Genre: Romantic Suspense

Format: ebook

Buy: The Good Fight

Roger Talbot’s life is defined by his devotion to public service. Having just successfully prosecuted a brutal murder case, Roger turns his attention to discovering the shady dealings of Niles Parker — the town’s former mayor, Roger’s old boss and the father of the woman Roger almost married.

Pennye Carrington ran away from Port Delamar with plans never to return. However, learning that her brother had murdered a family member of a famous movie star changed those plans. Pennye comes back with the hope of bringing stability to a family in disarray, but facing the torment of her childhood may be more than she can handle.

Roger’s mission to bring down Niles Parker and Pennye’s desire to keep her brothers out of trouble create a middle ground, where two people who couldn’t be further apart, embark on a danger-filled journey of discovery to find themselves and each other.

I first discovered Shawna’s writing in Jan. 2011, when I read No Other.  I absolutely loved this book and the sequel.  I can hardly wait to read The Good Fight!  If you’re interested in seeing my review of  No Other, visit Goodreads.

1.      The titles for your books No Other and In All Things came from a scripture reference which you unfold during the story. Can you tell us about your thought process for doing this? Did you do something similar with your latest release?

Before I answer, I’d like to thank you for hosting me on your blog, Karen. It’s a real honor to be here. I’d also like to congratulate you on the success of your books and for your efforts on creating awareness to readers about the ever-changing world of publishing.

As to the question, the answer is yes. The title of my newest book, and the third book in this series — that I actually never intended to be a series — is The Good Fight. The premises of my books always begin with a spiritual theme. In this book I knew that my characters were going to be struggling to overcome some deeply rooted fears/beliefs that held them back in life, and had for a very long time. That takes courage, and to have that kind of courage you need God. So I began thinking about this, and flipping through my Bible. “The Good Fight” comes from a passage in Timothy, but not Timothy 4:7, which is the one people usually refer to with this phrase. It comes from Timothy 6:12. And really, the character’s revelation at this passage included most of the chapter surrounding it. The last five words play a very big part, as this theme is the basis for all of my books, not just this one.

2.      Are the experiences in the novel based on someone you know or events in your own life?

Not the experiences, but Pennye’s insecurities are based somewhat on my own. She’s easily intimidated, but tries to compensate with a brash, lashing-out attitude. I’m not as reactionary as she is, but my gut instinct that I fight against is often similar, and I’ve listened at times and shrank away from people and opportunities out of fear because of it. It was easy for me to relate to Pennye’s character.

The events revolving around the suspense storyline are based on the real life take down of the Maceo/Fertitta crime family that ran Galveston Island from the 1920s through the ‘50s. I included a bit of this history in the book about District Attorney James Simpson’s unconventional investigation to get around his own corrupt law-enforcement agency. It seemed a probable scenario that an off-shoot of this crime element might seek to relocate nearby, and Roger, as district attorney, would face a very similar dilemma as James Simpson had.

3.      What is your favorite part or chapter?

Hmm… That’s a hard question. This book is a little humorous in places, especially early on with the big ice-breaker between Roger and Pennye. It involves a drop of catsup. I enjoyed the light-heartedness this brought to the story.

I also loved this part where Roger encourages Pennye to share with him some fanciful tales from her childhood imagination, and he begins to play along. He’s been so stiff throughout his life that this is different for him, and yet it also comes very naturally to him when he’s in her presence.

And these two just make a good team. I don’t want to give anything away, but Pennye sort of forces her involvement into an investigation she has no business being a part of, but she’s just what’s needed to solve the case. And Roger is there to temper her involvement, which is also very much needed if she doesn’t want to end up dead. They really are quite a duo and I think readers will enjoy that part of the story.

4. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

There are a few. First, judgmental attitudes come in all sorts. In the story Pennye has been a victim of this, but she’s also just as guilty. When she first meets Roger her reaction is to clump him into a category and her reaction toward him is affected by the judgments she made.

The second is to understand that when we give our lives over to the Lord, we are transformed into something useful and beautiful, imperfections and all. Regret is a powerful emotion and can often dominate and define a person’s life. God takes our experiences though — good and bad — and turns them into wisdom. They become something to use for His glory, and thus He removes our regret by bringing us to the realization that, in Him, we are a new creature, molded from the old. Our past is the clay from which we were made. But we can let go of the shame of that past, embrace Grace and rejoice in the beauty God creates as all things work together for His glory. This is a theme that runs through all of my stories. It’s something that I firmly believe in.

5.  Getting readers as an indie or small press author can be hard. What would you say to prospective readers to get them to choose an indie or small press author for the first time?

I guess it depends on the readers’ preferences, but I feel like there’s more freedom to address certain issues and more variety to style and voice with self-published books and those from small presses. I think a lot of readers assume that these types of books are of lower quality. I won’t say this never happens, but I actually think it’s the exception and not the rule.

I edit for two presses — one is small and one started small but is verging on mid-size now. As a result, I read a lot of books that I probably wouldn’t have considered had they not been assigned to me. I also read a lot of books put out by large presses. I mean no disrespect to those books, but for the most part, I’ve preferred those put out by the smaller presses I edit for. I think this phenomenon may be that these presses (and other small presses) are more willing to take risks and accept some out-of-the-box material. These are very often stories that the authors have felt most passionate about, but that may also test some waters. They tend to be heavy, thought provoking reads (but I like those kind). The down side is that heavy reads can also be polarizing, or fail to connect if the reader doesn’t quite relate to the characters or situation. So while you’re going to have readers who whole-heartedly love the book, there’s also going to be a group who is put off. There may not be as much mass appeal, and I think your large presses tend to go for more middle of the road stories to capitalize on the mass appeal. For me, I enjoy books of mass appeal, but I usually don’t feel particularly moved. I want to be moved; that’s important to me. Of course, please understand that I’m also generalizing. There are always exceptions. I’m just speaking to my experience as a whole.

I would hope that readers would think about this, though, and give more self-pubbed books and those from small presses a try, because they’re likely to be very surprised, and blessed.

6.      What is the most challenging part of being an author? The most rewarding?

Exhaustion — both mental and physical. Writing is a creative process and you’re pouring out something of yourself. It’s wonderful, but can be very draining. There’s nothing quite so fulfilling as typing those final words of a novel, but I have to sleep for about twenty-four hours afterward. The mental fatigue usually kicks in about a week or so later.

On the flip side, it all becomes totally worth it when you receive a note from a reader telling you that your story has touched something within him or her. That sort of comment always serves as a reminder why I do this — especially on the tired days.

7.      Can you tell us about your other books?

I have four books that are published and one that’s about to be under contract. Three of my books, including my latest release are a series. The series doesn’t have a title though because initially it was only going to be two books. I had readers ask about one of the characters after the release of each of the first two, No Other and In All Things,  and I began to contemplate this character’s story. The Good Fight is the result.

All three of these books center around the small, but growing town of Port Delamar. It’s a fictional town based on Baytown, TX — the area where my husband grew up. The themes of these stories revolve around forgiveness and acceptance. There’s a tapestry woven in how the characters’ lives intertwine, and tragic events lead to good. I’m not so sure there won’t be other books in the future that tie into this town and these characters.

I have another book called Orphaned Hearts. It’s a Christmas story, but enjoyable for any time of year. It also has a similar theme of acceptance (mainly of ourselves). The story is very much about seeing the beauty within. It was inspired by my granddad, who grew up in an orphanage during The Great Depression. There’s to be a sequel to it next Christmas about Caleb as a grown man, but we haven’t settled on a title yet.

8. How do you get into the character’s mind when you’re writing?        

I character journal. I think I may be a little unconventional in doing this, but I liken it to the way an actor will submerse his or herself in the study of a character they intend to portray. I keep separate files and before I write, I spend some time just thinking on the scenario in the book as if I were that character. I jot down notes and thoughts about the character’s emotional struggles, what they want, what they’ve learned. This goes a long way in helping me to pinpoint emotional conflict and write about it in a coherent way. Sometimes the journals take off on tangents that I’m unsure as to where they will lead, but more than once this has later factored into the story’s plot later down the road. Even if it doesn’t and never makes it into the book, it’s not a waste because it still draws me closer to the characters and helps me to write them better.

9. How do you balance writing with being a mom and your other responsibilities?

Not very well. I try, but our house is never as clean as I’d like and dinner is often last minute. It mainly gets tough when there’s an impending deadline, but my kids are teenagers and they understand and are very helpful and supportive. I don’t think I could do this if they were younger. Some of my responsibilities merge with writing. Right now I’m teaching a writing class to the teenagers in our homeschool co op, and my kids are taking the class.

I do try and shift most of my writing to nighttime, after everyone is asleep and use the day to focus on family activities, but when things get busy it’s not always possible. Fortunately I have a supportive husband who helps out a lot.

10. Is there anything else you’d like to share?  

I’d just like to thank you again, Karen. I really like the questions you asked and feel like you gave me a chance to cover some ground I don’t often get to. I’m running a contest to win a free Kindle and a $25 Amazon gift card. If you’re interested in participating details are here: http://shawnawilliams-oldsmobile.blogspot.com/2011/10/kindle-giveaway-with-new-book-release.html

Many blessings to you, Karen, and to all.

Shawna

Shawna K. Williams is an inspirational novelist who loves telling a story through flawed characters – the only kind she can relate to. She also likes a good dose of nostalgia, which is why many of her stories are set in rural America during the first half of the 20th Century. However, being a fan of other genres, including Science Fiction and Suspense, she has a few surprises planned for future works.

When not writing, Shawna spends time with her husband and three children enjoying life on their ranch. She’s also an avid reader, book reviewer, blogger and jewelry designer.

Visit Shawna at her webiste:  http://shawnakwilliams.com/, on Facebook, or on Twitter.

Join Shawna and 9 of her author friends at WoMen’s Literary Cafe’s Christian Book Launch, December 13-15. Ten authors will discount their ebooks to just 99 cents. Buy 3 get 1 FREE!