Jill Willis, Author at - Page 2 of 10

Biting my nails…

Posted on November 17, 2021January 5, 2024 by Jill Willis

Last month the unwitting members of the North Georgia Chapter of the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) elected me as their 2022 president. I tried to explain that online technology baffles me and I’ll be unable to lead those highly popular hybrid online meetings. They firmly replied that the vice president ALWAYS ascends to the presidency.

They must be desperate.

The current president, Hope Welborn, is well-versed in fancy technology. She led two years of meetings during the height of COVID-19 infections in a manner that looked effortless. Except I know better. I’ve witnessed firsthand that conference sessions and workshops can vanish without warning into the darkness of mysterious clouds. I’m envisioning the same in January. Hope (perfect name for this confident, perky writer), however, assures me that all will be well.

In my dreams.

All kidding aside, I’d like y’all to start praying for me now. It’s a true honor for me to serve as president, and I don’t want to let down those who have given me so much.

I joined the ACFW as a budding writer in 2016 after meeting Creston Mapes (author of a dozen Christian thrillers) at a book club meeting. He encouraged me to join my local chapter to “find my tribe and hone my craft.” Best advice ever.

The N. GA Chapter welcomed me with open arms. They encouraged me to write a blog on the chapter website, submit my work to contests, and attend conferences. Hope even drove me to my first conference through the Blue Ridge Mountains’ treacherous, winding roads. All this prompting and prodding led to a huge contest win and the publication of The Demons Among Us, and for that I’m eternally grateful. So much that I want to give back . . . as president. Those poor 2022 chapter members.

If you’re a Christian writer of clean fiction or nonfiction, I highly recommend you join your local ACFW chapter. Its open-hearted members will help you achieve your writing goals. Many chapters also offer associate memberships that allow you to listen to their speakers each month via Zoom. For instance, you can join our chapter for $5/year after paying the regular ACFW national and local chapter dues. We’re working on a great lineup of speakers to support our 2022 theme of “Adapting to our Pandemic-Challenged Publishing World.”

Questions? Use the comment section below.

Tinsel in a Twist

Posted on October 23, 2021October 21, 2021 by Jill Willis

Ribbons and bows! I’m excited to interview fellow Storyteller Squad member, Laurie Germaine, about her newly released young adult Christmas novel, Tinsel in a Twist. It’s a thrilling sequel to Tinsel in a Tangle. Tinsel, a clumsy elf and reindeer whisperer, has embarked on a dangerous adventure to help her boyfriend, Santa’s grandson, sort out the mysterious happenings in two toy-making villages. I loved both books and highly recommend them as Christmas gifts.

Jill: I’d never heard of Krampus before reading your book. How did you find out about this frightening figure?

Laurie: I discovered him when researching for my first novel. It really is the weirdest tradition leading up to Feast of Saint Nicholas, one that had been banned in Europe for a while, in fact. As I think I state in my book, Krampus is making a comeback overseas and slowly making the rounds here in America.

Jill: Roasted chestnuts! You have a lot of fun Christmas exclamations in your book. How did you come up with all these?

Laurie: I first made a list of well-known Christmas icons and lines from beloved Christmas songs—snowman, drummer boy, candy canes, fruitcake, frost—and then I brainstormed all the ways I could make them into Christmas sayings. And I’d think of how to put a holiday twist on a tired cliché, like “piece of fruitcake,” or “pleased as rumberry punch,” or “for the love of [insert whatever Christmas noun you want—haha].”

Jill: You told me that this story was a lot longer at one point. I felt it flowed seamlessly. Where did you cut? Is there a possibility you might turn these out-takes into flash fiction for us readers who can’t get enough of Tinsel and Gina?

Laurie: Oh, my, from the first to final draft (at least three major rewrites and three further drafts focused on smoothing and tightening), the story changed a lot, and I cut about 60K words, from start to finish. Thus, many scenes I cut wouldn’t make sense anymore, even in a flash fiction. For example, originally, Gina was leaving Waldheim to join her brother in Terrebonne; and originally, Tinsel had escaped the manor to stay with a German family for a couple of days. Tinsel and Niklas were even supposed to visit Neuschwanstein Castle over the course of about two chapters, but in the end, those chapters got cut, save for some of the important dialogue.

That said, perhaps with some tweaking and rearranging, I might be able to create something extra and fun out of a few cut scenes. Hmmm…

Jill: Are any of your characters based on people you know? If so, which ones?

Laurie: Kristof’s broad shoulders and hockey skills are based on my hubby. 😉 My husband was a hockey player in college, and to this day I find him so attractive on a pair of skates. He makes skating look effortless and fluid, and he’s probably the most relaxed when on the ice. Aside from that, however, the other characters are a conglomeration of many people or entirely made up. Ex: I intentionally made Tinsel my opposite to push me out of my comfort zone when having to imagine situations from her POV.

Jill: How do you plan your settings? Have you ever been to Salzburg?

Laurie: For this sequel, I wanted to highlight new areas in Flitterndorf we hadn’t seen in the first book, like the Production Wing, the Prep Stables, and the Kringles’ apartment, so it was fun to go deeper into the “what if’s” and “why’s” of my imaginary Santa village. As for the settings in Germany, I had studied in Heidelberg for the first semester my senior year in college and wanted to introduce readers to some of the places and cultural aspects that made an impact on me—which is probably what made my first draft so long. Haha!

And Salzburg? Ah, Salzburg holds almost as special a place in my heart as Heidelberg. During the summer leading into my senior year, I worked with a missionary family in Austria, and on Mondays, my day off, I’d take the bus twenty minutes into Salzburg and just hang out there for several hours. I mostly stayed in the old part of the city, roaming the streets, visiting the fortress, wandering the Mirabellgarten, enjoying the farmers’ market… I have nothing but good memories from my time studying abroad.

Jill: There’s lots of German dialogue in Tinsel in a Twist. Do you speak German or any other languages besides English?

Laurie: So, yes, I used to speak German. 😉 That was my college major, with a minor in French. I was “supposed” to have married a European, move to either France or Germany, and raise my children bilingual, but God had other plans. While I can still understand German and French to a limited extent, married life and parenthood have a way of narrowing one’s passions and hobbies, and over time my affinity for languages took a backseat to other things.

Jill: You feature many doll-making scenes. How do you know so much about this art? I would never think of ironing yarn.

Laurie: Ha! I credit my mom for this one. She used to make porcelain dolls when we were young, so I remember a bit about the long process, but I never cared much about dolls myself, outside of playing Barbies with my sisters. And then, out of nowhere in 2008, my mom gave me a doll for Christmas, and oh my, for my quirky personality, it was the best doll ever, from Robert Tonner’s Ellowyne Wilde line. This doll captured my imagination, which grew into a collection and introduced me to the modern-day, doll-making world. It was first through Doll Magazine and later YouTube videos that I learned about face repaints and making doll wigs. I haven’t tried either one myself yet, though, because when it comes down to spending time either making a doll or writing about someone making a doll, I’ll choose the writing. 😉

Jill: What’s your favorite wintertime beverage?

Laurie: Where I live, we’re blessed to have an amazing local café called Scenic Brew. They make the most scrumptious white hot chocolate—we’re talking actual white chocolate. Add a shot of salted caramel, and for a few precious minutes, you have heaven in a mug.

Jill: Will there be a third book in the series?

Laurie: After devoting seven years to Christmas, I thought I would switch gears and work on fleshing out an idea for a high fantasy novel. But then, I recently had a snippet of an idea for, yes, a potential third book in the series (and Christmas is my happy place!), so we’ll see which direction God wants me to go.

Jill: How can readers learn more about you and your stories?

Laurie: They can find me on my author website, lauriegermaine.com, and sign up for my newsletters, and/or they can find me on scatteredwhimsy.com, my personal blog where I’m not only open and raw about personal struggles, but I post my knitting projects and doll-related crafts for my Ellowyne Wilde collection. I share writing-related articles and info on Facebook, @lauriegermaineauthor, and predominantly Christmas-related posts on both Instagram and Twitter, l.germaine.author and @scatteredwhimsy, respectively.

Jill: So, Laurie… let’s play a quick game to get to know you better. I’m going to ask you either/or questions, and I’d like you to pop out the answers. Here goes…

Coffee or Tea? Coffee, but mild and flavored

Introvert or extrovert? More and more introverted as time goes on. 😛

Summer or winter? Winter (no surprise there!)

Lakefront or oceanfront property? Lakefront

Mountain or city view? Mountain

Meat & potatoes, or veggies & tofu? Meat & potatoes

Paperback or ebook or audiobook? Paperback, although I’ve found a new appreciation for audio

Favorite color? Green

Favorite animal? Fox

Ideal vacation destination? Ireland. I’ve never been, but all the pictures (and movies) I’ve seen are drool-worthy. Plus, I like the accent. 😀

Ideal home décor? Think Frozen—old world charm with rosemaling accents. Sadly, reality demands something different.

Favorite hobby(ies)? Knitting, crafting, reading

Favorite movie? “Prince of Persia”

Favorite Saturday attire? Bootcut jeans and a turtleneck sweater

Favorite Christmas or birthday present to date? It’s a toss-up between the Ellowyne Wilde doll from my mom or the cordless drill from my hubby, haha!

Jill: Thanks, Laurie, for opening up about your writing. Readers, you’re welcome to ask Laurie questions in the Comments section below. I’ll ensure she answers them quickly. Sometimes she’s as slow as Christmas.

A Perk and a Privilege

Posted on October 8, 2021January 5, 2024 by Jill Willis

After I posted that Redemption Press had published The Demons Among Us, a flood of calls… and emails… and texts… and social media messages washed into my smart devices. It’s been overwhelming and wonderful. I’ve heard from people I haven’t spoken to in years—people whom I thought had forgotten all about me and my writing project.

I learned that many had been secretly praying for me. Others offered to help promote the book. And dozens asked for autographed copies. I’m floored. People actually want my autograph and are willing to wait a few weeks for my bulk order to arrive instead of ordering from quick-turnaround Amazon. How amazing and humbling.

I’m thrilled to hear from these old friends and colleagues. What an unanticipated perk to being published. If I had the stamina, I’d publish a book twice a year so I could catch up on the latest happenings in their lives, many of whom I once shared daily communication.

Then I received an email from a woman I didn’t know—a friend of one of my launch team members who had recommended the book to her. She also asked for an autographed copy. We had a few back-and-forth emails unraveling the mysteries of PayPal before she shared that the book is for her granddaughter. In her next email, she revealed that her granddaughter is troubled, so troubled that she has attempted suicide multiple times.

My heart broke for this woman who’s trying to share God’s message through Christian fiction in hopes of not alienating her granddaughter with in-your-face religion. I offered to pray for her granddaughter, and she accepted.

Would you please pray for her too? I’m a huge believer in the power of lifting up a lost soul with a unified voice. And I believe it’s a privilege to pray for those whom we’ve never met. Will you join me in the prayer below?

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
Ephesians 1:18-19

Deep breaths

Posted on September 25, 2021September 24, 2021 by Jill Willis

During a Bible study, my teacher cautioned the class about praying for patience. “Since God answers our prayers, but not always in the way we expect,” she said, “He might place us in a situation that tries our patience in order to teach us a lesson.”

Over the years I’ve found that advice to be truth. God has tested my patience so many times I’ve lost count. He loves me, I know. He wants the best for me, I know. But in His own perfect time. Not mine.

And here I am—waiting… with patience dancing from shoulder to shoulder taunting me. I’m gulping down my frustration and presenting a shiny happy face. When someone asks when my book will be published, I answer “Soon. Keep checking my social media for an announcement.”

The pandemic has wreaked havoc on the publishing industry. It has canceled writing conferences, disrupted supply chains, and infected key professionals and their families. My ace project manager at Redemption Press, Carrie Stevenson, caught COVID-19 earlier this year and is still battling it. Hats off to her as she’s working from home, covering her accounts as well as the ones of her colleague who lost a family member to the virus a few weeks ago. I’m in awe of her fortitude and love for Jesus. A month ago, when I slumped into a funk over the shifting publishing process, she prayed for me during our phone conversation. Afterward, I felt such peace.

Today I’m remembering her prayer and repeating scripture about patience. I hope to receive a hard print proof very soon. Redemption Press had scheduled the order information for The Demons Among Us to be posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble September 30, but it’s now looking more like October 8. I know one week won’t make a lot of difference. And I also know that God has a reason for this delay. I trust him.

If you’re in need of patience, here are the Bible verses I’m using today:

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised. Hebrews 10:36
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:4

Please post your favorite Bible verses about patience and trust in the comments section below. I’d love to add them to my list.

Join the party!

Posted on September 17, 2021September 16, 2021 by Jill Willis

You’re invited to help me celebrate the launch of The Demons Among Us through a Zoom party Sunday, October 10, at 4 p.m. EDT. I’ll talk a little bit about my publishing journey, answer questions, read the first few pages of the book, and host a couple games with prizes.

I regret we can’t celebrate in person as planned, but the COVID-19 numbers are spiking here in Georgia and I don’t feel comfortable inviting people to a party under these circumstances, especially my mother. She was the first editor in my life and should be the guest of honor at my launch party.

I’m thrilled for the Zoom technology. I’ve used it many times during the pandemic to host church and book club meetings. It’s fun to see everyone’s faces Brady Bunch style.

While I won’t be able to autograph books online, you can still receive a signed copy through my website.

I hope you can join me October 10. Simply click the button below to enter the party. If you can attend, please comment below or email me at jill@jillkwillis.com.

Join the Zoom party!

Scripture to pray over teens

Posted on August 27, 2021August 27, 2021 by Jill Willis

I’ve never prayed harder than I did during my children’s teenage years. Not only did I pray for them, I prayed for my husband and me. I asked God to strengthen and instill trust in our relationships, keep our children from harm, grant all of us patience and understanding, and . . . the list went on and on. I prayed in my favorite chair, on my knees, face down on the floor, in my closet, on the front porch, and over the stove. I prayed so hard that tears sometimes streaked my cheeks.

I prayed when there were car accidents, sibling fights, broken bones, surgeries, and failed tests. I prayed for our kids’ shattered hearts after breaking up with their first loves and discovering untrustworthy friends. I even prayed for their pimples to disappear. Nothing was too insignificant for my prayers.

We learn from 1 Peter 5:8 that “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” My experience with two children and three godchildren taught me that Satan constantly prowls around our teens. He schemes, using every cunning trick in his arsenal, to steer them away from faith-filled influencers. Each day our teens, whether or not they realize it, face life-changing spiritual battles.

Satan, the great deceiver, considers teens to be low-hanging fruit, easy to pick. Our enemy banks on their lack of life experiences, impulsiveness, and willingness to please anyone but their parents. Charismatic demons with interesting offers can easily charm teens into accepting their evil lies. The impact of regrettable decisions and life choices burdens many teens.

I implore those who love teens to pray for them without ceasing. You don’t have to be a parent of a teen to pray for their success over the darkness. They need spiritual support from all believers—extended family members, friends of the family, teachers, church members, and peers.

Please join me in praying for our teens. I’ve compiled a list of scriptures you can use to pray over them. And if you’d like me to pray for a teen in need, please comment below and I’ll add them to my prayer list. I don’t even need a name.

May Almighty God, Leader of the Angel Armies, bless our teens.

Truth for when the demons invade

Posted on August 18, 2021January 5, 2024 by Jill Willis

I’m a big believer in memorizing scripture. The God-breathed messages come in handy when demons invade. Which they do. Daily.

After all, Satan’s full-time job is to invade our lives and make us believe his evil lies. If he can shake our confidence in God’s goodness, he wins.

Satan targets teens because they have open minds and hearts. Life experiences haven’t yet jaded them. They’re willing to listen to and follow a demon’s subtle suggestions. If they’re not careful, they succumb to Satan’s lies, finding themselves anxious, depressed, or insecure.

I’ve watched many teens cycle through a pattern of listening to the wrong people, making unwise decisions, and becoming entangled in webs of hopelessness. Some withdrew into themselves, rarely speaking. Others, seeking acceptance and love, allowed their bodies to be used. And several even practiced self-harm.

My heart has been broken many times, yearning to speak the truth but unable to intervene. And so, in my little way, I’d like to help by providing a list of scriptures teens can repeat when they’re feeling disconnected and alone.

I have two “Go To” Bible verses that I’ve memorized and use regularly. When my self-confidence needs bolstering, I whisper Philippians 4:13 to myself, “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.” And then I find I have the inner strength to complete my project.

When I’m worried, which has been a lot during this year-and-a-half on the COVID roller coaster, I remind myself of God’s promise in Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Sometimes I have to say this twice before my heart rate slows.

Do you have any “Go To” verses?

Large print a huge help

Posted on July 23, 2021July 23, 2021 by Jill Willis

My 84-year-old mother loves to read. She’d much rather keep her nose in a book than play BINGO, watch TV, or participate in craft classes with the ladies in her independent living center. She’ll read fiction or non-fiction, really anything within her grasp, even a cereal box.

She keeps her local librarian hopping with requests for the new releases published by authors featured on the Today show. Every couple of weeks, I’ll take her to the library so she can wander the aisles of large-print books and select the ones that look exciting. Yes, she does choose books based on their covers.

All the members of my immediate family tried to teach her to use her iPad to read books, but she only uses that device for Facebook. In fact, she calls her iPad “Facebook.” She’ll say, “Hand me my Facebook,” as she points to the iPad. This limits her access to books and frustrates me to no end. But she’s not alone. Many seniors find electronic reading confounding.

When Mom and I can’t make it to the public library, she’ll read the books in her facility’s private library, which is well stocked with gently used donations from residents and their families. The only drawback is that about ninety percent of those books are in regular-sized print.

Mom and her reading buddies prefer large print to keep their eyes from tiring. During the pandemic when the libraries closed, she read every large-print book in her facility’s library.

I’m concerned that with the rise of the COVID-19 Delta variant, libraries will shut down again. I’d like to propose that we help stock our local assisted and independent living center libraries with large-print books. Residents would be thrilled to receive more books AND visits from avid readers.

A few of my senior citizen friends, both male and female, recommended books by the following authors:

Melody Carlson
Richard Paul Evans
John Grisham
Jan Karon
Karen Kingsbury
Louis L’Amour
Beverly Lewis
James Patterson
Anne Perry
Ann B. Ross
Daniel Silva
Lauraine Snelling
Nicolas Sparks

My friends read everything from Amish romances to political thrillers. They like biographies, memoirs, and cozy mysteries. Several are drawn to stories set during the Christmas season and books about small towns and large families. Honestly, they’re grateful to read anything in large print.

If you take a book or two to a senior citizens center, please snap a few photos and send them to me at jill@jillkwillis.com. I’d love to feature you in my newsletter.

Do you know any senior citizens who love to read? What books are their favorites? Please comment below.

Expanding the definition of library

Posted on July 9, 2021January 5, 2024 by Jill Willis

My mom taught me to love libraries. As a toddler, I’d attend puppet shows and book readings. In elementary school, I participated in the summer reading program and won prizes for reaching my reading goals. After each visit, Mom and I would head home with a stack of books each.

I grew up defining the library as an all-about-books kind of place. I could enjoy listening to someone read to me, and I could take home as many books as I could carry to read myself. This, to me, was a special gift that I probably didn’t deserve.

Today I’m a card-carrying member of two library systems. If one doesn’t have what I want to read, the other usually does. That’s how I use the library. I check out books. And I read them.

I never envisioned any other services a library could offer. But the pandemic opened my eyes to how libraries quickly pivoted to meet the needs of their communities. When they were forced to close their doors, they immediately opened their digital communications. And when they returned to normal business hours, they redefined their missions and goals with out-of-the-box services that truly made a difference.

Last year The Atlantic magazine featured a story on how libraries responded to the COVID crisis by fulfilling the needs of their hurting communities. Most of their creative offerings had nothing to do with books.

I revisited the story this week and conducted a little research. I learned that many libraries, including several around me, are continuing their non-book related programs even though COVID cases have decreased.

Here’s a slice of what I discovered. Libraries are:

feeding hungry children through the summer.
offering therapeutic sessions in art, conversation, and writing to work through the death of loved ones.
providing 24/7 Wi-Fi access and hotspots.
using their 3-D printers to print shields for health care workers’ masks.
holding job skill seminars and career fairs.
hosting blood drives.
maintaining a robust online presence with resources for children’s activities, hobby ideas, and tips for sleeping better and lowering anxiety.
partnering with shelters to transport food in library vehicles to those in need.
allowing the homeless to camp in their parking lots. Some even brought in portable toilets.

Spread the word. Libraries are our new town squares, our new community centers, where the public can enter clean, safe buildings managed by staff and volunteers willing to help meet unique needs. Libraries have turned into one-stop-shops for local information and connections to appropriate non-profits. Hats off to the decision-makers who expanded the scope of library services.

Please consider lending a hand at your local library. You truly can make a difference.

5 Steps to Creating a Book Trailer

Posted on June 26, 2021June 25, 2021 by Jill Willis

A book trailer! All the marketing gurus advised me of its merits to authors of young adult books: teens love visuals, they love YouTube, and they click on the buy links more often than after they read book summaries. I sighed and rolled up my sleeves.

I’d created employee communications videos in a former job, but never such a short clip. How could I pack all the messages I wanted to convey for The Demons Among Us into one teeny minute? I prayed, received peace, and set to work. Two months later, I had a final product that made my heart pound with excitement.

Here’s how I did it:

I hopped on YouTube and typed “YA book trailers” into the search bar. Poof! Up came dozens and dozens of amazing clips. Some were so incredible they must have had five figure budgets. They made me want to spend every penny I had buying those books. I spent an entire afternoon analyzing them and developing a solid list of likes and dislikes—what I thought worked and what didn’t.
Next I determined the video’s two-fold purpose: a teaser to promote The Demons Among Us online and an opener for my presentations to both teen and adult audiences. I didn’t have the budget for two separate videos, so I had to combine the promotional message with a book summary. With that in mind, I took a whack at a script. I ran it by my editor and several trusted friends, who generously responded with valuable insight. I made their suggested revisions and smiled at the final result. If you’d like to see it, check out my example of a book trailer script.
Now I had to find a videographer. I needed someone talented, imaginative, and client friendly who could work within my budget. I asked tons of friends for recommendations and scoured the internet. After weeks of searching and interviewing possible contractors, I found her on a writer’s group Facebook page. She turned out to be one amazing human being. If you need a top-notch videographer, contact Maddy Goshorn.
I sent her the script, and she emailed me her thoughts. After a few tweaks, we felt satisfied the script would work. She sent me an audio version first, which I approved with one little correction. Then she created a draft that hit very close to my mark. We talked on the phone, and I followed up with an email summarizing our conversation. It took three more drafts and several more phone conversations and emails, but we landed on a video we both felt confident would generate excitement for The Demons Among Us. I’m glad we took the time to communicate with honest feedback. I think our truthful interaction smoothed the editing process and saved us time.
About halfway through the editing process, I sent a clip to a group of beta viewers—teens and adults. One found a disconnect that had to be addressed. But overall they assured me that Maddy and I were on the right track. It added an extra week to our schedule, but it gave me peace.

While this first foray into the imaginative world of book trailer creation wasn’t flawless, I can acknowledge that I did two things right: started early and negotiated costs up front. I look forward to putting together a second one.

What do you like to see in a book trailer?