Today, we’re celebrating one of the authors who helped us make the Frasier Contest possible! Jill Elizabeth Nelson’s recent release is Shake Down from Love Inspired Romantic Suspense.
Q: Jill, can you tell us a little bit about your next book?
To clear his imprisoned father’s name, Shane Gillum must find evidence hidden in a Martha’s Vineyard cottage. But he arrives to find the “vacant” property being prepped for sale by real estate agent Janice Swenson. Is she tied to the notorious owners? Or is she in over her head as the “accidents” on the property grow increasingly dangerous? And who is the saboteur targeting—Shane with his search, or Janice with her dark, hidden past? With so much at stake, trusting Janice is a huge risk . . . but keeping silent about the cottage’s mysteries could mire them both in a deadly scheme.
Q: What is one piece of writing advice you’d give the MyBookTherapy community?
After a busy day at work, I love to go home and kill people. Murder and mayhem are my stock in trade. Of course, through great courage, wit, sacrifice, and faith, the good guys always take down the bad guys. Yes, I’m a writer. My specialty is novels of mystery and suspense . . . but I haven’t quit my day job. I’m a dual-career woman.
“How do you manage it?”
I reply with an analogy. Some folks go home after their eight hour day and do woodworking or needlepoint. I go home, hunker down with my laptop, and spin yarns. (Not yarn. I’m not a knitter.) The comparison provides an understandable frame of reference for someone not gripped by the compulsion to tell stories, but it’s not entirely accurate.
For me, writing moved beyond the hobby stage the day someone handed me a check for my words, and I quickly cashed it before they came to their senses. Now I wrestle with deadlines, marketing, synopses, proposals, conferences, appearances, and book-signings just like any other career writer. And I love it!
So how do I juggle a full time “day job” with a demanding “night life” as an author? Oh, and don’t forget, there’s family and church, friends and community in the mix too.
Compassion.
Calling.
Commitment.
Constancy.
The writing life is hard, and it’s frustrating, and at times heart-breaking, but it offers a compelling and entertaining way to share my faith and encourage others (compassion). It’s also a fire in my bones—I can’t NOT write (at least not for long), and that adds up to calling. My word is my bond. When I have a contract, I need to meet my deadline (commitment). And if I’m going to fulfill my commitment, I must cultivate constancy. In other words, writing must be a daily part of my life.
Take these words to heart if they help you. Maybe even tack a sticky note to your computer with the words: Compassion, Calling, Commitment, and Constancy. Write on, dear friends!
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Award-winning author and writing teacher, Jill Elizabeth Nelson, writes what she likes to read—tales of adventure seasoned with romance, humor, and faith. Jill enjoys speaking at conferences, writers groups, library associations, civic and church groups. She delights to bring the “Ahah! Moment” to students as they make new skills their own. Her bestselling handbook for writers, Rivet Your Readers with Deep Point of View, is available at http://amzn.to/IvQTkj. Visit Jill on the web at: www.jillelizabethnelson.com or look her up on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JillElizabethNelson.Author. Her most recent release is Shake Down from Love Inspired Romantic Suspense.