Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Author and friend Lisa Jordan celebrated her very first book contract this week. She pulled out her pen and signed her way to a whole new world. Lisa also sat down with me to answer some burning questions I had about her journey over the rainbow:

Me: What compelled you to start writing a decade ago?

Lisa: I've been writing since I was sixteen, but, of course, family came first. When my boys were very young, they needed me more. As they grew older, the voices in my head wouldn't hush. We had gotten a new computer, hooked up to the Internet, and then I searched for writing groups. I found one and liked it, but it didn't quite meet my needs. Writing has been a dream for so many years that I couldn't not write.

Me: You mentioned on your blog that you made many "new writer" mistakes. Can you give us an idea what some of those mistakes were?

Lisa: Oh, goodness. I'm not sure if there's enough space--head hopping, telling, naming the emotion, overuse of adverbs, opening with descriptions of weather.

Me: What has helped you the most to hone your craft?

Lisa: In 2005, I found ACFW online and joined. I attended the conference in September and met Susan May Warren. I had discovered her books a couple of years before meeting her and loved them. I was like a tween at a Justin Beiber concert when I met her. That meeting changed my life. We developed a friendship over the years. A couple of years ago, I became involved in My Book Therapy, Susie's book therapy site. Being mentored by Susie and Rachel Hauck helped me to take my writing to a new level. Their workshops forced me to dig deeper into my characters. In turn, I learned what elements are necessary to write a salable novel.

Me: Writing is a very tough endeavor. How were you able to stick with it for ten years?

Lisa: I wanted it badly enough. I did take off some time to earn my degree in early childhood education. God placed this desire in my heart over twenty-five years ago. I needed to be faithful and obedient to His calling. Having friends and family who believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself, helped me to stay focused when discouragement kept me down.

Me: What advice can you give new authors as they start out?

Lisa: My advice would be not to rush the writing process. Take time to savor those nuggets of wisdom from writing books, workbooks, retreats, etc. Each step has it's own blessing. Cherish those.

Also, believe in yourself and God's plan for your life. Writing is hard. It doesn't get easier with publication. You need to learn to find your balance, but keep your priorities straight.

Me: What writing books would you recommend?

Lisa: My Bible--where else will you find such perfect spiritual truth?? And then ost definitely, Susan May Warren's From the Inside Out and Deep and Wide. James Scott Bell's Plot and Structure, Alice Orr's No More Rejections, GMC: Goal, Motivation, Conflict by Debra Dixon, and a baby names book ... yes, seriously!


Love Inspired will debut Lisa's first novel,Lakeside Reunion in November of this year! What her whole story of her journey over the rainbow? Check out her website: . Truly, it is a story of dreams come true!

Congratulations Lisa!