THE BIO
Virginia Smith is a writer of humorous novels, a speaker, a snow skier, a motorcycle enthusiast, and an avid scuba diver. Since leaving her twenty-year profession as a corporate director, she has written numerous books, including her debut, Just As I Am (Kregel Publications, March 2006) and Stuck in the Middle (Revell, February 2008). An energetic speaker, she loves to exemplify God's truth by comparing real-life situations to well-known works of fiction, such as her popular talk, “Biblical Truth in Star Trek.”
THE INTERVIEW
JA: Your latest book is Sincerely, Mayla. Tell us about it.
VS: The quirky young woman who enjoyed a starring role in my debut novel, Just As I Am, again takes center stage in Sincerely, Mayla. This time she has set her cap for Pastor Paul—if only he would give in and accept the inevitable. When he stubbornly resists her charms, she goes off to sulk at her grandmother’s. Soon the house fills up with strays: a sullen teenage runaway and an angry ex-friend. As Grandmother serves up huge portions of guilt along with her famous fried chicken, Mayla realizes being a control freak is an inherited trait.
I just love Mayla. She is such a unique character, and she’s so much fun to spend time with. Apparently a lot of people agreed with me, because I can’t tell you how many people wrote demanding to know “What happens to Mayla next?” And especially, “What happens between Mayla and Pastor Paul?” Well, now everyone can find out!
JA: Mayla dances to her own beat, but she has a really good heart. What’s your favorite thing about her?
VS: I love her relationship with the Lord. Because she didn’t grow up in a church, she had no pre-conceived ideas about what her relationship with God was supposed to look like. So she doesn’t wrap her prayers in fancy language or “official” requests. She talks to God like He’s her constant companion – which He is.
JA: Mayla struggles with control issues, which really spoke to me. What advice would you give someone facing the same struggle?
VS: I struggle with control issues, too, so I know where you’re coming from. I had to discover what Mayla eventually realizes, that refusing to put God in control is, in essence, telling Him you don’t trust Him to work things out the way you want Him to. Once I realized that, it was easy to turn over the tough issues to Him. Okay, maybe it still isn’t easy, but it’s getting easier! 
VS: I hope people enjoy spending time with Mayla. I want them to laugh and maybe even shed a tear or two before the book ends. I strongly believe that fiction should entertain, not preach, so I hope all of my books are primarily entertaining. But because I am a Christian, and because Mayla is a Christian, elements of God’s grace show up naturally in the story. So if someone wants to learn a thing or two, they can. But mostly, I just hope they like the story!
JA: What’s next for you in the writing arena?
VS: I write in two genres – contemporary and mystery/suspense. In the mystery area, I’ve got a series coming out soon about a classical music trio who play at weddings. Everywhere these girls go, somebody dies and they get sucked into the situation. The series tagline is “When Murder Comes to Town.” The first, A Taste of Murder, comes out in October. Then Murder at Eagle Summit is April 2009 and Scent of Murder will be released in June 2009. I’m working on Scent of Murder now.
I am really excited about my new Sister-to-Sister Series. The idea for this series came straight from my own life – my relationship with my sisters. They are amazing women, fun and energetic and creative and lively. I wanted to write a story that relays the depth of our feelings for each other, and that lets readers get a peek of just how much fun we have together Book one, Stuck in the Middle, came out in February, and the second book, Age before Beauty, comes out February 2009. That book is finished, and I’m working on the third, Last but Not Least.
JA: Congratulations on being named Writer of the Year at the 2008 Mount Hermon Christian Writers’ Conference! How did it feel when they called your name?
VS: Thank you! That was one of the most amazing moments of my life. When the conference director started reading my bio, I recognized the first line. I was sitting beside my agent, Wendy Lawton, and I grabbed her hand and squeezed. My heart started pounding so loud I didn’t hear another word until he announced my name. Then people all around me were standing up and applauding, and Wendy had to shove me out of my seat telling me to, “Go! Go!” When I stood up on that stage, I just kept thinking, “Lord, you are amazing. Thank you for this special gift.” And that’s exactly what it is – a gift from God. I’ll cherish that memory always.
JA: You went from being a corporate director to becoming a full-time author. What inspired you to take the plunge?
VS: My husband and I had a long distance marriage for the last 4 years of my corporate career. My career specialty took me first to a company in Florida, and then I was hired away by a company in Kentucky. But my husband worked for the state of Utah, so we lived in two houses. When I sold my first novel, he said, “Okay, it’s time to stop this. Are you ready to be become a full time writer?” Was I ready? You bet! I jumped at the opportunity. I know I’m really blessed to have a husband who is so supportive of my writing – and I’m glad he actually wants to live in the same house with me full time!
JA: What’s the last book you read that made you tingle down to your toes?
VS: Just yesterday I finished reading a book that won’t be available until September. I got a galley so I could consider writing an endorsement. Sharon K. Souza’s Lying on Sunday is an absolutely amazing book. It’s about a woman who discovers that her husband has died in another woman’s bed, and then is served with divorce papers less than an hour later. It was one of those books you can’t put down. I got so involved in the main character’s life, her relationships with her children and her parents and her best friend, and especially with her husband, I felt like I was living in the story. To me, a book that draws me in so deeply that I forget to notice the author’s writing style (a hazard of being a writer!) is a good book. This one is that kind of book.
JA: Last but not least, how can people keep up with your latest publishing news?
VS: My website address is www.VirginiaSmith.org. I invite people to stop by often. I run contests to give away books by me and other writers on the “Fun Stuff” page all the time. I also have a bimonthly eNewsletter that has a little bit of everything – updates about my books, reviews, devotionals, links to cool blogs, and contests. At the end of March I gave away a $500 shopping spree to an eNewsletter subscriber! People can sign up through my website.
It was great to have you visit the blog again, Ginny! May God continue to bless you in your writing journey!
JEN’S REVIEW
“I’ve always said if the Lord had intended His people to live in snow He would have put the garden of Eden in the middle of the North Pole.” So begins Sincerely, Mayla. With these opening words from Mayla Strong I immediately related to her. And even though she’s a bit younger and more impulsive than I am, I stayed with her through the whole book, feeling her struggles, laughing at her joys, rooting her on as she tries to fix things.
Nobody can handle serious subjects quite like Virginia Smith. She deals with several “hot button” topics here, but with such a light touch that it never comes off as preachy. This is just Mayla, living her life, trying to be the person God wants her to be, and hitting a few speed bumps along the way. Smith has written a funny, touching sequel to Just As I Am. If you haven’t read it, you will still enjoy Sincerely, Mayla., but you’ll probably enjoy Mayla’s story a lot more if you know how she started.
WIN THE BOOK
If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Sincerely, Mayla just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll combine the responses of my Blogger and ShoutLife blogs to pick a winner at random on May 23rd. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) ShoutLifers will be contacted via ShoutMail. Good luck!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Virginia Smith Interview -Win SINCERELY, MAYLA
Thursday, February 28, 2008
CFBA Presents - STUCK IN THE MIDDLE by Virginia Smith
This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing
Stuck in the Middle
Revell (February 1, 2008)
by Virginia Smith
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Virginia Smith left her job as a corporate director to become a full time writer and speaker with the release of her first novel Just As I Am.
Since then she has contracted eight novels and published numerous articles and short stories. She writes contemporary humorous novels for the Christian market, including Murder by Mushroom (Steeple Hill, August 2007) and her newest release, Stuck in the Middle(Revell, February 2008), book 1 in the Sister-to-Sister Series.
Her short fiction has been anthologized, and her articles have been published in a variety of Christian magazines. An energetic speaker, she loves to exemplify God’s truth by comparing real-life situations to well-known works of fiction, such as her popular talk, “Biblical Truths in Star Trek.”
Virginia is a speaker, and an avid Scuba diver. She and her husband Ted, divide their times between Kentucky and Utah, and escape as often as they can for diving trips to the Caribbean!
ABOUT THE BOOK:Joan Sanderson's life is stuck. Her older sister, Allie, is starting a family and her younger sister, Tori, has a budding career. Meanwhile, Joan is living at home with Mom and looking after her aging grandmother. Not exactly a recipe for excitement-or romance.
That is, until a hunky young doctor moves in next door. Suddenly Joan has a goal--to catch his eye and get a date. But it won't be easy. Pretty Tori flirts relentlessly with him and Joan is sure that she can't compete. But with a little help from God, Allie, and an enormous mutt with bad manners, maybe Joan can find her way out of this rut and into the life she's been hiding from.
Book 1 of the Sister-to-Sister series, Stuck in the Middle combines budding romance, spiritual searching, and a healthy dose of sibling rivalry that is sure to make you smile.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
"A gentle story of one young woman's season of growth, deftly blending the tangle of family relationships with gifts of whimsy and revelation. A joy to read."
~SHARON HINCK, author of Renovating Becky Miller and Symphony of Secrets~
"Virginia Smith has created a charming and humorous novel that celebrates small-town life, generations of women caring for each other, and the value of finding a deeper, more active faith."
~SHARON DUNN, author of the Bargain Hunters mysteries~
A WORD FROM JEN
My copy of this book is still in the mail, so I haven’t read it yet, but I’m very excited about it. I had the pleasure of meeting Ginny and attending one of her classes last September at the ACFW conference. What a character she is! If you want to get to know her better, check out my interview with her on March 26th.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Meet Virginia Smith - Interview & Book Giveaway
The Bio
Virginia Smith is a writer of humorous novels, a speaker, singer, snow skier, motorcycle enthusiast, and an avid scuba diver. In 2005, she left her corporate director job to launch her career as a novelist with the release of her debut, Just as I Am, and has been cranking out God-honoring fiction ever since. An energetic speaker, she loves to exemplify God’s truth by comparing real-life situations to well-known works of fiction, such as her popular, “Biblical Truth in Star Trek.” She attributes the popularity of that talk primarily to the Star Trek uniform. She splits her time between Frankfort, Kentucky, and Salt Lake City, Utah. Visit her website at www.VirginiaSmith.org.
The Interview
JA: Your next book is Stuck in the Middle. Tell us about it.
VS: Stuck in the Middle is the first book in the Sister-to-Sister Series. It’s about the middle sister, Joan, whose life is stuck. While her siblings are off building families and careers, Joan is stuck at home with her mom and aging grandmother. Then a hunky doctor moves in next door, and the fun begins. Nothing heats up a romantic interest more than a little sibling rivalry!
I think readers are going to be surprised, though. The story isn’t all fun and games. I tackle a couple of tough issues, like the difficult decisions we face as our parents and grandparents age. And the ripple effect of their parents’ divorce on young adults who are trying to build relationships of their own. I even touch on an issue that causes a lot of heated arguments in churches these days: the difference between contemporary and traditional styles of music.
I am one of three sisters, and our parents did divorce when we were young (though not for the same reason). So naturally as I wrote this book I found myself replicating my relationship with my sisters in the story. Not that the Sanderson sisters are us, but elements of each of our personalities do show up in the characters. That was a lot of fun to write.
JA: Your main character, Joan Sanderson, is a middle sister. How does being the middle child affect Joan?
VS: Though Joan loves her family and knows they love her, she feels like an outsider at times. The oldest sibling holds a place of honor in the family, and of course the baby of the family also has a special place. To make matters worse, the other two are outgoing and lively like their mother, but Joan has always been quiet, more like her father. And since her father deserted them when she was twelve, of course that drives an imaginary wedge even further between Joan and her family. 
VS: I am the oldest. I honestly don’t know why I chose to start with the middle sister in the Sister-to-Sister Series, but Joan’s story just needed to come first. And even though I am the oldest in real life, a lot of Joan’s feelings and struggles are mine. My two sisters are incredible, awesome women. But they’re both really lively and bubbly, and I’m a little quieter. (People who know me and don’t know them find that hard to believe, but it’s true!) But they are truly my best friends, and we are extremely close. I really tried to reflect our relationships in Stuck in the Middle, and I think it came through in the fun, lively Sanderson sisters.
JA: You use humor to deal with a lot of serious issues. I have a feeling humor comes naturally to you. Is that true?
VS: I’m laughing as I answer this question. Actually, when it became apparent that I was going to make a career writing humorous books, my husband told me very seriously, as though breaking a particularly hard piece of news, “But honey, you’re not funny.” It’s true! In my day-to-day life I’m not particularly funny. When I wrote my first book, Just As I Am, I really didn’t set out to write a humorous book. But the premise of that first scene – a purple-haired girl with facial jewelry strutting down the aisle of a little country church in a leather miniskirt and tiger print blouse – was just so ludicrous! I couldn’t help picturing the faces of the conservative congregation, and the girl’s reactions to them, and as I wrote it I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe. That scene set the tone for the rest of the book, and actually, for the rest of my career so far. But I do feel that I treat serious issues with sensitivity. It’s just that after the serious stuff is over, something else funny happens.
JA: What do you hope people take away after reading Stuck in the Middle?
VS: Primarily, I hope people will find Stuck in the Middle an entertaining read. The sisters are lively and fun, and I think folks will enjoy getting to know them. Those people who've encountered differences in church worship styles (traditional versus contemporary) will enjoy seeing how that plays out in the book. And those who experienced their parents' divorce when they were children will hopefully find comfort and inspiration as Joan Sanderson does. And, of course, I want people to fall in love with the hunky doctor who moves in next door, too!
JA: What’s next for you in the writing arena?
VS: I just finished Age before Beauty, book 2 in the Sister-to-Sister Series, and I still have to write Last but Not Least. So that’s on the agenda. I also write romantic mysteries, and I have one coming out in October called A Taste of Murder. That’s going to be a fun book. Not as funny as my others, but the heroine is a little quirky and the premise is humorous, so I think people will enjoy it. I just finished the proposal for a sequel to that book, so I’ll probably be writing that within the next few months as well.
JA: What’s something that people would be surprised to learn about you?
VS: Hmmm… okay, here’s something. I have always loved to sing, and still do sing whenever I can. But most people don’t know that I sang with a traveling contemporary Christian group called the Joyful Sound for three years back in the late 90’s. Once when the group was singing in a church in Colorado, Sandi Patti came into the church and sat in the back of the sanctuary for our concert. We were singing an arrangement of Amazing Grace that she had recorded, and I was the top soprano, so I was singing her part. Talk about nerves! I had to hit a high C at the end of that song, and through the whole song I kept thinking, “I’m going to miss it. It’s going to be flat.” But I nailed it! That was a total thrill.
JA: If you had a week to go to a luxurious spa and do nothing but be pampered and read, what books would you take along?
VS: Oh, that’s a tough question, because I would take something I haven’t read before. If I was going soon, I would take Symphony of Secrets by Sharon Hinck. I absolutely adored her Sword of Lyric series. And if Sharon Dunn had a new Bargain Hunter Mystery Series book out, I’d take that. And anything by Tamara Leigh – Splitting Harriet was a terrific book. Another one I’ve been wanting to try is not a Christian book. It’s called Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. Everyone I’ve talked to who has read it does nothing but rave, and I mean really rave, about it. So my interest has been piqued. But I’m hesitant because it’s apparently about vampires. I haven’t been able to read a vampire book since Salem’s Lot back in the 80’s scared me so badly I slept with my lights on for a month!
JA: Last but not least, how can people keep up with your latest publishing news?
VS: I keep my website updated – www.VirginiaSmith.org. The “Fun Stuff” page always has good stuff, and that’s where I also post all the contests. Which reminds me – the contest I’m conducting (with my publisher) to promote Stuck in the Middle is a terrific one. I’m giving away a $500 shopping spree! Details can be found at www.virginiasmith.org/contest.html. I hope people will check it out!
Thanks so much for the interview, Jenn! I enjoyed ‘chatting’ with you!
Thank you, Virginia, and continued blessings on your writing journey!
Win the Book
Stuck in the Middle is in stores now, but you can win a copy here. Just leave a reply to this blog. The winner will be picked at random on February 12th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!
Saturday, December 1, 2007
What's New In Christian Fiction - December 2007
Here is the December 2007 line-up of new Christian fiction releases in time to add to your Christmas gift list. Also this month, Jill Eileen Smith has a new Spotlight interview with best-selling author Stephanie Grace Whitson author of the recently released Jacob's List from Baker Publishing Group. Be sure to stop by and read Stephanie's interview and visit the websites of the following authors. Enjoy!
1. Bluegrass Peril by Virginia Smith from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. When Becky Dennison's boss at a retirement farm for thoroughbred stallions is murdered, she becomes entrenched in a high-stakes game of danger, money, and that famous southern pride.
2. Buried Sins by Marta Perry, from Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense. Caroline Hampton flees to her family's inn in peaceful Pennsylvania Amish country after her husband's death, but even there, someone with deadly intent wants her to believe he's still alive.
3. Gavin Goodfellow: The Lure of Burnt Swamp Book One of the Burnt Swamp Trilogy by Candy Abbott from Fruitbearer Publishing. Dyslexic tween encounters Christ while battling witchcraft in Burnt Swamp where fires have been burning for ten years.
4. Heart of the Family 2nd in the Fostered by Love series by Margaret Daley from Steeple Hill Love Inspired. A past secret threatens Jacob and Hannah's newfound love.
5. Kansas Weddings a Heartsong 3-book compilation by Kim Vogel Sawyer from Barbour Publishing. Three Kansas women have difficult decisions to make and burdens to bear.
6. Missouri Memories by Deborah Raney, DiAnn Mills, Joyce Livingston, and Kelly Eileen Hake from Barbour Books. The beautiful House on Cranberry Hill in Hannibal, Missouri, holds love for four generations of couples.
7. Seasons of Love Book 3 Massachusetts Weddings by Elizabeth Goddard from Heartsong Presents. Riley O’Hare must revive her grandfather’s cranberry farm, but her brother’s untimely death thrusts her into his partner’s path and into the midst of a perilous cyber crime.
8. The Love Song by Anita Higman and Janice A. Thompson from Barbour Publishing (Heartsong Presents). With God's help, Clair O'Neal lets go of her painful past and accepts all the laughter and music and love her heart can hold.
Happy reading~
