She Look Natural?

About the story: How do you live when God asks you to bury a dream? Jennifer Graham, the no-nonsense chief of staff for a Virginia senator, quits her job after her divorce—and finds herself an unemployed single mom. Forced to live with her mother until she can find work on Capitol Hill that does not involve her gregarious ex-husband, her efforts are stymied until she learns that she has inherited a funeral home in picturesque Mt. Dora. Jennifer journeys to the small Florida town with her two sons and her mother, never dreaming that within a mortuary she will uncover mysteries of love and life.

I was able to sit in on some of Angela’s fiction classes at Mount Hermon. I learned so much from her, just listening to the way she navigates the writing life, as well as how she tackles writing challenges. Her professionalism and her commitment to crafting compelling fiction are an inspiration to me.

Angela, how did you come up with the concept for Doesn’t She Look Natural?

A: I read HEAVEN by Randy Alcorn and naturally began to think about the life to come. I’ve also lost several friends over the last couple of years, and I’ve come to realize that death, for the believer, is not to be feared. I thought a series about a funeral home might be a good way to address issues affecting the living and those who are facing death.

How closely is this Doesn’t She Look Natural based on your life?

There are bits of every author’s life in every story he or she produces, but I am happily married with two older children. I’ve never been a mortician, but I’ve always been interested in all things medical.

What is the symbolism for the title Doesn’t She Look Natural?

When my editor and I were talking about titles, we were trying to think of things people always say at funerals. We’ve come up with three: Doesn’t She Look Natural?, She Always Wore Red, and She’s in a Better Place.

Do you have a favorite character? Why?

I’m a little partial to Bugs, Jennifer’s five-year-old son. He says the cutest things . . .

How much research did Does She Look Natural take?

Quite a bit, and this is just the beginning of the series. In the second book, Jen goes to mortuary school, and by the third book she is actively operating the funeral home. So I’ve had to learn quite a bit about funeral homes, caskets, supplies, embalming, burial versus cremation, etc.

What are some of the challenges you face as an author?

I think all authors face the same challenges—the need to place ourselves in a chair and stay there until the work is done, the challenge of staying fresh in the face of many revisions, and the challenge of weaving entertaining stories and spiritual truths. People looking for the former aren’t always looking for the latter.

What message would you like your readers to take away from Doesn’t She Look Natural?

I would like readers to see that God is always leading us . . . even when we don’t like the direction in which we’re moving. And when God moves us, He supplies our needs . . . sometimes in the most unexpected ways.

Angela, thanks for stopping by, and blessings on this new series!
Sharon

I had the pleasure of meeting Camy Tang at Mount Hermon several years ago. We were at the same table for a meal, and after everyone else left, we stayed and talked…it’s one of those “kindred spirit moments” that birthed a longterm friendship. She’s a POWERHOUSE blogger, and she offered to guest blog for me today, as part of her kick-off blog tour for Sushi for One, her debut novel. Welcome, Camy!

The Risk-taker

by Camy Tang

I’m so thrilled to be guest blogging here today! Sharon has been my friend, mentor, cheerleader, slave-driver, and prayer warrior for almost the entire time I’ve been writing professionally.

I first met Sharon at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, and it was a total God thing. He brought us together in line one day,

(note from Sharon: I thought it was at a lunch table…but since writer’s conferences are notoriously exhausting, I admit my memories could be a bit muddled)

and we completely hit it off.

(note from Sharon: That part I remember vividly. Camy felt like a kindred spirit instantly – although she’s much more hip, savvy, and strong than I could ever hope to be).

Sharon was unpublished at the time, but she’d been writing for a few years longer than I had, and was a step ahead of me on the writing journey.

Sharon inspires me because she’s always been willing to take risks. Her first and foremost purpose is to write what will encourage others, and if that involves taking risks, she’s not afraid.

(note from Sharon: HA! I’m constantly afraid. I’m just too dumb to realize how tough certain choices can be.)

At Mount Hermon, she told me about her first books—the Restorer series books. She wrote them because she felt God wanted her to use that genre to encourage people and point them toward Himself.

Science-fiction and fantasy books were hard novels to sell to publishers even then, but she persisted in obedience to God, unafraid of taking the risk.

At the time, historicals were also not selling well. But she told me about her historical novel, based on her grandmother’s life, that was also aimed at encouraging Christians, especially in the midst of war and hardship.

Sharon’s next novel, The Secret Life of Becky Miller, was also a risk because there weren’t many mom lit books in the Christian market. However, she felt convicted to speak to other women like herself who were torn between the practical demands of family and church and their own desire to do Big Things for God. God Himself had big plans for that novel, and it quickly sold to Bethany House.

Her fearlessness in the face of God’s leading became an example to me of how I ought to write.

I had started writing a romance with ethnic-neutral characters, but I thought I felt God’s leading to write with Asian characters instead. He gave me a clear message when Brandilyn Collins prayed over me at the ACFW conference that year—to “write my heritage.”

The problem was that at the time, publishers weren’t looking for multicultural books. There were no other Asian Americans in fiction publishing. The marketability of an Asian novel was iffy.

But Sharon inspired me (as well as giving me a few cyber-kicks in the butt). I wrote the story with Asian characters, aware that it was a risk. Sharon mentored me through that novel and the manuscripts after it, all with Asian characters. (Yup, you read that right, manuscripts—plural. I wrote for several years before getting a bite.)

Then Zondervan showed interest in Sushi for One. (On a side note, here’s some nifty trivia—originally the manuscript was called Solo Sashimi, except nobody knew how to pronounce it. LOL)

(Sharon’s note: I’ll confess that when Camy told me her tag line, “romance with a kick of wasabi,” I emailed her back to ask, “what’s wasabi?” Clearly this midwesterner with German/Russian heritage had missed out on some great culture–and food.)

The rest is history, but Sharon continues to remind me that we are called to take risks in our obedience to Christ. We may not see the rewards right away, but God rewards our obedience eventually.

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Camy, thanks so much for guest blogging about risks.

One thing that is NOT a risk, but a sure thing — readers will love Sushi for One. When I read it, I felt the same joy of discovery and recognition that I did when I saw the movie, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”

Stop by Camy’s Blog to learn more, and see all the other interviews, give-aways and stops she’s making on her blog tour this month.

This morning I’m delighted to help spread the word about a new Susan Meissner book coming out next week.

Susie lived in Minnesota for many years, and so I consider her a writing cousin and neighbor (as well as dear friend). She has a passion for her art and an even bigger passion for Christ.

Here’s info about her latest story, Days and Hours.

Readers of suspense fiction will once again be enthralled with the latest entry in the compelling series featuring attorney Rachael Flynn and her continuing cast of intriguing characters.

A newborn is found alive in a trash bin and a young, single mother insists her baby was abducted. While St. Paul police are skeptical, attorney Rachael Flynn’s strange dreams lead her to believe the mother is telling the truth. But who would steal a baby only to leave it for dead?

When the baby disappears again, Rachael agonizes over her decision to allow the baby to be returned to his mother. Did she make a terrible mistake? And where is that missing baby? Who would wish the child harm? Rachael races to see past the deception that threatens to send a young mother to prison and a newborn to a terrible fate.

Susie shares a little more about this book:

Days & Hours is the third installment of the Rachael Flynn mystery series. My heroine is a 30-year-old defense attorney-turned-prosecutor who works in the Ramsey County Attorneys office in St. Paul, MN. She lives in a loft apartment across the river in Minneapolis (and she used to travel that bridge that collapsed!!) with her artist husband, Trace. Trace has a circle of highly artistic friends, one in particular named Fig, who help her pick apart crime scenes by sketching possible scenarios. With their help and her gift-like insights into the human condition, Rachael assists St Paul homicide detective, Will Pendleton, solve tough cases.

When I was a guardian ad litem for the state of Minnesota, I was introduced to the world of the single mother who lives in poverty, dependent on the state, and often woefully unprepared for motherhood. I delved into that world in Days & Hours, paying particular attention to the stigma we place on the stuck-on-welfare mom. They are not a one-size fits all demographic. Some cannot find success no matter how hard they try. Some simply don’t try. Most love their children as best they can. Many know it takes more than love to raise a child, but they have no other resources at their disposal. I don’t pretend to offer answers, just raise awareness.

The other titles in this series are Widows & Orphans (2006) and Sticks & Stones (2007). Widows & Orphans is a current finalist for the ACFW Book of the Year.

You can learn more about Susan and all her books at her blog and website.

Sooz, thanks for stopping by, and blessings on your new release!
Sharon