This week I’m hosting Cara Putman and Gina Conroy with Cherry Blossom Capers and Ava Pennington with One Year Alone with God. If you want to enter the drawings for the books, please leave a comment on one of the post during the week with your email address. I will not enter you without an email address (my way to contact you if you win). If you don’t want to leave an email address, another way you can enter is to email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawings end Sunday (January 8th) evening.
Interview with Ava Pennington:
1. What made you start writing?
I’ve always loved to teach and write. For me, writing is an extension of my teaching ministry. If I did not write, sometimes I think all the words inside me would find another way to spill out!
2. How long have you been writing? When did you sell your first book?
I’ve been writing for about ten years. My first sale was a story in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book in 2003. Since then, I’ve been published in more than twenty anthologies, including more than fifteen Chicken Soup for the Soul books. I’ve also been published in numerous Christian periodicals.
My first book sale came through a writers’ conference. I proposed One Year Alone with God: 366 Devotions on the Names of God to an editor from Revell Books, and it was published last year.
3. How do you handle rejections?
I remind myself that if I’m writing to glorify God, then He should be the One who decides how that happens. (And when I forget, I have wonderful writer-friends who are quick to remind me!)
4. Why do you write?
I write because I cannot not write. I feel like I would explode if I couldn’t share what I’m learning about the Lord and His Word.
5. What would you be doing with your free time if you weren’t writing?
That’s easy – teaching. In fact, that’s what I do now, in addition to writing. I teach an interdenominational Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) class – 150+ women meeting weekly for in-depth study of the Bible.
6. What are you working on right now?
Several projects, all of them non-fiction. One is a Bible-study and the others are creative non-fiction.
7. Do you put yourself into your books?
Always! When I write non-fiction, I’m sharing what the Lord has taught – and is teaching – me. I try to anticipate the readers’ questions by tapping into the questions I had.
8. Tell us about the book you have out right now.
One Year Alone with God: 366 Devotions on the Names of God is a one-year devotional that examines 122 names and attributes of God from three perspectives: who God says He is, who we are in light of who He is, and how this impacts our relationships. And I’m thrilled to say that Kay Arthur, founder of Precepts Ministries, has endorsed it.
9. Do you have any advice for other writers?
Learn all you can about the craft of writing. Go to conferences and workshops. Network with other writers. Never stop learning…and never stop writing!
10. How important is faith in your books?
Faith is a critical component of my writing. It’s what motivates me to write, and it’s the basis of all my content.
11. What themes do you like to write about?
So many! Guess my favorite subjects are taking Bible truths and communicating them in relevant and unintimidating ways.
12. What is your favorite book you’ve written and why?
In addition to the devotional, I’ve co-written two children’s books in the Faith Basics for Kids series (Standard Publishing). I love those because they take Bible truths and break them down to a child’s level in a fun way.
But I have to admit, my favorite is One Year Alone with God: 366 Devotions on the Names of God. It was so exciting to write about who God is using the names and attributes He chose to reveal about Himself. After all, if we want to get to know someone better, doesn’t it make sense to see what they say about themselves?
13. What is your writing schedule like?
Because I have a heavy teaching schedule, I fit my writing in where I can. But since writing is a joy, it never feels like I’m giving up my free time. It’s my recreation!