Looking out the Window: Sherri Wilson Johnson Talks about Her New Book, A Season at the Grand. Giveaway.
A Warm Welcome to Sherri Wilson Johnson
Sherri will give away a free e-book copy of her prequel novella, Bayside Betrayal, to everyone who signs up for her newsletter. *See below.
Hi Sherri, tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a ball of both left-brained and right-brained analytical creativity, always dreaming up a romantically suspenseful murderous plot. I love my friends and family probably more than is normal. I am actively involved in our church, and I work on the Production Team running the lights. I spend my days working for agents, publishers and authors. That’s me in a nutshell.
Tell us about your latest book.
A Season at the Grand is set in the Mobile Bay Area of Alabama, specifically in Point Clear. Amelia Harris is a traveling photographer with The Photographic Times, and she’s commissioned to take pictures of the wealthy vacationers at the resort. Her matchmaking aunts are trying to marry her off because they think she’s a spinster. But she’ll have nothing to do with it. Little did she expect to fall in love while at the Grand!
My current contemporary romantic series, Jeopardized Reunions, is set on the bay, too. My lead magnet, Bayside Betrayal, which readers can receive for free by subscribing to my newsletter, is set in Point Clear, but in a contemporary setting instead of historical.
Mobile Bay, specifically the Gulf Shores area, is my favorite vacation spot. Every time we’re there, I am inspired to write another story. This story was birthed out of one of those trips.
What do you love about this book? And what do you hope readers will tell others about it?
Other than the setting of Mobile Bay, I love the main character and her quest for independence as a photographer—not letting the fact that she’s a woman stop her from achieving her goals. My daughter is a professional photographer, so this character was partially inspired by her. I hope readers will find the book delightfully romantic but also suspenseful and will feel like sharing this entire Gilded Age romance collection with all of their friends.
Where do you get ideas for your books?
It doesn't take much for me to be inspired with an idea that might fit into a story. It doesn't mean that that idea will actually ever make it into a book, but it might. I have notebooks filled with maybes. Like most writers, I think, anything from everyday experiences to traumatic and painful experiences inspire my writing. Sometimes I'm only inspired to write in my journal instead of working on my current WIP, but it’s still writing—an outpouring of my soul onto the page.
How do you get to know your characters?
By writing about them. I start with a vague sketch of who they are and let them develop as the story develops.
What themes do you write about?
Currently, I’m digging deep into second chance stories. My main characters may be former love interests, ex-spouses, or they have a deep friendship that never developed romantically—until the book. Because I enjoy suspense, I thrive on helping my wounded characters come to a place of forgiveness instead of revenge, and taking a chance on love instead of allowing past hurts to keep up the walls they’ve built around their hearts.
What is your writing schedule and where do you write?
Because I work fulltime as a virtual assistant for authors and other publishing professionals, my writing schedule is kind of crazy. I write heavily on the weekends and do editing and research in the mornings before I begin my workday. Sometimes my well is dry, and I struggle to write. If I find myself uninspired in my office (which happens often because I tend to kick into work mode when I’m at my desk), I find a comfy spot on the couch or in my gazebo, pipe instrumental movie soundtracks through my earbuds, and usually my creative side will take over. Once I’m in full gear, I make writing a priority and often adjust my work schedule so I don’t lose my inspiration.
Do you have to juggle writing with a job, family responsibilities or other obligations? If so, how do you balance it?
As mentioned above, I do work fulltime. It’s super tough these days to juggle work, family, church and other relationships with writing. But I try to keep my notebook with me at all times so that if I’m hit with some inspiration, I can jot everything down right then and there. I find that making goals for how many books I want to write in a year helps me stay focused and keeps writing a high priority in my life.
Are you a plotter or a pantzer?
Almost 95% pantzer!
Does your faith affect your writing? If so, how?
Yes, absolutely! I write clean romantic suspense stories with a faith element to every story. Sometimes a character comes to know the Lord, and sometimes a character who already knows the Lord but who has drifted away comes back to Him. Because God has never let me down, never left me and has always provided and been the only true constant in my life, I can’t imagine writing a story that my faith didn’t bleed through in it.
Do you put yourself in your books?
I think all authors put themselves and others they know into their books. How can we not? Now, do I do it intentionally? I don’t think so. But depending on what experience my character is going through, if I’ve ever been through something similar, my experience inevitably comes through in the story.
What are you working on right now?
I am currently working on book five in my Jeopardized Reunions series. It’s set on an offshore oil rig off the coast of Gulf Shores, Alabama.
This fall, I will begin my next book in the Romance at the Gilded Age Resorts series. It will be published in July 2024.
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Keep writing! Practice will help you hone your craft and find your voice. Also, work on building your platform. Since I work with publishing professionals every day, I see the importance of connecting with and engaging with your target reader. That’s how we sell books!
What would you be doing if you weren’t writing?
Doing what I already do—working with publishing professionals. I love the publishing world.
About A Season at the Grand
Can the perfect picture reveal the truth before it’s too late?
Photographer Amelia Harris has had enough of her aunts' meddling matchmaking. So when The Photographic Times commissions her to spend the summer on Mobile Bay taking portraits of the elite and capturing nature for penny postcards, Amelia happily accepts. But this job is not as simple as it appears, and Amelia must defend against naysayers if she’s to ever gain respect in a man's world. And that doesn't leave any room for romance.
Point Clear Resort General Manager Titus Overton never wanted the position he inherited when his cousin passed away. If it were up to him, he would be traveling with the Audubon Society to far-off places, enjoying the solitude of nature instead of providing relaxation for his guests. And now he has to deal with the big-city photographer stomping her way through sand dunes that house the migratory birds nesting there. But when she reveals an admiration for his feathered friends, it reawakens a longing in his heart he'd buried after the death of his fiancé.
When threats arise against Amelia and the other resort guests, Titus knows he must step in to help. But she insists they trust God for deliverance. How can he turn to a God who took away his first beloved?
As the danger closes in, he must find the courage to overcome his past before someone gets hurt—especially the woman he’s come to love.
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Bio: Sherri loves everything about writing and reading. Books are her favorite!
She loves reading books by other Christian Romantic Suspense authors like C.D. Gill, Christy Barritt, Patricia Bradley and Nancy Mehl. She also loves Historical Romance by authors like Misty M. Beller.
When she's not writing, she's usually working her day job as a virtual assistant to authors and other publishing professionals or designing book covers and helping people realize their dreams of becoming an author by formatting and publishing their books for them on Amazon and other retailers.
She lives in Georgia with her husband and their two dogs. She loves spending time with her adult children and friends or curling up with a good book or her current work-in-progress. She enjoys doing jigsaw puzzles in the winter and counts the days every year until she can take another trip to the beach.
Learn more about Sherri on her Website
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Comments
It's my pleasure. Thank you for stopping by.
It's my pleasure, Sherri. Congratulations!