I’m chatting with Sherri Wilson Johnson, author of To Laugh Once More this month. Welcome, Sherri, I’m pleased to host you on my website.

Thank you for having me today on your blog! I’m excited about getting to know some new readers.

Why do you write what you do? My stories have messages of hope, starting over, forgiveness, recovery from grief and loss, but they also reflect the hopeless romantic that lives inside of me. I love romance—clean romance. I write about these things because I want to entertain my readers while inspiring them. I want readers to know that there is hope for this life we live, that even when things seem so discouraging that it's impossible to dream they'll ever get better, there's always hope for a brighter day.

Your books have a strong faith element. How natural was this to write about?

The faith element is always easy for me to write about. One thing I vowed from the very beginning was that I would never write anything that would shame my dad, who was a preacher, but mainly that would shame my heavenly Father. Because God has been so amazing to me throughout the years and has never left me in the midst of my trials, I can’t help but season my writing with my faith.

I read on your website that you’re passionate about helping parents raise their teens. What about this subject fires up your passion?

I've been a mom for 23.5 years and have raised two teenagers. It's not an easy task. In today's world, it's even harder than it was for me and my husband. We're passionate about helping teens stay pure until they're married, and that really starts at home with the parents. It starts before they become teens. I’ve worked with the youth ministry at church on and off for ten years and have seen the devastation that comes when kids choose not to wait. And more recently, I’ve become aware of the sex trafficking industry that plagues our world. These young people are trapped and don't have a choice in keeping their purity. All of these things combined, makes me passionate about doing whatever I can do to help others see the value in having sexual integrity whether they're single or married. Right now, writing Christian Romance is one way I accomplish that mission.

You’ve said you long to go skydiving, one day. Would you go tandem or solo?

Oh, I am sure I would have to go solo because no one in my family and none of my friends are interested in doing it AT ALL! They think I’m crazy for even thinking of it.

For that story you wrote as an entrance exam for a children’s writing institute, can you remember the title, and what it was about?

Yes, it was called Oliver’s Travels and it was a story of a goldfish traveling from the pet store to the home where he would live. He had a girlfriend named Gloria. When I think about the story now, I realize that it could never have been a series or anything other than a short story because how many travels could a goldfish have?

Sherri, please share a brief synopsis of To Laugh Once More.

To Laugh Once More is a Victorian Romance set in Florida and Georgia.

A dissatisfied wife. A misunderstood husband. Three tragedies will alter their path forever. Will their choices tear them apart, or will they allow them to laugh once more?

Three years after her marriage to Hamilton, former debutante Lydia Barrington Scarbrough faces a series of faith-building hardships that stretch her faith beyond capacity. Leaving her childhood home in Florida for new adventures in Georgia proves more difficult than she ever imagined, and her marriage may not survive the trials. Lydia’s own personal battles drive a wedge between them, and Hamilton must attempt to save their marriage and draw Lydia back to him. As Lydia strives to etch out a place for herself in a new world full of unfamiliar prejudice and attempts to overcome her private battles, she must help Hamilton understand her deepest longings and learn the true meaning of joy.
This is the continuing saga of Lydia Barrington, from my debut novel, To Dance Once More. It's written as a standalone, so you don't have to read the first one to enjoy its sequel. But I'd like to invite you to read both!

Where can readers find your books, Sherri?

Readers can find the links on my website: http://sherriwilsonjohnson.com/sherris-books/to-laugh-once-more

Last question. What was that Christian romance novel you say you burned in the fireplace about?

I never gave the book a title. Isn’t that weird? I guess it never came to me. It’s probably for the best and is probably what has allowed me to put it to rest and not think about it too often. It was a story of six teenagers—three girls and three boys. Some had vowed to live a life of purity and some had not. I guess that topic has been on my mind for far longer than I realized.

Thanks you so much for visiting with us, Sherri. We wish you many blessings as you continue to write for King Jesus!

If you’d like to win an electronic version of Sherri’s novel, To Laugh Once More, use my Contact page and type “drawing” in the comments box. The deadline to enter is September 24th.

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Author Bio

Sherri Wilson Johnson is an Inspirational Romance novelist, a speaker, and a former homeschooling mom who’d rather have laugh lines under her eyes than worry lines across her forehead. She lives in Georgia with her husband, her two children and her Chihuahua, Posey. Her favorite thing to do when she’s not with her family is to curl up with a good book or work on her current work-in-progress. She loves to dream of visiting romantic places and is passionate about the Lord, motherhood, homeschooling, and writing. Sherri is the author of To Dance Once More, Song of the Meadowlark, and To Laugh Once More. She is a columnist with Habits for a Happy Home and Choose NOW Ministries.