I have interviewed Author Courtney Walsh recently after reviewing her brand new book "Change of Heart." I first discovered Courtneys books through a mutual friend
Melody Ross when she was telling us all about Courtneys very first Novel "A Sweet Haven Summer"......I WAS HOOKED!!!! That girl can make a pen flow and an imagination soar!!! I have read every single book she has written. She does not disappoint.
I have to say Courtney is a sweetheart. She makes me laugh with her facebook posts as well because she is real and doesn't hold back, she tells you like it is and her Courtneyisms are great! She is the Best. Cook. Ever! Right Courtney?
Courtney lives with her husband and three adorable children in Rockford, Illinois. You can find her on Facebook and enjoy getting to know her....check out her author page too!!! Here is a link Courtney Walsh
So here you go folks a great interview with Courtney, I would like to thank her for spending some time here on Huckleberry Stitches and sharing about herself! I have posted her answers in red for ease of reading.
How old were you when you first began writing?
I guess I've always loved writing. I wrote poems and short stories all through middle and high school, but it was when I went to college that I started to really realize just how much I enjoyed it. I took an English class with a professor who did a lot of creative writing and she was very encouraging to me, which surprised me because at the time, I had no interest in being a writer. I wanted to act, so I started writing for the stage. One Christmas break I wrote a one-woman show just because I was bored. I have no idea what happened to that play.
How did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I honestly sort of fell in to it. It was one of those things that I think my parents knew about me before I knew it myself. I was so focused on acting and theatre, I wasn't even thinking about writing. Then, one day, after I had two of my three kids, it dawned on me that in my life, I've always been writing. My work has always centered around it. Funny how God reveals these things to us in his perfect time.
Did you get a formal educatioin to be a writer? If so where did you attend?
I have a BS in Theatre and a BS in Journalism from Bradley University in Peoria, IL. Journalism is a different animal, but I think getting that education (as well as studying theatre) both contribute to my writing now.
Where do you get the ideas for your fabulous books?
This is a hard one! They come all the time. I have notebooks full of ideas. It can be a title, a headline in the newspaper, a walk through a bookstore. Mostly, my ideas start with a "What if...?" question and then it's just about exploring the answers.
What was the moment you knew you wanted to publish what you wrote?
I'd been writing for the scrapbooking industry for years (I'd written two idea books and was a contributing editor for a scrapbooking magazine) and I started to get a little burned out. At the same time, my husband transitioned out of music ministry in to children's ministry and it was SO obvious this was exactly what God had created him to do. He was so good at it. I wasn't. I wanted to know what it was God had created me to do that was going to be so obviously my calling, so I prayed about it. I got a clear answer, one word: Write. I knew in that moment, it was a different kind of writing than what I'd been doing, so I set out to learn everything I could about writing novels.
Was it hard to be published?
I think anything we do, in order to do it well, there is a degree of difficulty. It's tedious to revise a book. It's challenging to put yourself out there. It's such a journey and still continues to be. I always say if I'd known how hard it was going to be, I might not have done it, so I'm happy God let me find out one step at a time! :)
How many books have you written to date? And what are the titles? (I already know the answer because I have read all your books, but there may be someone that doesn't!) and where can people purchase your books?
I've written 5 novels and 2 scrapbooking idea books. In the order that I wrote them, they are:
Scrapbooking Your Faith
The Busy Scrapper
A Sweethaven Summer
A Sweethaven Homecoming
A Sweethaven Christmas
Paper Hearts
Change of Heart
They're available at amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com etc. :)
Are there any future books to look forward to in the future? Will they be in the previous series?
Yes! I've just signed a new 2-book deal with Tyndale. Brand new series! :)
What would you like to see in your future?
Vacation! Ha. I am in a season where I'm learning the importance of rest. It's not easy, but I have a feeling it would be easier if I were on a beach...
What would you say to someone wanting to write a book and be published?
Learn everything you can about writing. Read everything you can as often as you can. Take in what works for you and let go of what doesn't. Write your truth--not someone else's, not what you think other people want to read.
Thank you thank you Courtney!!! And for those of you in blogland reading this, go ahead and find her reads at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Christianbook.com. You wont be disappointed!!!
