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| Jennifer Delamere |
I know authors who dream of writing screenplays, those who
are learning to write them, and those who have been successful. But author Jennifer Delamere has done the
reverse and moved from working on screenplays to writing novels. Today she
shares how God used one passion to open the door to another and begin her
journey to publication. ~ Dawn
My Journey to Publication
by
Jennifer Delamere
I came to novel writing in a somewhat roundabout way. Ever
since my college days I’ve wanted to write screenplays. Over the years I’ve
worked as an editor of business and educational materials, while dabbling in
screenwriting pretty much as a hobby. Then in January 2008 I took a vacation
day just to contemplate how I might really get serious about pursuing a writing
career. In retrospect I can see that I was following the Biblical admonition to
“ponder the paths of thy feet.” Certainly there was prayer involved.
On that day I had a thought to visit the website of Blake
Snyder, whose books on screenwriting I had found immensely helpful. I was
amazed to see that he would be holding one of his superb workshops in
Charleston, South Carolina, the following week! These workshops are usually
held in Los Angeles, so I never thought I’d be able to attend one. Yet
Charleston is an easy half-day’s drive from my home in North Carolina. I knew
this was an answer to prayer and signed up immediately. At the workshop I
discovered that all of the other attendees were members of Romance Writers of
America, and most were published authors. They introduced me to RWA. Since my
screenplays were all romantic comedies, I figured writing a romance novel might
be right up my alley. When I got home I joined my local RWA chapter. RWA gave
me the tools and motivation to turn my ideas into a completed novel.
I did not set out to write an inspirational romance, but as
the book progressed I realized that “out of the abundance of the heart the
mouth speaketh.” My Christian faith is intrinsic to who I am, and so it is
bound to come out in my writing. Setting my books in Victorian England made
this even easier because Christianity informed the Victorians’ entire world
view. (Weaving in these elements was made even easier because the hero of my
first book is a clergyman who inherits a title.)
I wanted to include inspirational elements but not
short-change the romance and the excitement and sizzle of falling in love. I
was aware that it might be too “sexy” for traditional Christian publishers and
yet too “PG” for mainstream publishers. I had no way of knowing that a
mainstream publisher was in fact currently in search of a book that would hit
exactly that tone. That publisher quickly bought my book, which was released
last year as An Heiress at Heart.
Both mainstream and inspirational romance readers loved the story, and I
believe that’s because it has an intriguing plot and a deep, rich romance in
addition to sound Christian themes.
And so I am passing on the excellent advice that I received
from other authors and which has helped me tremendously: Write the kind of book YOU want to read. Allow God to work within
you. As you do, I believe the stories you have to tell will find an audience.
Write well, write what you love, and expect great success!
Book
signing today!
On Friday, September 27, Jennifer will be doing a book
signing in Savannah, Georgia. You’ll find her from 7-8 p.m. at the Barnes and
Noble located in the Oglethorpe Mall. If you’re in the area, please stop in and
say “hi!”
Tweetables:
Jennifer
Delamere writes inspirational romance that doesn’t short-change the sizzle. Click to tweet.
Write the kind
of book YOU want to read. Click to tweet.
Write well,
write what you love, and expect great success! Click to tweet.
Margaret Vaughn is the wealthiest heiress in London—or so
everybody thinks. Saddled with debts and facing financial and social
humiliation, she finds an unlikely savior in Tom Poole . . . After surviving a
shipwreck and amassing a fortune in the gold fields of Australia, Tom Poole is
the toast of London society. Yet despite his new found fame, he’s never
forgotten his own humble beginnings. When he learns of Margaret’s plight, he
offers her financial assistance—but his interest is not strictly business. This
rugged adventurer now seeks a different kind of gold. Although many men pursue
Margaret’s hand because of her beauty and lands, can Tom convince her it’s her
heart he’s after?
The youngest child of a Navy pilot and a journalist, Jennifer Delamere acquired a love
of adventure and an excitement for learning that continues to this day. She’s
lived in three countries and traveled throughout the United States. Her debut
novel An Heiress at Heart was chosen by Grand Central
Publishing to be the first inspirational romance for their Forever imprint and
was nominated for the Romance Writers of America RITA® Award. Her second novel,
A Lady Most Lovely, will be released
September 24, 2013 and has already earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Jennifer loves
reading classics and histories, which she mines for the vivid details to bring
to life the people and places in her books.
For more information about
Jennifer’s books, blog, and mailing list, visit www.jenniferdelamere.com.
