AN INTERVIEW WITH SALLY JOHN

 

This month’s interview is with my dear friend, Sally John, three-time Christy nominee, and author of more than a dozen books.

Welcome back, Sally!
Thank you, Debbie.  As always, it’s a pleasure talking with you.

How do you see yourself, Sally, and how do you think your friends see you?
Graying.  =)   Seriously, the older I get, the more I know how much I don’t know, which is a wondrously freeing state to be in.  The other day I was sharing with friends from church about some prayer times and we all ended up in tears.  I think, I hope, they see me as real.

Having been nominated for the Christian Bookseller Association’s Christy Award for contemporary fiction, will you tell us for which books, for those of us who don’t know?
Surrender of the Heart, now out of print; used copies are out there though; it’s an old book, my second one.
Moment of Truth, Book 3 in the In a Heartbeat Series, also now out of print; available used and for the Kindle.
A Time to Mend, Book 1 in the Safe Harbor Series.

What does it feel like to have that honor bestowed on you, not once, but three times?
It is totally an honor.  It affirms my writing ability.  It also makes me want to joke that I’m always a bridesmaid, never a bride. 

Sally, please tell us about your latest novel, A Time to Surrender.
It is the third and last book in the Safe Harbor Series, co-authored with Gary Smalley.  What I tried to focus on in this story is a concept that Gary addresses in his book Change Your Heart, Change Your Life:   that every experience we have is recorded in our hearts.  As we ask God’s forgiveness (for ourselves as well as for others who have hurt us) and invite Him into our hearts, He changes us from the inside out.   This is true transformation.
The story continues with the Beaumont family, with siblings Jenna and Danny as the main characters.  Jenna, the eldest, is not coping well with the absence of her deployed Marine husband.  Danny falls crazy in love with a newcomer and she turns his world, which he keeps so neatly ordered, upside down.  We also see glimpses of other family members and of the retreat center now open for guests.  

With most of the story revolving around a woman whose Marine husband has been deployed overseas, I’m sure many real-life military wives and family members have read it. Have any contacted you with how your book has impacted them?
I haven’t heard from any yet, but Kelly Farmer, whom I thank in the Acknowledgments, is the wife of a Marine, now deployed.  We met online years ago when I was researching something about the military for a different story.  She helped me with this one as well, giving me technical information about platoons and units, etc.  As I write this, she has not yet read it.  

What is the takeaway of A Time to Surrender?
It seems I usually have a few things going in a story…LOL.  I hope the takeaways include:  Plain old escapism.  Affirmation that no matter what we do, God loves us and is with us.  That new beginnings are always available, that God can change our hearts if we let Him; that transformation is always an option.  A reminder to keep our troops and their families in prayer.  

Do you have another book coming out soon?
July 2010.  ACK!  That’s so long!  It will be the first book in a new series.

Sally, thank you so much for stopping by to chat with me. Once again, it’s been a great pleasure. I wish you all the best with A Time to Surrender, and all of your books.
Thank you, Debbie!

To learn more about Sally John, visit her Web site at www.sally-john.com.

Sally has offered to give away two books for our drawing! To win an autographed copy of A Time to Surrender, use the contact page and type “drawing” in the comments box.

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