Author Behind the Story Blog Series - Tom Hall

There is one thing I've learned in life. I always joke around and say, "If I had nine days a week and seventy-two hours in a day, I might get everything done I need to do and still have enough time to average five hours of sleep." 

I saw a meme recently that said, "I added up all the time needed to complete my current TBR pile. I will officially complete reading all the books on my 842nd birthday."

I know the feeling. 

Of course, I know having enough time if only the days and weeks were longer is fallacy. Someone or something would fill up the time and then some, and we'd still be behind. 

The point is, life is short. The Bible calls it a vapor (James 4:14). Compared to eternity, it truly is. A teenager may look at an old person and think otherwise. However, the old person knows better, for he was once young and ignorant too. 

This is why we must live life to the fullest, and that means living for God daily, hourly, every minute (Luke 9:23-27) by following His Son.

Our next guest on the Florida Front Porch gets this, I believe. I want everyone to welcome another fellow Word Weaver to the ABTS family, Tom Hall!

Tom, we have a tradition here, besides the virtual porch, the virtual sweet tea, the virtual ceiling fans, and the virtual Adirondack chairs. We ask each guest to give us a quick bio. In fifty words or less, who is Tom Hall?

I am a retired Marine with over twenty-five years and several continents behind me. I am also a retired state law enforcement officer with over eighteen years and several investigations and trials in the rearview mirror. I have taught at the elementary, undergraduate, and graduate levels. 

Before you ever got a notion of becoming a writer/author, how old were you, and what were you doing in that time of your life?

I am the quintessential late bloomer. I didn’t really start writing seriously until I was 60. Which actually works in my writing. When I detail a felony arrest in one of my books, I’ve actually done one of those things. Further, when I describe the morale on a nuclear submarine, I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I started because frankly, I wasn’t ready to sit on the porch and watch life go by. 

What educational background do you have?

My educational background mirrors my late-bloomer approach to life. I did not have a college degree until the year before I retired from the Marines. A pretty good trick under Department of Navy rules for a commissioned officer. Then I spent ten years in state law enforcement before I got around to getting a Master’s in Juvenile Psychology. A few years later, I accidentally achieved a Ph.D in Criminal Justice. 

I didn’t know you had a doctorate…See? You learn something new every day.

I know you're married. Tell a little about your family.

I am married to the same wonderful woman (Patty) I met over forty-three years ago. Amazingly, she has remained through several worldwide deployments, being the typical wife waiting on the Trooper to come home, and through it all kept the team together. We have a daughter (the lawyer) and two sons (the veterans). 

Does she get a Purple Heart for sticking with you all these years? :-)

For all the pet lovers out there, answer this question: Do you have any?

Our home is one of a constantly rotating collection of pets and animals. From horses to cats to dogs. In the middle school years, our kids seemed to collect an assortment of animals, including a cow for 4H. Our most endearing pet is Scooby, who is a massive Great Dane (what else would a dog named Scooby be?). At present we are temporarily hosting an Australian Shepard called, Chilli Dog. Also, the world's most arrogant and overweight cat is called….cat. The cat has allowed us to feed her and remain in our home with her.

I saw a sign one time that read: “Dogs think they’re human. Cats think they’re God.” I have yet to meet a dog or cat that does not fit that description, so I get it.

You’ve done a great deal already, and I’m sure you’ve cross off a lot of items, but remains on your bucket list? Or do you not have one?

I don’t really have a bucket list. Frankly, any sort of planning for this sort of thing really rests with Patty. I kind of am interested in having her see some of the things I already have. Personally, I am too busy with the day-to-day business of life to have a bucket list, or to put it another way, the honey-do list tends to occupy my time right now. 

Do you have a favorite line from a movie or book? If so, what is it and explain why it is special to you?

My all-time favorite line from a movie is from Jaws. When Roy Schneider’s character sees the shark for the first time he says, “You’re going to need a bigger boat.” And that goes to my personal delight in seeing, hearing, or reading about common people placed in extraordinary circumstances. 

If you had your life to live over again, besides being an author (which we guess would be your obvious answer), what profession would you choose?

That’s an interesting question. One for which I do not have a good answer. From a secular level, I must turn to Hunter Thompson: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!” From a Christian perspective, whatever the adventure, it must have our Father in mind first and foremost. I don’t really ponder about “Oh what might have been.” I’ve lived a blessed life starting with an upbringing that would cause Andy Griffith and Opey to be envious. My hometown in Michigan was so boring that I couldn’t wait to escape, which is what I did at seventeen when I left for the Marines. Subsequently, of course, there are some regrets, like not getting my formal education prior to becoming a fossil – that would have been nice.  I do admit a small, slight twinge of possible regret the first time I stepped out of a C-130 and parachuted onto the drop zone at Fort Benning. However, upon a successful landing, I could only think, “Wow, what a ride!” I used to think that I was completely in control, but looking back it's evident to me that I was just a common guy tripping through extraordinary circumstances. I also can see a divine aspect to this having done some exceptionally dangerous things and through no action on my part managed to survive. The bottom line is that I lived the life that I was afforded (or stumbled into) and in the closing years managed to come to an understanding it wasn’t about me, it was about Him. My guardian angel is thinking, “It's about time.”

Besides storytelling, what talents do you have?

I have developed–or perhaps recognized–a talent for listening and observing. It has taken me years to learn to shut up and listen. To stop and observe this wonderful place and time. I really envy one of the Word Weavers of Lake County (FL) authors, Tracy Smoak. The talent, the patience, and the skill to capture those wonderful photographs. What she sees and captures has eluded me for almost a lifetime. Too busy moving from one point to another, I forgot to stop and see. However, in keeping with my late-blooming skill sets, I am trying to see and hear things that used to get lost in the hustle. 

Of all the stories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelled you to write this story?

My favorite project so far is my book Liberty’s Echo. It started with a great idea. I had to teach my Constitutional law students about how they are part of the American system of justice. I gave the class the U.S. citizenship test on the first day. The results were frightening. Only one student passed, and then barely. I spent a couple of years pondering this and came up with the book to present the ideas of a representative republic to the next generation of young people (old ones also). I used the idea of a committed communist North Korean general talking to a retired Marine colonel and having a dialogue about their respective governments. I also was able to base it upon the foundations of Western Civilization and the Bible. This was a great vehicle to insert themes such as sacrifice and how all things work for the greater glory of God.  

Do you ever receive negative reviews from readers? If so, how do you respond when you see them?

Oh goodness, I’ve had some negative reviews. They don’t really bother me. I did enjoy the negative comment from someone in England who took exception to my description of the events leading up to the Battle of Concord. All I can say is, next time, tell King George to lay off the taxes. Another reader took exception to my naming the submarine in Liberty’s Echo the USS Concord. His contention was that there was no USS Concord. By the way, it is a fictional story.  Wait until he realizes that the supply ship, the USS Duportail doesn’t exist either. You will have to look up the name to see its significance. 

Okay, so I did look it up. Now, I wonder how many readers will…

As a writer, if you had one thing you would do over again, what would it be?

As a writer, I think that I probably should have started earlier. However, that works against my writing in the present. Much of what I write is based on my personal experiences. To be clear, I am not writing autobiographical stuff, but rather using my experience to place common men and women in extraordinary events. I would like to think that my background allows me to fully explore the characters, how they react, and why they do what they do.

Tell us about what project you are currently working on.

My current project(s) are kind of all over the place.  I have several books written but in one case, I need to write the prologue book – one that sets the rest into perspective. This is the Elliot (anglicization of the name Elisha) Heston series. The first book in the series is nearly ready. In this series, biblical truth is applied to a real-world situation. Since you asked, Book One is Ephesian Sunsets, where I deal with the clinical depression of a main character. Book Two is Dining with Pharisees, which deals with public corruption and a serial firesetter. Book Three is The Isaiah Decree, about artificial intelligence and murder at the Bushnell Technical Institute (only we central Floridians will get the humor).

What surprised you the most during the research for the book you are currently working on?

My research for The Isaiah Decree led me to the importance of language. This might seem strange coming from a guy who wants to write novels, but the deeper I dug into the current rage about artificial intelligence the more I realized that “words and their meaning” was the key to the evolution of artificial intelligence. Then, looking at the issue biblically, we find – “In the beginning was the Word…” When God escorted Adam around the Garden of Eden, He asked Adam to name the various items and plants…the beginning of language. Our perception of reality is tied to how we describe it. In the end, words matter.

Oh, I have an entire talk around this topic. As well as with why Adam was tasked with naming all the animals.

Tell us about your writing day. How do you go about writing?

I am an early riser. This comes from years of physical training with the troops, who train typically in the morning before it gets too hot. Also, being an early riser affords me the opportunity to sit and think in some solitude before the mad morning rush.

Knowing what you know now about writing, publishing, etc., what piece of advice would you give to the person thinking about writing that novel they have always wanted to pursue since they were young, or the person who believes they have a non-fiction book in them that would be helpful to others?

Get a friend, get a beta group, and join Word Weavers. Finally, jump in. 

Has your writing crossed over into other areas? If so, how? If not, will it?

I have already published in professional and scientific journals. Most of that work would put most people to sleep. So, my writing has crossed from academic and scientific work to fiction.  By the way, fiction is much harder. Another aspect is that I have had to learn to be descriptive in my writing as opposed to legally accurate. There are no official homicide reports that start out, “It was a dark and stormy night.” Interestingly, though, a few of the homicides that I investigated did occur on a dark and stormy night.  

How do you come up with the names for your characters?

They are derivatives of actual person’s names. Those who are in the know, realize that I am using them as my characters. So far, it has been met with good acceptance. On a possibly interesting note, the real person behind Colonel Sutton in Liberty’s Echo called me to say how disappointed he was to have been killed within the first two paragraphs. We both had a good laugh. Spoiler alert:  Some of my bad guys are people that I have met, and my appraisal of their character matches their names. If one cared to look into it, my protagonist in Liberty’s Echo is loosely translated from Korean as “Mangy Wolf.” But these names are not derivative. They are known only to me. 

As a writer, what is “success” to you? And has that “definition” changed over time as you have traveled down the writer’s path?

I have found that the hardest thing in life is simply showing up. I spent far too much time worrying about what others would think about my writing. Through my association with Word Weavers in Lake County (FL), I became comfortable just admitting that I wrote the book. In the end, I felt that success—to be authentic—had to be a genuine effort involving quality. The quantity thing will take care of itself down the road. 

Looking back, have you ever wondered if choosing a different genre would have worked better for you, as a writer? Have you ever thought about switching genres, or writing in different genres?

Yes! Writing in the Christian Genre is a very niche market. Writing non-romance stories in the Christian genre is minuscule. Christian historical fiction might be another route, and I have some ideas. In the end, to me, it is about foundational beliefs, not success. I’m pretty sure that every struggling author has said something similar, but going back to a previous question, I write for a purpose.

If you had one person you could meet (think outside the Bible here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be and why?

Benjamin Franklin. I suspect that Ben was an astute observer. We also know that he was an accomplished orator. Most of my students think that Ben and I hung around Philadelphia back in the day. Not saying I’m old or anything. Regardless, to have a sit down with Mr. Franklin and just talk about what those crazy founding fathers were thinking would be great. Also, I would love to drive him around and show him what their efforts resulted in. Could you imagine his terror sitting in the front passenger seat on the interstate? Do you mean you can travel from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. in a single day? 

If you had one person you could meet (think ONLY Bible characters here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be besides Jesus, and why?

I would pick Thomas. Not because we share a common name, but because I think that I understand him. I cannot help but think that I also would be skeptical of all those “sightings” of Jesus after the crucifixion. Yet, when shown the truth (and literally touching it), he went on to become one of the most adamant believers. Thomas takes some hits in history for his doubts, but I don’t believe that I am any better in the end. 

What’s the craziest thing you have ever done?

I have never done anything crazy. I have always carefully analyzed the situation, weighing different aspects of a probable result against harm or injury. See, I told you I wrote fiction! The real answer is car surfing. That’s an underrated sport of standing on a car roof while the driver speeds down a road. Those that survive go on to do other spectacularly stupid things.

I believe that’s why TikTok was invented. To display the “other spectacularly stupid things” people do.

Why do you live where you live?

I live in Floral City, which is probably the last of the cattle country in western Florida. I live here because that’s where the state sent me when I was a trooper. Prior to that, I lived in Brandon, because the Marines sent me to Central Command. Prior to that, we lived in Japan, because that’s where the Marines sent me. The fact is, someone else is always telling me where to go. Particularly those who review my books. Since retirement from the Marines, the State, and academia, I kind of like not having to move for once. So sleepy little Floral City is fine….for now.

When you are looking for a book to read, what are the things that are important to you?

I am a voracious reader. In that light, I find myself having to limit my searches to at least four stars and good reviews. 

What Bible scripture has impacted your life the most, and why?

Romans 1:19-20. The universe is a revelation of God. For me, it is a reminder that for all the supposed intelligence we think we have, God and His creation remain a testament to His Glory.  Further, and this really comes out in my writing, we remain small, minuscule players in a much larger cosmic drama.  Ernest K. Gann wrote in his book, Fate is the Hunter, “For all our technological prowess we remained small and insignificant men who stink in the sun.”

To further elaborate, my favorite verses change over time with me. Occasionally one can hear me shout, “Oh, that’s what that means.” It's been a process over time. 

If you had life to do all over again, would there be any changes? If so, what would they be?

This is kind of a difficult question for me. If I had to do it all over again, me being a gazillionaire would be kind of cool. But….then I would have to give up something I did. I am not sure that I would be willing to trade the places I went or the things I did for something else. On top of that, I would have to relinquish working with and knowing some of the greatest people our country has ever produced. I was never a hero, but I met quite a few. Interestingly, the real heroes never bragged about what they did. In fact, they kind of acted a little embarrassed about it. I had adult beverages with Michael Durant who was the helicopter pilot shot down and captured by the Somali insurgents. Two Delta Force operators died and subsequently earned the Medal of Honor for their actions to save him. This is all detailed in the movie Blackhawk Down. I found him to be thoughtful and humble. A common man violently thrust into extraordinary circumstances. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover?

My biggest kick in life is helping others. Looking back I see a trend of service to a nation, to a state, to a community, to the church, etc. That’s why I really like the writing community. I get to read other believers' books, steal their ideas (just kidding) and learn from them. I like the Word Weavers format, and while I have no interest in being an editor, I do enjoy beta reading for others and offering hopefully good advice. To that point, the Word Weavers of Lake County (FL) have been one of the best and biggest blessings in my life. Below grandkids but certainly above mowing the yard. 

This is another weird thing about me. I am not on social media for the most part.  But, I can be reached at thomashall887@gmail.com. Ephesian Sunsets will come out later this year.

Readers, you can find Tom's books on Amazon, so check them out, and if you have questions, or if you want to find out if and when he will have social media, a newsletter, etc., send him a quick note via email.

Thanks for stopping by, and as always, May God Bless America, but more importantly, May America Bless God first.

Kevin

 

PS - And just in case you didn't know, Kevin's Blake Meyer Thriller series is getting a reboot! Book 1, 30 Days Hath Revenge, came out in April 2023! Book 2, Triple Time, will be out very, very soon (by the middle of June)! Books 3, 4, 5, & 6 will be out this year! You can keep track by visiting his website: www.ckevinthompson.com!

A Clandestine Mission.
A Cryptic Message.
A Chaste Moment.

Blake Meyer dreamed of a peaceful end to a dutiful career with the FBI. Married now, his life was taking him in a new direction – a desk job. He would be an analyst. Ride it out until retirement. Be safe so he could enjoy family life.

But when a notable member of the IRA is murdered in his London flat, Blake’s secretive past propels him into middle of an international scheme so twisted and sadistic, it will take everything Blake possesses – all of it – to save the United States from a diabolical terrorist attack.

The Last Days (A Seriously Write Blog)

Photo Taken at the
Florida Christian Writers Conference
2017
(Thanks to Tez Brooks for the pic!)

Here's the Original - I cropped out Tez and Dan Walsh :-)

It is with fond memories that I write this post. In October of this year, it would have been six years since I started writing for SW. My face becoming part of that box on the home page labeled “Regular Contributors” was a fluke, of sorts, actually. I was asked by Dawn Kinzer, one of the hostesses if I would be willing to write a post for “Fortifying Fridays.” I interpreted that invitation —wrongly…or maybe it was rightly—to be a monthly gig and not just a one-time stint. I think Dawn hated to commit to me for that long (not knowing me well at all, really), but she did. I remember her stating that they had just lost a male writer, and the team wanted to continue to have a male voice amongst their stable of writers, so she took my “misunderstanding” as a prompting from God.

You can read the remainder HERE!

(A FOOTNOTE: Becoming a writer has been so rewording. Beyond the published books. Beyond the royalty checks. Beyond the 5-star reviews. It's the new friends I've made who have become some of my best ones. Here at SW. In the CAN group. IN Word Weavers. At the writers conferences. Our common interests, coupled with our common rejections, our common successes, and our common, everyday frustrations makes places like writers conferences and these other groups great places to not only network, but to encourage, vent, uplift, pray for, and find support. Even though I am stepping away from SW for now, it is only because I wish to spend more time in writing and more time with God. Thanks to all my fans and readers who have stopped by every fourth Friday to "see what Kevin's written this month." It's been a blast!) 

The Author Behind the Story - Cindy Ervin Huff

Happy New Year, Everyone! I hope your new year has been treating you well, and your Christmas season was a joyful one. It seems these events get closer and closer together until one is over and...Poof!...365 days have flown by, and we're celebrating another!

As we move ahead, it's always good to get to know somebody new. As it's been said before, enemies are easy to make, but friends are hard to come by, and you can never surround yourself with enough of them. So, in that spirit, I welcome Cindy Ervin Huff to our Author Behind the Story series!

Cindy, to jump start our conversation, give us a quick bio. In fifty words or less, who is Cindy Ervin Huff? 

Cindy Ervin Huff is a multi-published freelance writer who loves to bring her imaginary characters to life. She's a mentor for Word Weavers International and founding member of the Aurora, Illinois chapter. Her award-winning Historical Romance, Secrets and Charades, debuted in 2017, and her contemporary romance, New Duet, came out in 2018.

Being a founding member of two Word Weaver groups, I know all about helping get projects like that off the ground. And being a Word Weaver is a great boost and help, isn't it? What educational background do you have?

I graduated from Marion High School and then got married. This was not uncommon in the seventies. Lack of a college education didn’t stop me from writing for publication. I took Jerry Jenkins’ Writing for the Soul online courses, have a library of writing craft books, and attend a yearly writer’s conference. I am constantly learning and have yet to graduate from the writing school of life.

Who has? Do we ever graduate from that school? Are you married? Single? Have kids?

I met my soulmate Charley 45 and a half years ago. We dated a few months and married after I graduated from high school. We have five adult children and six grandchildren. I’ll soon have two step-grandchildren added to the mix. I’m a home-school veteran. I began back in the 1980's when everyone asked if could get arrested for teaching my kids at home. I soldiered on for fifteen years. My youngest attended a Christian school for a few years due to his learning disability. My two daughters experienced public school to complete their education. We were the minority white family in our neighbor. My children learned a lot about other cultures. 

When the words aren’t flowing, what is your favorite comfort food and why? 

Chocolate - always chocolate. Women reading this will need no explanation. 😊

If your life was a story, and you were the lead character, what kind of role would you play?

I’d be the wise, older character that guided the main characters to make good choices. But I’d be a bit wacky and at times clumsy making my character fun to be around.

For all the pet lovers out there, answer this question: Do you have any? 

Yes and no. We had hamsters, parakeets, fish, and dogs when my children were growing up. I preferred the dogs. Then our nest-emptied of all pets and most of our children. Then three adult children came back home at the same time with their dogs. That was more of an adventure than I wanted. We still dog-sit my daughter’s mini-doxie. Toby is old, blind, hard of hearing, and suffers from separation anxiety when he’s not with people. So, when neither she nor her husband is home, he stays with us. 

Everybody seems to have a bucket list. Do you? If so, what’s on it? If not, why not?

I’m not a bucket list person but if I had one this would be it:

• Personal list: 
• Traveling to my ancestral home countries: Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and England visiting the towns my ancestors immigrated from.
• Visit places in Canada where some of my favorite books were written.
• Take a family vacation that includes all my kids and their families.
• As a writer:
• I’d love to teach and speak at a conference
• Make a decent living at my craft

Those sound like doable things. Although, the "make a decent living at your craft" one might prove the hardest. Besides storytelling, what talents do you have?

Until recently I sang on the worship team. I love singing. I do enjoy acting and performing readings. (These may fall under the writing-related topic, though.) If you want someone to keep kids quiet or make newbies feel comfortable at an event, I’m your gal. Once during a mission trip the others in my group abandoned me with a bunch of strangers while they stepped away to pray for our time together. When they were done, I’d made the strangers my friends, and they were very receptive to what was shared.

Besides the usual things authors face, has there been an unusual event that changed your perspective about being an author? 

I grew up in the military. That means you make friends fast and then leave them. Writing became an outlet for me. The story characters in my head at times felt like the only friends I had. I’ve always been an avid reader. Reading filled a void. So, writing to reach people who may be as lonely as I once felt is important to me. I understand how valuable reaching hurting people through a fictitious story can be.

It is interesting what motivates writers to write...It seems we all have similar aspirations, but they differ just enough to make them uniquely our own. Yet, all of us can relate to some degree. (Introverts Unite!) 

Do you have a crazy, interesting, behind-the-scenes story about the publishing world you’d like to tell your readers without boring them to death with industry gobbledygook?

It took ten years for my first book to get published. During that time I attended a writer’s conference every year. I helped with the set-up and volunteered for whatever needed doing. I met an array of interesting people along the way. Because no one stays a stranger around me long it was fun to reconnect each year and find sweet friends. A publisher and I met at one of my first conferences. At the time she was an acquisition editor for another company. Over the years we’ve organized a semiannual get-together of local authors who attend the same conference. It’s so fun to encourage one another in the conference off-season.

As a writer, if you had one thing you would do over again, what would it be? 

I would have gone to writers’ conferences when my kids were small and started my writing career. By now I would have had dozens of books published instead of two. I was published back then and have been through the years. It’s been a hit or miss thing until recently. My do-over would have been to be more consistent in submitting.

Do I hear an "Amen!" from the writer's crowd out there? Don't we all wish we would have started earlier? Tell us about what project you are currently working on. 

I have two projects. I have a historical romance involving a female architect who designs a town to build in Kansas where women run the majority of the businesses. She is a wealthy aristocrat. She hires a contractor who hopes the association brings him future work from the wealthy. But at times he wonders if his reputation will be ruined before it even starts. I have a pile of note cards full of possible catastrophes common to the era. A publisher is interested in the full mss so I need to finish it. It is book one in a series. Also, I need to finish my contemporary romance about a dog groomer, a widower with an adorable son, and a disobedient mutt. So fun. I’m hoping Love Inspired will say yes. 

What surprised you the most during the research for the book(s) you are currently working on?

I tend to over research and read things I will never use. I just read about the winter of 1886 in Kansas was so bad that several blizzards went through the area, one lasting five days and the temperature falling to forty below. Most of the cattle died, and in the spring, they found some dead in trees. They’d climb up them to eat the bark. Teddy Roosevelt at 29 had invested in cattle and lost 60% of his herd.

While reaching dog grooming, I visited my daughter at her shop. I laughed when they told me one dog plays dead every time he is groomed. I couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be to cut its fur while he lays limp on the table.

Tell us about your writing day. How do you go about writing?

I work part-time and also watch grandkids, so my writing day can be a challenge. I rise early and try to get stuff like social media and my blog posts out of the way before working on other writing tasks. On work days I may only do editing and blog post, but no new chapters. On my days off I try to get new chapters written. Those days, I set out to write all morning. Because my office is currently overrun with stuff (my son’s family is living with us), I share space with my hubby. Actually, my desk is the dumping spot so I take my laptop to the kitchen table, or the couch or my bed and use the portable desk. Sometimes I’ll go to the library. I seldom write late at night. I’m a morning person, and my brain shuts off it’s creativity by 8 pm. If I set a goal to write X number of words a day when I need to get a book done I usually can do it. If I’m starting a new idea and haven’t pitched it to anyone, I’m not as productive. A deadline makes me move.

Knowing what you know now about writing, publishing, etc., what piece of advice would you give to the person thinking about writing that novel they have always wanted to pursue since they were young, or the person who believes they have a non-fiction book in them that would be helpful to others?

Learn all you can about the writing craft. Write the book and join a critique group either online or in person. Learn all you can from their input. If the group is too negative or self-absorbed, find another one. Word Weavers and ACFW have serious writers in their groups that want to help each other get published.  Attend conferences to gain knowledge and network. Sometimes it’s who you know that opens publishing doors. And if you decide to self-publish, get a great editor who knows how to edit for publication so your work is stellar. Don’t forget to pay for a great cover artist so you attract attention to your content. However your work is published, be prepared not to quit your day job from the sales.

But Cindy, in every movie or TV show I watch, the nobody person who writes a novel becomes an instant success. Why can't it be that way in real life? (hehehe...) 

How do you come up with the names for your characters?

They tell me their names.

That sounds a little ominous...but if you could have them deposit money into your bank account, too...well, then, there's a book everybody would want to read.

If you had one person you could meet (think outside the Bible here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be?

Mary Connealy. I love her novels. She writes non-stop. I could learn a lot from her.

I know when I read other writers I enjoy, I learn just from reading their works...a turn of a phrase, new words, how to describe, when not to, etc. 

If you had one person you could meet (think ONLY Bible characters here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be besides Jesus?

Paul. I’d like to hear him preach and teach about the things I’ve studied in his letters to the church.

When you look for a new home, what are the things that are important to you?

My hubby and I have been talking about this lately. We’d like to downsize. Our home needs office space, a guest room, and no outside maintenance. So we are thinking town homes or even an apartment. Preferably in a quiet neighborhood. We love walking, so sidewalks and nature trails are a must. Walking helps my creative juices. There needs to be enough parking for family get-togethers and a lovely view off the patio where we would have cook outs.

When you look for a new car, what are the things that are important to you?

Hubby and I have been talking about this, too. We are in need of a new car. The ideal car would have great gas mileage, a reputation for durability and longevity, too. I’d like a key fob that starts the car and turns on the heat in the winter. A great sound system and auto headlights. And if the seats warm in the winter and cool in the summer that would be heaven. Lots of leg room in the back because I’m tall. When we pick up my mother, she rides in the front, and she pushes her seat back.

When you are looking for a book to read, what are the things that are important to you? 

I love a good story. The cover needs to match that story. I may pass a book up if the cover doesn’t catch my eye. I tend to prefer Historicals. But I love a good mystery, and a few sci-fi and fantasies with great covers and back cover copy have found their way on my to-read pile. Recommendations of friends can influence my selection. And if I love the first book I read by an author, I will usual grab another.

What Bible scripture has impacted your life the most, and why?

Hear my cry, O God; give heed to my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I (Psalm 61:1-2).

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover? 

I’m a late -in-life novelist. At 63, I’m working on my fourth book. I have friends in their twenties working on their first. The beauty of a career in writing is you’re never too old or too young to get started. Find your niche and keep writing.

Amen to that! 

Cindy, I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to be a part of our Author Behind the Story series! May God richly bless your writing ministry.

And friends, if you wish to get to know Cindy better, please stop by and visit the sites below:

Website: www.jubileewriter.wordpress.com

Facebook Author Page: https ://www.facebook.com/author.huff11/

Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/cindyervinhuff

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/117599590227912410637

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8029703-cindy-ervin-huff

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CindyErvinHuff

Until next time, May God bless America, and may America bless God!

Kevin

https://www.ckevinthompson.com