Author Meet & Greet: Sherri Wilson Johnson

I love to promote other authors! Not only because I am one myself and am well aware of the importance of helping writers market and promote their books, but also because I love to introduce you to those you may not have heard of before. This is a great way to discover some wonderful gems in the treasure chest of books out there! 

Sherri Wilson Johnson is a fellow Oak Tara author and ACFW member. She lives in Georgia with her husband and two children, and is a graduate of the Christian Writers Guild writing course. She is also an active blogger and a former homeschooling mom. She loves to dream of romantic places and romance in general–good, clean romance, that is. She is passionate about purity and sexual integrity. Sherri is a bird-watcher, loves the ocean, roller coasters, ice cream, her family and her Chihuahua, who faithfully sits by her side every day when she writes. 

Grab a cup of coffee (or a can of Diet Coke) and get to know this wonderful lady and learn about her books.

Tell us three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.

1. I am terrified of horses, which is kind of funny since my new book is about a cowboy and a horse ranch.

2. I have a bad habit of singing Christmas songs all year long.

3. I secretly dream of going on the show Wipeout, although my family has begged me to spare them the humiliation.

Share something about your day-to-day life that might help readers feel as though they know you a little better.

In addition to being a writer, I also work part-time from home as a bookkeeper. Most mornings I start the day with Bible study and then do my bookkeeping work. After that if I’m not running errands or meeting with someone, I write. I would write all day and night if I could. I’m actively involved in church and love learning as much as I can about the Lord to help me through this crazy life.

How many books do you have published and where can they be found?

I currently have two published books. My debut novel, To Dance Once More (OakTara), was released in September 2011. Song of the Meadowlark (OakTara) released in September 2012. You can find links at my website, www.sherriwilsonjohnson.com .

How does your faith play into your work?

I’ve always said I would never write anything that shamed my dad. He was a Southern Baptist preacher. What it really boils down to is that I would never write anything that would shame my Lord and make a mockery of my faith. But other than that aspect of it, I can say that the struggles my family has gone through have tested and strengthened my faith and that overflows into my writing. When you have something so marvelous at your very core, it can’t help but spill out in your writing. It’s actually easier for me to write about my faith and demonstrate my faith through my writing than it is to show it sometimes.

As a speaker, what’s your favorite topic?

I love to encourage people along their journey—to spread the joy and fulfillment of living according to the Lord’s will for your life. Whether it is about homeschooling, writing and publication, or women’s issues, I always sprinkle in the wonderful news of God’s grace and forgiveness and try to encourage people to live according to their giftedness.

What is your favorite thing to write about?

I love to write about romance. That’s no surprise. In real life, I’m always trying to match-make. But you can’t build a story around just the romance. I love to write about change—some sort of forward movement for my characters. Life never stays the same and neither do people. Most of my characters need some sort of tweaking (like all of us) and so whether it is forgiveness, mercy, grace, acceptance, turning from a sinful path, I love to write about change.

What are you passionate about?

I am passionate about conveying the message of purity and sexual integrity to the world. I have worked with teens and women as a volunteer small group leader at church and I’ve seen the struggle people go through when faced with the temptations of this world. That’s one reason I write clean romances. 

Tell us about your first book, Song of the Meadowlark.

In Song of the Meadowlark, Cora Buchanan’s husband disappears one night after being arrested and bailed out for drug trafficking. In a flash, Cora’s life is turned upside down. The man she loves with all her heart is now a fugitive on the run. She waits a year and then decides to leave the town she lived in with him to return home to her parents to mend their broken relationship. Although she hopes Clark will return and be found not guilty, she can’t wait on him and must attempt to repair the broken bridges with her parents. She braces herself for the harsh words that will undoubtedly come over the fact that they were right in their opinion of Clark prior to her marriage to him. While traveling through Georgia on her way home to Florida, Cora’s car breaks down and leaves her stranded. At first she curses her old car but later realizes if it had not been for it she would not have found a new beginning.

Here is the back cover blurb:

When trusting others only leads to pain and rejection, and loving ends only in loss, what will it take to restore hope again? Shunned by the uncovered truth about her missing husband’s secret life, Cora Buchanan sets out on a road trip for home to mend her broken relationship with her parents. When her car breaks down, she’s stranded in a small Georgia town. While staying at the struggling Southern Hope Ranch, she meets little Susie O’Reilly, who unexpectedly fills a void in Cora’s heart. But Rex, Susie’s rugged cowboy father who lost his wife a year earlier, seems to go out of his way to either confront or avoid Cora. It doesn’t help her comfort level that the news continues to report missing and murdered women in the area. Cora has no idea just how close to home the crimes will hit…or how much the sweet sound of the meadowlark’s song at the ranch will impact her future.

Book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k9q7Awzu0k

Sneak peek at the first chapter! http://sherriwilsonjohnson.com/sherris-books/song-of-the-meadowlark/

Where can fans find you or your books on the internet?

http://sherriwilsonjohnson.com

Twitter: swj_thewriter
http://sherrijinga.wordpress.com 
https://twitter.com/#!/swj_thewriter
http://nicoleodell.com/sherri-wilson-johnson-on-inspiring-purity 

http://www.habitsforahappyhome.com
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5233294.Sherri_Wilson_Johnson

Thanks so much for taking the time to tell us about yourself, Sherri. Much success to you in all of your writing endeavors!

Sherri would love to hear from you! Have you read one of her books? Do they sound intriguing? Share your thoughts!