Author/Writer/Editor
https://lillieammann.com/
by Trisha Smith
T4JYM: How long have you been a Christian?
LA: I was born into a Christian home and have been a Christian all my life. Although there have been times when I have felt closer to God than other times, He’s always been Lord of my life.
T4JYM: What is the main focus in your ministry? Teens? The lost? The hurting? Why did you decide up on this as a focus?
LA: I don’t have a special focus – I try to live my life to be a blessing to everyone I meet and to be a witness for Christ in everything I do.
T4JYM: When did you know you wanted to be a writer? Did God lead you into writing?
LA: I’ve always dreamed of writing “someday.” But the only writing I had done was occasional articles in business and trade magazines until I had a stroke at the age of 45 as a result of a chiropractic manipulation. I realized then that I might not have that elusive “someday,” and if God had given me the talent and desire to write, I should do something about it.
T4JYM: What gave you the idea of writing the types of books that you write?
LA: When I had my stroke, I was dependent on my husband for so much for a long time. I felt so blessed to have him in my life and wondered how someone without such support would cope. That gave me the idea for the novel STROKE OF LUCK, about a woman who has a stroke and has to hire someone as a caretaker for many of her basic needs.
I didn’t have the idea for my nonfiction book LOOK BEYOND TOMORROW: THE CAROLA SPENCER STORY – I was led to write the book, in spite of some misgivings. My friend Carola Spencer was shot and two of her employees killed by the abusive boyfriend of one of the victims in Carola’s place of business. Carola didn’t have insurance, and her friends wanted to help.
Somehow, everything just seemed to come together so the obvious way to raise money was for me to write the story of Carola and her coworkers’ remarkable faith and courage and for a nonprofit group to self-publish the book. I have an article about how all this came together on my Web site, www.lillieammann.com, as well as here on this site (click here to read the article). I truly believe it was God’s handiwork, and I was simply an instrument.
T4JYM: Are you involved in your own home church? What role do you have there?
LA: Yes, I’m an active member of All Saints Anglican Church in San Antonio, Texas. I am the Webmaster and editor of the newsletter, as well as outgoing president of the women’s group. I also try to participate in other activities such as Credo, which is an evangelical outreach program.
T4JYM: How many publishers did you send your book to before it was picked up?
LA: I lost count – every publisher I could find who publishes either sweet or Christian romance. The traditional romance publishers said such things as they didn’t want a handicapped heroine or there was too much about the main character’s medical challenges in relation to the amount of romance.
Several of the Christian publishers didn’t like the fact that the hero and heroine lived in the same house when they weren’t married, though the hero was an employee who cooked and cleaned and drove for the heroine, and there was certainly nothing immoral in their actions. I’d actually put the book away thinking it would never be published until a friend told me about an e-publisher who was looking for novels featuring disabled characters.
T4JYM: What advice would you give to someone who wants to pursue a career in writing?
LA: Listen to advice, but follow your heart. You have to develop your talent and learn your craft, but the Lord may lead you where the world says you can’t go.
T4JYM: What advice would you give to someone interested in publishing their works?
LA: Research publishers before you submit. Don’t waste your time submitting poetry to a publisher that publishes only novels or vice-versa. But don’t give up if you’re rejected over and over again – if you’ve prayed about your desires and are convinced you’re following God’s will, persist in your dream for as long as it takes.
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