Meet Fay Lamb, Guest Author -- Plus Book Give-Away

Fay Lamb, author and editor

 

Today’s special guest is Fay Lamb, an acquisition editor for Pelican Book Group. I met Fay in August at the Catch the Wave Christian Writers Conference.  Besides getting to know her, I had the pleasure of taking her workshop on characterization which is now available as a paperback, The Art of Characterization.   

Fay’s emotionally charged stories remind the reader that God is always in the details.  She has recently contracted with Write Integrity Press for three different series. Stalking Willow, the first in the Amazing Grace romantic suspense series and Charisse, the first release in her The Ties That Bind contemporary romance series are currently available. Both second novels in the series, Better than Revenge and Libby will release this month.

 

Fay is a past-secretary for American Christian Fiction Writers. She served for four years as the moderator for ACFW’s critique group, Scribes. For her volunteer efforts for ACFW, she received the Service Members Award in 2010.

 

Fay and her husband, Marc, reside in Titusville, Florida, where multi-generations of their families have lived. The legacy continues with their two married sons and five grandchildren (with the sixth also to be released this month).  Enjoy the interview.

 

Fay, could you tell our readers what inspired you on your writing journey?

Would you believe that I have never needed much inspiration for my writing journey? I have always had a tremendous imagination—one so large that I couldn’t contain it within myself. It had to pour out in storytelling and in writing.

 

When did you start thinking of yourself as a writer?  Did that come before or after publication?

Truly, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t think of myself as a writer. Well, maybe before I could put the words onto paper, but even before that, I told myself stories. My sister was thirteen years older than me, and she married before I was seven. I spent a lot of time by myself. Well, not exactly by myself. I had many, many imaginary friends, and I told lots of stories about them.

 

What was your journey to publication like?

A very long one, and looking back, I have to say that I was more discouraged than not when I looked at my writing in terms of publication. Now, that I’m on the other side of publication, I’ve discovered that in just writing, I was always the happiest. I wasn’t worried about when my time would come, and when it did finally arrive, I had more than one book ready.

 

Fay, is there one piece of writing advice you wish you’d had from the beginning.

Keep writing. Practice not only makes perfect but it makes for more than one story for contract.

 

What do you think the Lord is teaching you through your writing?

The Lord had continually worked with me on pride. He is very faithful to help me live out Proverbs 11:2. I’d say that I’ve whipped that particular sin, but I don’t want to have to be taken back to the woodshed. I believe He sat me on a shelf for two years because of my pride. I wasn’t happy with Him at the time. I wasn’t happy with myself either. In fact, I believe I was the most miserable I’ve ever been in my life. I wanted to write, but I was so depressed during that time that it wasn’t an option. When I finally woke up and realized that it isn’t about me, but it is all about Him, I became a much happier person, and I learned that humility comes with servitude. I have learned what a pleasure it is to work with and for other writers.

 

Where can we find you on the web?

Oh, I’m all over. *Smiling* I love to make friends on my personal page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/fay.lamb), and I have an author page (www.facebook.com/AuthorFay), and I offer daily editing tips as the Tactical Editor on Facebook (www.facebook.com/TacticalEd).

I’m an editor for Pelican Book Group, and I write the weekly Tactical Tuesday: Advice for Self-Editing. (http://pelicanbookgroup.blogspot.com)

I tweet: www.twitter.com/FayLamb

 

You have graciously offered to give away a book to one of our readers today.  Tell us about it. 

Charisse is the first novel in The Ties that Bind series, which follows the lives of four different women who live in Orlando, Florida. Charisse is a widowed mother of a seven-year-old, and she is struggling to make ends meet and to attend law school. When she’s forced to give up her dreams of becoming a lawyer, her prayers are answered, but not in a way she expects. She ends up working as a law clerk for her ex-friend, Gideon Tabor. The problem is, Gideon’s rare ruling in favor of a defendant released the man that Charisse holds responsible for her husband’s death.

 

This novel and the three that will follow are set closer to home than most of my novels. In fact, Charisse grew up in my hometown of Titusville, Florida. We both graduated from the same high school. She even loves the same drive-in restaurant I frequent on a daily basis.

 

As each woman’s love story unfolds, the four women and the men they love form an unusual family, and they’ll see each other through love and loss. The second story in the series, Libby, will release this month and Charisse and Libby’s friends, Hope and Delilah will have their stories released in 2014. 

 

 

Do you have a favorite Scripture, Fay?

Romans 8:28 is my Scripture for writing because the basic lesson is that God is in the details. This is why I write, and what I try to show in all of my novels. I want the reader to know that it doesn’t matter what he or she has done, God has never been far away. Whether the mistakes that have you in a mess are yours or others, God has never has His hand off of you. All things happen for good…

On the other hand, that Scripture’s lesson runs as deep as the cross. We don’t often ponder the fact that God has suffered, but He did. He suffered Christ’s death on the cross. And He suffered as the Father and the Son. Why? So that it could be said, “All things happen for good …”

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  Romans 8: 28


Thank you all for visiting Write Moments with God.  I just love introducing you to Christian authors.  Now, to qualify for the random drawing of a signed copy of Fay's novel, Charisse:

1.  Leave a comment in the comment box below for one chance to win, which includes (1) your email address, and (2) how are you going to share this blog post.  It's easy to share this on Facebook.  Plus, Twitter fans could tweet.  We appreciate lots of shares in order to help us get the word out.

2.  Become a follower of Write Moments with God for an additional chance to win.

Please do this by Saturday, October 12th by noon.  I will announce the winner on Monday, October 14th.  Thank you so much for participating.