Meet Author Janice Thompson

Congratulations to Carol from Alabama who won a book of her choice from Julie Lessman in the last author interview! There were 146 comments with 42 names in the drawing. Thanks to Julie for all her interaction with the readers and for telling others about my blog through her website.

Now I want you to meet Janice Thompson, who will talk with us about her writing and some of the many books she has written.

Hello, Janice, I’m excited to get to talk with you today about your books and writing. I have perused your information on Amazon.com and looked at many of your titles (and I have read several of them). How many years have you been writing and how many books have you written?

Janice: I’ve been writing about twenty years and have published 90 books.

Juanita: Wow, that’s a lot of books. You are quite a creative lady. Tell us about your faith and why you write Christian books.

Janice: I’ve been a Christian since age eleven and have a passionate faith. I feel very strongly about spreading the gospel and I’m thrilled to see the Lord using my stories to touch people’s lives. As I write, I ask the Holy Spirit to flow through the pages of the story in much the same way the Spirit of God flowed over the waters during creation. I’m always touched to hear from readers who’ve grown closer to the Lord as the result of one of my books.

Juanita: I notice a wide variety of subjects in your book titles, from romance and mystery to devotionals and dieting. What is your favorite type of book to write?

Janice: By far, my favorite type of book to write is romantic comedy. I enjoy the serious stuff, too, but comedy comes naturally to me. I started out as a playwright and all of my plays are funny. It just makes sense to let that same sense of humor spill over onto the page. These books are definitely easier to write (and most are written in first-person, which is my POV of choice).

Juanita: I suspected that, as I perused your earlier book titles, and thought maybe you had started in that venue. The e-book Fill These Empty Arms was one I downloaded on my Kindle, and could not put down. I appreciated your skill with characterization. I felt that I knew each of the characters, from a pregnant teen-ager to a middle-aged woman who still could not come to terms with her abortion experience many years prior to an older woman working in a Crisis Pregnancy Center because she needed something to make her life feel worthwhile. You wove the story together with great continuity and I felt no gaps in going from one character to another. I reviewed this book on Amazon and on my blog. As I read the book, I felt that these were people you had known. Do you use life experiences and memories when you write?

Janice: Definitely. At the front of Fill These Empty Arms I gave a nod to the many, many women whose stories had touched me and/or motivated me to write that book—people like my step-mom, who worked at a Crisis Pregnancy Center for years. People like a friend of mine named Shirley who runs a home for unwed mothers. People like ladies I’ve known who’ve received forgiveness after having an abortion. One of the most compelling life experiences happened about ten years ago when I was asked to go into a women’s prison with a post-abortion recovery ministry. On that day I watched women—dozens and dozens of women—place cloth dolls (to represent the babies they had aborted) on the altar. Lots of tears were shed that day, as you might imagine. God used it to touch my heart and open my eyes to the great need among women who have suffered in silence. Out of that, Fill These Empty Arms was born.

Juanita: I watched my younger daughter experience infertility and numerous miscarriages, then she was able to adopt and then to have a baby by natural means. So I’ve had some experience there, too. I was sorry to learn that this book is only available in e-book format and that I could not order a print copy. If I could, I'd give away several copies of this.

I hope many readers today will check it out, order it for a very small sum, and read it on their Kindles, Nooks, or even on their computers. Now, back to another of your books that I read--Hurricane.

I suppose you have to do a lot of study to write historical novels like Hurricane, based on an actual event. How do you go about researching for a historical novel and how much time does it take?

Janice: It really depends on the story. In the case of Hurricane, my research went all the way back to childhood. I vividly remember an incident in seventh grade where my history teacher shared the story of the Galveston hurricane of 1900. The story captivated me! As we approached the 100-year anniversary of the story, I felt a stirring to share (in particular) the story of several nuns at a Galveston-based orphanage who sacrificed their lives to try to save their young charges. Months and months of research took place on the web and at libraries, but the greatest information came from driving down to Galveston and visiting their historical museum and seeing “The Great Storm” (a film about the storm) at the Pier 21 theater.

Juanita: My husband and I visited that very same museum and were impressed by that film, too. Tell us about Picture Perfect, your new book that was just released in February of this year.

Janice: Here’s the official blurb:

She's trying to focus on her future. How can one man make everything feel so . . . fuzzy?

Hannah McDermott has a successful photography studio. She'll soon be featured in Texas Bride magazine. And she has a celebrity client whose Galveston ceremony will be her ticket to the top spot on wedding coordinator Bella Neeley's list of recommended photographers. But it could all come crashing down around her because of one man: archrival and photographer extraordinaire Drew Kincaid.

As the competition between Hannah and Drew heats up, Hannah is surprised to find that it's not the only thing getting more intense. She can't get the handsome man out of her thoughts--or even out of her line of sight--and the job of her dreams is turning into a nightmare. Will everything she's worked for slip out of her hands? And can she see past her pride to find a picture-perfect love?

With contagious humor and a cast of quirky characters, Janice Thompson gives you crazy bridal-business drama, sweet romance, and a satisfying dose of laughter.

Juanita: Is this a new series or a continuation of one you have already begun?

Janice: Picture Perfect is the start of a new series titled “Weddings by Design” but the whole series is a spin-off of my original “Weddings by Bella” series. I’ve also (loosely) linked the stories to my “Backstage Pass” series, which is set in Hollywood. Basically, I created a fun/quirky cast of character back in 2008 and am doing the best I can to keep them alive! My readers seem to love Bella and the gang, so I’ll stick with them as long as I’m able.

Juanita: What are three things you would tell a beginning writer, to help him or her start off on the right track?

Janice: 1). Stay on a learning curve at all times. Never think you know it all.

2). Write the story of your heart.

3). Don’t let the critique of others wound you.

Juanita: Please tell our readers how they can find you and your books on line.

Janice: I love to visit with my readers! They can find me on facebook at Janice Hanna Thompson or my website at www.janicehannathompson.com. My twitter handle is booksbyjanice.

Juanita: Thanks, Janice. I know you are a busy lady and really do appreciate the time you have given for the readers of my blog. I hope to read many more of the books you have created.

Janice: Thanks for having me!
--------------------------------------

It’s your turn, now. If you’d like to win a copy of Picture Perfect, leave a comment along with your email address, so I can notify you if you win. Extra points are given for those who choose to follow me or subscribe to my blog. Just tell me that you’re following or have subscribed and I’ll add your name again for each of these things. Other ways to get on the list are to send me an email or post to me on facebook that you'd like to have a copy of this book.

If you wish to download Fill These Empty Arms, go to Amazon, then to e-books, then to the title. By far, this is my favorite, and it is only available in e-format. You can download an app on your computer to read it there, if you don't have a Kindle or Nook.