Two lives collide at a close-knit North Carolina camp—a woman trying to regain the independence her loss of sight stole and the man responsible for her blindness. Together they must learn that love and forgiveness truly can conquer all.Before we meet today's author, I want to announce that the winner of the free e-copy of the cozy crime novel, Murder by Suggestion, by Veronica Heley, is:
von1janet@...
Congratulations! We'll get your book right out to you. I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right (above my list of books) in order to learn about new releases! U.S. subscribers are entered in the drawings a second time when they comment.
And now let's revisit with novelist Jennifer Slattery, author of the women's fiction/romance novel, Dancing in the Rain (Independent, June 2018).
Jennifer Slattery is a writer and international speaker who’s addressed women’s groups, church groups, Bible studies, and other writers across the nation. She’s the author of six contemporary novels, maintains two devotional blogs, on at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud and the other on Crosswalk.She has a passion for helping women discover, embrace, and live out who they are in Christ. As the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries, she and her team partner with churches to facilitate events designed to help women rest in their true worth and live with maximum impact.
When not writing, reading, or editing, Jennifer loves going on mall dates with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun husband.
Please tell us one random thing we might not know about you.
I can be overly, unrealistically empathetic and as such have a need to rescue every worm I see while on walks with my husband or our adult daughter. She teases me about this and reminds me worms don’t have brains and therefore can’t feel pain. I know this intellectually, but I still need to save the poor wiggling creatures before they shrivel up and die.
Your empathy probably comes in very handy in your role as an author! But maybe refrain from using worms as characters...
Please tell us a bit more about the plot of Dancing in the Rain.
Loni Parker, blind since aged fifteen, struggles to find employment. To reduce her stress and frustration, she joins her college roommate for a week at Camp Hope in the gorgeous North Carolina mountains.
She doesn’t realize, Michael Ackerman, the director, is an ex-con responsible for the accident that caused her blindness.
He recognizes Loni instantly and wants to avoid her at all costs. Yet, despite the guilt pushing him from her, a growing attraction draws him to the determined woman. She sees more with her heart than the average person does with his eyes. But her presence also dredges up a long-buried anger toward his alcoholic father that he’d just as soon keep hidden.
When circumstances spin out of control, Michael is forced to face a past that may destroy his present, and Loni is forced to wrestle with emotions she thought she’d long since overcome.
What is it about Michael that will make your readers care about him?
Michael’s rough past stirs him to help at risk kids and helps him see past other people’s behavior to their hearts beneath. His life is drastically changed when, while incarcerated, a now-friend tells him about the hope of Jesus. He has passion and love for His Savior, for kids, and for others.
Write one sentence for us that tells us something about Michael and Loni as children.
Michael grew up feeling unloved and unsafe whereas Loni only knew love and safety. Both of their pasts drastically affect their adult motivation and desires.
What is the last novel you read that you would recommend?
Can I share one I edited? I just edited Lindsey Bracket’s sophomore novel. I’m not sure the title’s been set yet, but it follows her debut, Still Waters. It’s a powerful story of forgiveness, restoration, and second chances. It’s truly one of the better books I’ve read in some time. Other than that, I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction.
What are you working on now?
I haven’t officially signed on the dotted line yet, but by the time this goes live, I will have turned in revisions for … a hero romance novel. I’ll make sure to share more details once everything’s written in ink. I’m also working on a 7-week Bible study based on the life of Sarai/Sarah (Abraham’s wife) and learning to rest deeply in our identity in Christ. The study will have 7 video recorded segments, group discussion guides, and personal study lessons.
Where else can readers find you online?
You can find me on my website, on Crosswalk, at Wholly Loved Ministries, on Facebook, Twitter, or … pretty much everywhere cyber-space related it seems. Haha! I love connected with other book addicts, so please feel free to friend me or contact me through my website.
The book can be purchased online via the following button:
Finally, what question would you like to ask my readers?
Have you ever gone to a church or family camp? What about camping period? If so, what did you enjoy most? Any funny stories to share? If you haven’t gone camping, what is the one camping-related activity you’ve always found appealing?
Thank you, Jennifer, for visiting and telling us about yourself and your book. Readers, Jennifer has offered to give away free e-copy of her novel. To enter, leave a comment and your email below in answer to Jennifer's question, above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. Remember that U.S. subscribers are entered an additional time in each drawing. The drawing is done by email, so leave your email address, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com.
Only United States residents are eligible for the drawing, but anyone can subscribe to the blog posts via the GDPA-compliant Feedblitz box above my list of books, at right.
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Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer, GDPA notice, and my Disclosure of Material Connection HERE
