I met Sharon Hinck in Branson, Missouri at a writer’s retreat in 2005. Sharon is a delightful person, down-to-earth, and fun to talk to. Not to mention she’s a good writer too! But the one thing I like best about Sharon is that she is an encourager. Her newsletter always includes a prayer for her readers and her “book buddies,” and I know from experience that she’s not just saying those things to be nice. I’ve been at the other end of her encouragement, and have appreciated her so much!

In the real world, Sharon is a wife and mother of four children who generously provide her with fodder for her books. She earned an M.A. in Communication from Regent University in 1986 and spent ten years as the artistic director of a Christian performing arts group, CrossCurrent. That ministry included three short-term mission trips to Hong Kong. She has been a church youth worker, a choreographer and ballet teacher, a home-school mom, a church organist, and a freelance writer. One day she’ll figure out what to be when she grows up.

Oh me too! And we do have that homeschooling thing in common.

When she isn’t writing, Sharon manages a direct sales craft business and enjoys speaking to conferences, retreats, and church groups. She and her family make their home near Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Her first book, The Secret Life of Becky Miller was a fun read – lighthearted, yet dealt with some deep issues. I could so relate to Becky’s character, and I learned something from her struggles. I felt like Sharon had written that book just for me!

Here’s the back cover copy:

Faster than a speeding minivan, able to leap piles of laundry in a single bound. It’s a bird, it’s a plane. It’s Supermom!

Move over, Walter Mitty. Here comes Becky Miller. A young mother with grandiose daydreams and a longing to do “Big Things for God” searches for direction amid the chaos of daily life and the disappointment of failed opportunities.

Becky’s rich fantasy life helps her cope with the pressure to be a Wonderful Wife and Marvelous Mom. But she keeps hearing the tape play:

“Your mission, should you choose to accept it: support your husband when he loses his job, nurture an eccentric circle of friends, raise perfect Christian children, live a life full of grand Purpose, all while standing on your head and whistling Dixie. Your fantasy will self-destruct in five seconds.”

Definitely an enjoyable read!

Now the sequel to Becky’s first adventure is releasing this month. Here’s the back cover copy of Renovating Becky Miller:

Becky Miller believes in fixing things: children, friends, mother-in-law, sister, church . . . and her husband. So renovating a run-down farmhouse is right up her alley–the perfect antidote for the pressures of modern life. Can Becky stop fixing everyone else and let God renovate her heart so she can find her own happy ending?

You can find Renovating Becky Miller at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Christian Book Distributors.

I asked Sharon to give us some insight into the calling behind her writing ~

Jill: When and how did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

Sharon: When I read a Scholastic children’s book called Nellie Bly and saw the power that intrepid woman reporter had to change society through her words. I’d always loved to write, but that book, which I read in fourth grade I think, gave me a notion of what writing could do, and that people did it for a career.

Jill: Tell me a bit about what you write now and what you hope to write in the future.

Sharon: I’m a bit of a genre-blender. My first two novels with Bethany House are “mom-lit” (contemporary stories about women, laced with humor) but also incorporate my love of fantasy and adventure-writing through her vivid and grandiose day-dreams. I also have a fantasy series coming out with NavPress beginning in May, but instead of “high-fantasy,” they have a mom-lit voice. A soccer mom is pulled into an alternate world and fulfills a role like Deborah in the book of Judges. There is humor, mother-angst, marriage conflicts, and all the qualities of mom-lit, but in an adventure story.

Jill: If and when did you realize your writing was a calling?

Sharon: That’s a great question. I’ve always written, and appreciated the beauty and power of words. But I assumed that everyone could write and saw it as peripheral to other ways I served God (acting, choreography, teaching, parenting, speaking). But after a long dry spell of seeking Him for direction, I begged him for some clue as to where He wanted me next. I heard one word: “Write.”

Jill: What means did God use to confirm in your heart that this is exactly what He has prepared for you to do for Him?

Sharon: I had hoped that once I heard God’s call, “Write,” that everything would fall into place. Instead, I struggled to find out what kind of writing I was cut out for, and what kind would bless His kingdom. It took years of searching, trying, quitting, trying again, and waiting. Then God led me to a writer’s group and I began my first novel. When I finished it, I brought it to a writer’s conference and the feedback of my writing confirmed to me that I should keep going.

Jill: When and how did you come to realize that writing meant more to you than a means to meet physical monetary needs or fulfill your dreams?

Sharon: The response of readers showed me that God could weave meaning into my little stories that could bless people in DIFFERENT ways. That’s the wonder of art, of symbol, or story . . . people bring themselves to it, so the way they perceive it can be completely different than the person next to them. God can give various readers something they need from a story. That continues to amaze me.

Jill: Becky Miller’s first story really spoke to me about wanting to do Big Things for God. It felt like my story in a certain sort of way.

How would you say that God has used writing to change you – to strengthen your faith and to make you more like Christ?

Sharon: I’ve always wanted God to make me stronger and tougher. Instead, He has worked to make me more reliant on Him. Writing is, as my husband puts it, not for the faint of heart. Since I am faint of heart, the writing journey has pushed me into a deeper daily reliance on God’s guidance, strength, and healing.

Jill: I know what you mean even without the pressures of publishing yet.

Has writing opened opportunities for you to give your testimony and witness for Christ or minister to fellow believers? If so, can you give one example?

Sharon: Since I began writing, I’ve enjoyed getting to know some of the community of other writers in the CBA. I make a point to pray for writers, editors, and publishers, and when I hear from a friend who is discouraged, I write an email prayer for them and let them know I care. I send many emails daily, and I wouldn’t have known most of the people if it weren’t for working in the writing field. That has been one of the great gifts of being a writer.

Jill: I’m one who has appreciated those prayers as well.

Here is a list of Sharon’s books:

The Secret Life of Becky Miller, Bethany House Publishers
Renovating Becky Miller, Bethany House Publishers

And coming in May 2007
The Restorer Series, NavPress

If you’d like to get to know Sharon better, you can visit her website here or visit her blog here.

I hope you have enjoyed this interview with author Sharon Hinck. Please click on over to one of the above online stores and look for Renovating Becky Miller.

Thanks Sharon for joining us this month on Spotlight.