“Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips.” Proverbs 27:2
Spotlight is a monthly feature introducing authors of Christian fiction, their journey and their stories.
This Spotlight interview has special meaning to me, as Anne Elisabeth Stengl is the daughter of one of my dearest friends (and critique partner extraordinaire), award-winning author Jill Stengl. I have followed Anne Elisabeth’s writing journey for years, and got to read her debut novel Heartless before it sold to Bethany House. Anne Elisabeth and I also share the same agency, though we are with different agents. A beautiful young woman, Anne Elisabeth has loads of talent as an artist and a writer. I recently got to chat with Annie over Skype when she visited her family in Wisconsin. She currently lives with her unpredictable cats (I’ve heard stories of one with an evil disposition who eats roses and ruins prized paintings) in North Carolina.
First, a bit about Annie:
“I grew up “Annie” at home, but decided at age seventeen that I should start going by “Anne Elisabeth,” just to be complicated. People notice a complicated name, even if merely to be annoyed by it. I figured that, if I’m going to be an artist/writer, I needed to be noticed. So I switched to the double-name, and now every time I meet someone new I’m obliged to say: “Yes, both names, thank you.”
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Posted in Spotlight on July 1, 2010 |
Tosca Lee is the critically-acclaimed author of Demon: A Memoir—Christy Award finalist and ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Silver Award winner—and Havah: The Story of Eve, which received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and 4.5 stars from Romantic Times. Both novels have been newly acquired by B&H Publishing Group and will be repackaged and re-released next May. Tosca’s highly-anticipated third novel, Iscariot: The Traitor releases Fall of 2011.
A former model and first runner-up to Mrs. United States, Tosca received her B.A. in English and International Relations from Smith Massachusetts. Tosca loves to travel—Italy to Singapore, Austria to Transylvania, she relishes a great adventure. High on her places-to-see list: Mongolia.
What people don’t know about Tosca is that she makes a mean pot of split pea soup and is exceptionally gifted at closet cleaning. In her spare time, she sleeps.
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Posted in Spotlight on June 1, 2010 |
I met Kacy Barnett-Gramckow first through her books. My brother turned me on to her biblical fiction and after reading one, I had to read the rest! I later met Kacy through email when she graciously agreed to read my novels for possible endorsement. I’ve yet to meet Kacy in person, but I hope that happens one day soon!
Kacy Barnett-Gramckow is addicted to books and has no intention of EVER giving up her habit. She loves beyond measure, the Lord, her family, precious friends, cooking, and tatting. She has also been in a tunnel one thousand feet below the earth’s surface and enjoyed every minute of it. Kacy lives with her patient editor-husband, Jerry and their two sons.
I’ve been in some caves that were below the earth, but I’m not sure how far down. One thing though – I did not quite enjoy every minute of it! :) Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Spotlight on April 1, 2010 |
Sarah Sundin lives in northern California with her husband and three children, a skittish cat named Janie, and a yellow lab named Daisy who is determined to destroy her writing career by distracting her and eating her manuscripts. However, Daisy is a fantastic source of humorous Twitter and Facebook posts, so Sarah says they’ll keep her.
Sounds like our Shadow and Tiger – furry distractions.
When Sarah is not ferrying kids to soccer and karate, she works on-call as a hospital pharmacist and teaches Sunday school and women’s Bible studies.
Sarah’s first book, A Distant Melody, Book One in the Wings of Glory series, releases this month (March 2010) with Revell (my favorite publisher!) Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Spotlight on March 1, 2010 |
Jerry B. Jenkins, the former vice president for publishing and current chairman of the board of trustees for the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, is the author of more than 175 books, including the Left Behind series. Dr. Jenkins’s writing has appeared in Time, Reader’s Digest, Parade, Guideposts, and dozens of Christian periodicals, and he is a contributing editor to Writer’s Digest magazine. He owns Jenkins Entertainment, a filmmaking company, as well as the Christian Writers Guild, which has nearly two thousand members worldwide. Jenkins and his wife, Dianna, live in Colorado Springs.
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Posted in Spotlight on February 1, 2010 |
Kaye Dacus and I met online years ago during the early years of American Christian Fiction Writers, back when it was still known as American Christian Romance Writers. Both of us were still waiting and hoping to see publication at t
hat time. I have not yet had the pleasure of reading Kaye’s work, but hope to change that someday soon.
Kaye Dacus is the author of contemporary and historical romances with Barbour Publishing and Harvest House Publishers. She holds a Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, is a former Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers, and currently serves as President of Middle Tennessee Christian Writers. She loves action movies and British costume dramas; and when she’s not writing, she enjoys knitting scarves and “lap blankets” (she’s a master of the straight-line knit and purl stitches!). Kaye lives in Nashville, Tennessee; and even though she writes romance novels, she is not afraid to admit that she’s never been kissed.
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Posted in Spotlight on January 2, 2010 |
Kathleen Y’Barbo called me on the phone in 2001 to tell me that Michal had taken 4th place in the Lone Star Writing Competition! I still have the certificate mentioning that placement on my office wall, and still remember how delig
htful Kathleen was to talk to! I loved her Texas accent. :) We’ve had a few other conversations since that first day, and now she is the publicist for Books & Such Literary Agency, with whom I’m also affiliated.
Kathleen Y’Barbo first discovered her love of books when, at the age of four, she stumbled upon Granny Simpson’s set of World Book Encyclopedias. Letters became words, and words became stories of far-away places and interesting people.
As she grew up, Kathleen learned that her love of story could carry her off to places far beyond her small Texas Gulf Coast town. Soon she hit the road for real, earning a degree in Marketing from Texas A&M before setting off to such exotic destinations as Jakarta, Tokyo, Bali, Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore.
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Posted in Spotlight on December 1, 2009 |
