Writer Laura Jackson On Reading

Laura, welcome to Writers on Reading! Your Young Adult books look so fun. I love what Stephen Colbert (New David Letterman) said last year, when he described YA books as regular novels that people actually read. Stats claim the majority of YA readers are adults. (I know I’ve read a lot of YA these last years, and I’m guessing you often have, too.) But even so, that doesn’t narrow your reading habits down enough for me. So, when picking your next reading adventure, are you more often drawn to historical or modern settings? Light and fluffy or dark and brooding? What themes do you look for?

 I read a bit of everything—from picture books to thrillers. My absolute favorite genre is YA though. I love coming of age stories where a character finds out who they are. That’s why I started writing Christian YA—because as a follower of Jesus, I don’t think we can truly find ourselves without finding the One who created us.

What a wonderful way to look at YA! Definitely shows why you write it. As a writer, you should know better, but as a reader, you know we all do it…so, when did you last “judge a book by the cover”? How did it work out?

I do judge books by their covers. I bought The One That Got Away by Bethany Chase because I loved the simple cover. I’d never heard of her and only skimmed the back of the book, but I still bought it. That’s the power of a great cover.

That is actually a really artistic cover. I can see why it resonated with you. Do you find time to read during the months you spend writing a book? If so, what did you read while working on your last book?

I’m a school librarian, so I read a lot. So, while I worked on my last book, I probably read 75 or more books, mostly picture books and some middle grade.

Oh my, that's a lot of books! With that many under your belt---and while you were writing!---I must ask: Did a book recently make you laugh/cry/sigh/shiver?

I think the only book I’ve ever read that made me do ALL of those things was Sold by Patricia McCormick. That book is simply amazing. It opened my eyes to the sex trafficking business, and the author handled it gracefully, offering a realistic view with a bit of hope.

Were you the kind of kid/teen who loved reading? Which novel do you first remember reading?

(And do you still have a copy?)

Yes, I loved to read. Mary Higgins Clark was my first favorite author, and I still love her. I own every single one of her books.

One of my earliest book-related memories is my cousins teasing me because I was reading The Battle of New Orleans when I was in third grade. It was a thick book, and I don’t remember anything about it or the Battle of New Orleans except they made fun of me.

Oh, I just love that! Thank you for sharing! With such a strong love for books, when did you know you wanted to write? Did any or multiple books influence this desire?

I taught middle school language arts, and I wrote a lot with my students. When I became a librarian, I missed writing. So, I opened up a Word document and started typing.

That's perfect! Has any book stuck with you recently? What created the lasting impressions?

Ally Carter’s newest one All Fall Down is fantastic. Ally is one of my favorite YA authors because she writes so tightly and weaves a complicated plot together smoothly. This book is a little darker than her earlier books, so I was left wanting to reread it as a reader and as an author because it was wonderfully done. (Ally Carter writes mainstream YA, but it’s super clean. Recommended to anyone 12 and up.)

Well, that's a solid recommendation. With summer on, what is on your to-read list? And what is your ideal summer reading experience?

I’m off all summer, so I have a lot of books I want to read. These are just a few.

Taken by Dee Henderson

A House Divided by Robert Whitlow

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

Skin by Ted Dekker

Bake Me a Match by Erynn Mangum

Hearts Made Whole by Jody Hedlund

Graceful by Wendy Mass

The Melody Lingers On by Mary Higgins Clark

And my pile of Lisa Wingate books that I’ve been saving for summer so that I can read them slowly and soak it all in

As you can see, I read just about any genre!

I’m in Alaska this week, and I wish I could stay here all summer. It’s the perfect place to read. Today, I laid back on a hill that faced a lining of trees, then a body of water that lapped a mountain’s edge. It was breath-taking. I read a little bit there today---Sarah Dessen’s latest book Saint Anything, and I’m hoping to go back before I leave to read a little more.

Here’s a picture I took before I started reading.

What a great glimpse into your reading life. Looks like a fantastic summer list, and wow, that is an idllyc summer reading experience, Laura! I feel like I'm there. One last question before I let you get back to your view and your reading: If the girls from your books were to pick a book from today’s shelves, what do you think it would be?

Ellie Lansing from Worth the Wait would read the Christy Miller series by Robin Jones Gunn, which is one of my all-time favorite YA series because she can relate to Christy.

Lindsey Hamilton would read Jenny B. Jones’ books because they are hilarious.

 

Sounds like perfect answers and more great recommendations! Thank you, Laura, for sharing. It was a delight to get to know more about you as a reader. Folks, you can continue to connect with Laura---and find out more about her books!---at the following links, but first, her bio:

I love books—I serve as the librarian of an elementary school during the day and come home to write YA books at night. I love writing stories about girls finding out who they are in Jesus Christ. I’m also passionate about Jesus, trees, cardigans, and the Houston Rockets.

PURCHASE AND CONNECTION LINKS:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurajacksonwrites

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraJackson80

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Laura-Jackson/e/B00EAAB1OA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Website/Blog: http://authorlaurajackson.blogspot.com/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/laurajackson80/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/ljack80/

Writer Darlene Franklin On Reading

Darlene, welcome to Writers on Reading! I am very excited about this interview—After all, with numerous historical romances and mysteries to your name, I cannot begin to guess what you’ll read! And, psst, folks, she's giving away a Kindle copy of her historical Love's Glory, and her mystery Gunfight at Grace Gulch. So be sure to leave a comment to enter the giveaway for both books (we'll need at least ten for the giveaway). So back to the interview…is your bookshelf full of titles as varying as your publishing credits, or do you find one genre draws your attention more than others? Is there something special you seek when selecting your next reading adventure?

My answer to your first two questions is contradictory. Yes, my bookshelf (more precisely, my Nook since my room in the nursing home doesn’t have space for books) is full of a variety of books. And yes, one genre draws my attention more than others—mysteries and thrillers. Since I have over a hundred books on my Nook, I am careful about selecting new books to add. Although I do pay for a few books, I get most books for free or on sale. (That’s okay, I’m sure you do too) Things I look for: authors I enjoy or Christian authors I want to support, even if they’re new to me. A variety of genres, emphasizing mysteries and the genre I write, historical romance, anything with story lines that interest me. I also look for subjects that interest me, such as mysteries at a vintage clothing store (like my Dressed for Death series) or settings of special interest.

What do I avoid? In spite of the many interesting fantasy/Sci-Fi story lines, I avoid stories with teen characters (don’t adults get to be heroes anymore?), and I also avoid series. I have too many books to read 5-6 books before I reach the end of the story. I also put off reading books longer than 250 pages. Maybe once I catch up with the shorter books. . .

In terms of what do I read next, I am quite methodical. I have a list of all my books, separated into 3 categories: nonfiction, favorites/Christian, and general. I’ve divided

them into 12 months of the year. So each month I try to read at least one book from each category, and make sure I read a mixture of mysteries and something else. I also allow myself to stop reading if at any point the story fails to interest me.

Wow, that's a very logical way to go about it. I also admire the gumption to stop if it fails to interest you. So, that said, what is on your to-read list?

This is my list from this month. If I’m lucky, I’ll read 5-6 of them.

NONFICTION:

1.    Jacobs, Cindy. The Power of Persistent Prayer 

2.    Jones, Sherry. Four Sisters, All Queens

FAVORITES:

1.    Gist, Diann. Courting Trouble

2.    Grafton, Sue V is for Vengeance

3.    Grafton, Sue. W is for Wasted

GENERAL:

1.    Gill, David MacInnis, Tin City Thunder

2.    Gillenwater, Sharon. Jenna's Cowboy

3.    Girard, Danielle. Dead Center

4.    Glaser, Donita White. The Enemy We Know

5.    Goodsen, Simon. Wanderer's Escape

6.    Gordon, Rose. The Officer and the Bostoner

7.    Goth, Mitch. Parabellum

8.    Grant, Vanessa.  Lifelines

9.    Griffith, B.B. Blue Fall

10. Halliday, Spying in High Heels

11. Hankins, James. Brothers and Bones

12. Hanna, H.Y. Playing Santa.

13. Hanson, Neal. Castle Cay

14. Hartoin, A.W. A Good Man Gone

15. Heal, Deborah. Time and Again.

16. Henderson, Peggy. Yellowstone Heart Song

17. Hewitt, Kate. Far Horizons

18. Hileman, John Michael. Messages

19. Hill, Melissa. The Heartbreak Café

20. Hill, Rayven. Blood and Justice

21. Hill, Travis. Search Terms: Alpha

22. Hilton, Traci Tyne. Good, Clean Murder

That's a great list! What was the most out-of-character book you’ve recently read, and what led to your choice?

I read a Zombie book—something I ordinarily would have avoided with a 10-foot pole. The teaser for the book doesn’t relate that fact, however. I’m not sure what attracted me, and I picked it up before I had such a pile of books. Now I probably wouldn’t buy it, for reasons I mentioned before.

The thing is, I really enjoyed the first two books. When the complete 6-book set was on sale for 99 cents, I bought it. Six quirky characters compelled me to care and put into an impossible situation. A believable future. It made me want to find fellow fans to talk about it with (I haven’t found any yet).

Oh, the series is Gameland by Saul Tanpepper.

A zombie book---never would have guessed it. I'm laughing. This is why I love these interviews! And I love finding out the why. Quirky compelling characters in an impossible situation; yep, you've got me wanting to read it! I have to ask, you’ve produced so many books, do you find time to read during the months you spend writing a book or with deadlines ahead is it either/or for you? If so, what did you read while working on your last book?

Oh, my, yes, I’m always reading. I don’t read as much as I used to. But my current practice is to read a Christian nonfiction book as part of my quiet time—I am now reading Becoming a Vessel God Can Use by Donna Partow. I read from my TBR list at night. My last three fiction books (read in April) have been mysteries—I tried others, truly, but they didn’t keep my attention. My current “read,” Green Lake, S.K. Epperson, is a good mystery but has those pages of explicit sex that I flip over. Sigh.

What was the last book you absolutely couldn't put down? Why?

Best book of the year, best in a long time (and a mystery, of course): The Gray and Guilty Sea by Scott WilliamCarter. Great use of setting and complex, compelling characters. One author I can’t wait to read again.

Sounds very good. Did a book recently make you laugh?

Confessionsof a Prayer Slacker by Diane Moody. The title itself gives a hint of the author’s laughter-laced, humorous, approachable style.

Indeed it does! Were you the kind of kid/teen who loved reading? Which novel do you first remember reading?

I’ve always been a reader. In high school, I bought a scholastic book of the books you should read before college, and I tried to read them all. Along about my Junior year I decided I didn’t have to read a book I didn’t enjoy. The sad truth is that I read a lot of American classics that I was too young to appreciate.

But that aside, I fell in love with certain authors. First I read everything by Charles Dickens I could find. Then I got into Thomas Hardy.

And oh yes, of course, oh, my, I read The Lord of the Rings trilogy five times in my teen years.

Five times! Well, that brings us right to my next question: Is there a book you are looking forward to rereading?

LizCurtis Higgs’ Really Bad Girls of theBible.

That answer came right from the top of your head! Quite the recommendation. Now, one last question: If Beth, from Love’s Glory, were to pick a book from today’s shelves, what do you think it would be?

When Beth was younger, she might have read the mega blockbusters so popular with teens, like The Hunger Games. But now, as a single mother struggling to survive, she’d read baby magazines and how-to books and maybe join a Bible study group to encourage her to read the Bible more.

A perfect answer! Well thought out, as were all the things you shared. Thanks so much for visiting and letting us get to know you better as a reader, Darlene! Folks, you can continue to connect with Darlene at the links below. But it gets better, IF we get ten comments or more, Darlene has offered to give away a Kindle copy of her two very varied books featured on this interview: Gunfight at Grace Gulch AND Love's Glory---a perfect sampling of this multifaceted author's tastes! I'll be doing the draw June 28, so leave a comment left before 5:00 p.m. CDT June 28 for a chance to win these two books. Must be over 19 and a US resident to enter. Click here for more details.

BIO:

Darlene Franklin’s greatest claim to fame is that she writes full-time from a nursing home. She lives in Oklahoma, near her son and his family, and continues her interests in playing the piano and singing, books, good fellowship, and reality TV in addition to writing. She is an active member of Oklahoma City Christian Fiction Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and the Christian Authors Network. She has written over thirty books and has written more than 250 devotionals. Her historical fiction ranges from the Revolutionary War to World War II, from Texas to Vermont. You can find Darlene online elsewhere at https://www.facebook.com/Poet.Darlene.Franklin and http://www.amazon.com/Darlene-Franklin/e/B001K8993A/.

PURCHASE AND CONNECTION LINKS:

Purchase link for Love’s Glory: http://www.amazon.com/Loves-Christian-Historical-Romance-Holidays-ebook/dp/B00YSY018K/

LIES AND BETRAYAL CHASE BETH FROM HER HOME TOWN.
It’s 1919. Everything is changing—cars are common and airplanes helped win the War to End All Wars. Even the German-Americans of New Brandenburg, Texas, renamed their town Old Glory to prove their patriotism.
None of that matters to Beth Smith. In 1917, her boyfriend Garan Schmidt enlisted in the Army—and left her pregnant. She left home and built a new life for herself and their daughter.
When Garan finds Beth and their daughter in May 1919, he is eager to make amends and start over. Beth is unsure if she is ready to tell the truth that will set them free.

Purchase link for Gunfight at Grace Gulch, book 1 in my Dressed for Death mystery series: http://www.amazon.com/Gunfight-Grace-Christian-Mystery-Dressed-ebook/dp/B00U4XPROW

The feud between the Graces and the Gaynors is still going strong more than a century after its inception in the 1891 Oklahoma land run. Newspaper editor Penn Hardy is murdered during the reenactment of the most famous gunfight in the history of Grace Gulch, Oklahoma. Cici Wilde, owner of a vintage clothing store, feels compelled to investigate when police suspect people close to her. She soon discovers her talent for sleuthing equals her flare for wearing period clothing. Theater director Audie Howe never expected the reenactment to end in a real murder. He cares too much for the future of the Magda Grace Mallory Theater - and the charming Cici Wilde - to let her face danger alone. Cici and Audie take a dangerous gamble to nail the killer - and lay their lives on the line.

Writer Patrick E. Craig On Reading

Patrick, welcome to Writers on Reading! Looking at your Amish books brings such a feeling of nostalgia. It makes me wonder, as a reader do you most often escape into your genre---books with that charming sense of yesteryear and community? Or do you press your nose into a hard-edged political thriller every now and again just to remember you live in our world?

I rarely read books from the genre I write in. That is because I am one of about five men who write Amish romance, and I come from a very different point of view. I am not much into lighthearted romance dressed in Amish clothing, which is what most of the ladies in my genre are writing. I am much more interested in an uplifting exploration of deep and growing faith in the midst of trials and desperate situations. So when I read, I generally read a Zane Grey western or a thriller.

Oh, that's so fun to hear! A real recommendation for Zane Grey. So, what was the most out-of-character book you’ve recently read and what led to your choice?

I recently read A Jane Austen Encounter, an Elizabeth and Richard Mystery Book by Donna Fletcher Crow. I read it because Donna is a new friend and I wanted to explore something she has written. It was very enjoyable and quite different from what I expected.

Donna has great books. Tell your friend I've enjoyed them in the past. I still have her Glastonbury sitting on my shelf for someday when I can invest the time in it. Speaking of time, do you read during the months you spend writing a book or is it either/or for you? If so, what did you read while working on your last book?

I always am reading something. I’ve learned over the years that there is nothing new under the sun and I do not have all the original ideas. So reading other writers while I am writing a book helps me with characters, plot and ideas to solve some problem corners I may have written myself into.

Great point. What was the last book you absolutely couldn't put down? Why?

Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey. The characters and the story are spellbinding, and it’s a book that taught me much about telling a story while developing real characters. I loved it.

Were you the kind of kid/teen who loved reading? Which novel do you first remember reading?

When I was a kid my parents had a library full of books in a sitting room in our house. There were all kinds of books there, from history books that my father used when he was a teacher, to books that came from my grandmother’s library. I loved to read and spent hours in that room reading the books over and over. When I was in grade school, I read all the books in our school library by the time I was in the fifth grade. My teacher would drive me over to the Junior High library to check out books. I remember reading Moby Dick when I was about eleven.

Oh, that makes me smile! And I imagine your teacher could have guessed you'd be a writer. You mentioned being one of a handful of men who writing Amish fiction. A young man I know claims Witness is his favorite movie—if he had literary bent, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d pick your genre and add to your ranks. When did you know you wanted to write? Did any or multiple books influence this desire? What about your genre choice?

I had my first article published in the school paper when I was seven. I loved writing and had lots of encouragement from my mother and a very brilliant aunt. My mother also had a friend who worked at the local newspaper, and she had me writing a school column when I was in Junior High. I was editor of the school paper in every school I attended and won awards for writing. I remember reading The Wind In The Willows and being blown away by the wonderful descriptions and characters. I read every Hardy Boy adventure book written and spent many a wonderful hour down at the library in my hometown. When I was a professional musician for many years, my favorite thing to do was write lyrics for songs. I got into Amish fiction because my editor, Nick Harrison, from Harvest House, asked me for an idea for an Amish quilting story, so I sent him one and Harvest House picked it up and asked me to do a series. That’s how the Apple Creek Dreams series came to be.

Great to hear the intimate details. Wind In The Willows (ahem, and Hardy Boys) were favorites of mine, too! Congratulations on truly finding your niche. Has any book stuck with you recently? What created the lasting impressions?

Actually, my latest book, The Amish Heiress, really knocked me out when I did the reread after Lindsay Franklin edited it. It’s a powerful story, and the focus is on our God who is long-suffering with us, even when we make mistakes. I also loved the character of Daniel King who is the kind of man that fathers should raise their sons to be.

Wow, we're going to have to add that one to our reading list. I can say the cover's a knockout, so I'll be looking forward to it. Thanks for joining us, Patrick, and letting us get to know more about you as a reader. Folks, you can continue to connect with Patrick, and discover more about his books, at the links following his bio. 

BIO: Patrick E. Craig is a lifelong writer and musician who left a successful songwriting and performance career in the music industry to follow Christ in 1984. He spent the next 26 years as a worship leader, seminar speaker, and pastor in churches, and at retreats, seminars and conferences all across the western United States. After ministering for a number of years in music and worship to a circuit of small churches, he is now concentrating on writing and publishing both fiction and non-fiction books. Patrick and his wife, Judy, make their home in Idaho and are the parents of two adult children and have five grandchildren.

In 2011 he signed a three-book deal with Harvest House Publishers to publish his Apple Creek Dreams series. The books are historical Amish fiction and include, A Quilt for Jenna, The Road Home, and Jenny’s Choice. Patrick’s latest novel, The Amish Heiress, from his new Paradise Chronicles Series, is due out in late June. Patrick is represented by the Steve Laube Agency.

PURCHASE AND CONNECTION LINKS:

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Patrick-E.-Craig/e/B007YLSVTK/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PatrickECraig

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PatrickECraig

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickecraig