Author of An Unexpected Christmas
by Trisha Bleau Smith
T4JYM: Being that Christmas is almost here this book has a timely message that many will soon be discovering if they find your book in stores. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, as is evidenced by the review on the site. Where did the idea for the book come from? Where do you generally draw your ideas for writing from?
DG: Thanks! I’m so glad you enjoyed the book! I had a fun time writing it. Some stories just write themselves. This is a true story, one that happened to me during my and Timothy’s school years in Massachusetts. I generally draw my ideas from my own experiences.
T4JYM: How many publishers did you send your book to before it was picked up? Was it rejected by any publishers? What kind of feedback did you receive from them?
DG: Novels are extremely difficult to sell to publishers. I believed in this story, and spent almost 5 years trying to sell it. Finally, New Hope published it. They have just come out with their second edition. I’ve received a lot of positive feedback from people about An Unexpected Christmas. Many organizations, as well as individuals, have ordered large quantities to give to workers, friends, family, and others.
T4JYM: Who have been your biggest influences in life? Who have been your biggest influences in your life as a writer?
DG: My greatest influence in my life was my beloved Christian grandmother, Alice Crane Williams. I spent much time with her on a little farm in Northern Georgia. I have many special writer friends who have influenced me greatly: some of them are Dr. Calvin Miller, Dr. Lucien Coleman, Michael Curtis (from Atlantic Monthly magazine), etc.
T4JYM: What is generally your target audience? How do you decide what audience to focus your writing on?
DG: An Unexpected Christmas serves a general audience. My other books were written to reach out to today’s hurting women with hope, Bible Study, and encouragement.
T4JYM: How do you find time to write? Life is busy and time management is hard to do sometimes. When do you do your best writing and where?
DG: I don’t find time to write. I just try to MAKE the time to write. Writing is hard work, and I am under constant writing deadlines. So I try to carve out huge blocks of time, tie myself to my desk chair, and write for weeks at a time, with few breaks. It’s the way I write best, but all writers have their own special writing habits.
T4JYM: What training do you have in writing? Did you take any writing courses in college to obtain the skills you have currently?
DG: I studied journalism at Harvard University, and have spent many years pursuing a writing career through numerous seminary courses. I believe a writer should study what she wants to write about. I write for Christian publishers mainly, and I felt a seminary education was needed.
T4JYM: What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a career in writing?
DG: Writing is fulfilling and a special avenue of ministry that can reach people you might never have a chance to speak to or meet. But writing is very hard work. Grueling. And the market is competitive. But, don’t let that stop you! A published writer needs determination, good writing skills, good research skills, persistence, a hide like rhino skin, and a lot of prayer!
T4JYM: What advice would you give to someone interested in publishing their works?
DG: Learn the craft. Treat it like a profession, not a hobby. Be persistent with publishers. Build bridges with other writers and editors. Pray, pray, pray and ask God to give you ideas He wants you to write about. Then be diligent with your research, professional with your letters and manuscripts. When you receive rejections, don’t take them personally. Just keep on sending them out! An Unexpected Christmas would have never been published had I not been persistent for five years, and some 30 publishers later. But I believed in the story, and persisted in sending it out.
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