Debut Author - Cheryl Wyatt ~ Interviewed

Cheryl Wyatt's closest friends would never dream the mayhem she plots during announcements at church. An RN-turned-SAHM, joyful chaos rules her home and she delights in the stealth moments God gives her to write. She stays active in her church and in her laundry room. She's convinced that having been born on a Naval base on Valentine's Day destined her to write military romance.

Prior to publication, Cheryl took courses through Christian Writers Guild. An active member of RWA, FHL and ACFW, she won numerous awards with multiple manuscripts. Visit her on the Web or here. Sign up for her newsletter for news and chances to enter contests with great prizes. You can also find her skittering around Steeple Hill's message boards as "Squirl" at www.SteepleHill.com.

What book or project is coming out or has come out that you’d like to tell us about?

My debut novel, A Soldier’s Promise is a January release from Steeple Hill Love Inspired and on sale now. It is book one in my Wings of Refuge Series (about a team of USAF pararescue jumpers and the ladies who capture their hearts). It received a Jan. ’08 Top Pick! from Romantic Times BOOK club. A Soldier's Family, book two-Wings of Refuge-releases from Steeple Hill Love Inspired in March, 2008 but can be pre ordered now on most online booksellers. The RT reviewer summed up the book like this:

"Cheryl Wyatt infuses A Soldier's Promise (4.5) with kindness, compassion and love. Plus, each character in this strong story is multi layered. When young Bradley, a boy dying of cancer, writes to the Air Force Pararescue team, he gets to meet jumper Joel Montgomery, who connects with Bradley and feels an instant and shared attraction to the boy's teacher, Amber Stanton. This absolutely fantastic debut novel proves that while challenges and boundaries are not always easily resolved, they're definitely worth the work." ---Robin Taylor-Romantic Times Reviewer

Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call until you had a contract, how you heard and what went through your head.

I’ve dabbled in writing all my life. I received my first rejection in third grade. I started writing fiction seven years ago but a great portion of that time was spent learning craft since rejection alerted me that I had no clue what I was doing. LOL!

My seventh manuscript sold. I will never ever forget the day it happened or how excited my agent sounded when she called. Her sweet voice still is so clear in my mind as she said, “Cheryl! This is THE Call!” Still gives me goosebumps. I remember not being able to think, or comprehend that this long-held dream could finally be coming true. In fact, I had to call her back because I couldn’t complete a coherent sentence and because my shrieks before the blubbering sent my toddler running for cover under the table asking, “Wh-what’s wrong with my mommy?”

A couple years before I sold, God did some major revisions on me. During that time, He got me to a place (kicking and screaming at times…LOL) where I’d be content if all it ever meant was worship to Him. If I never saw a book in print, it was okay as long as I was being obedient.

The day The Call came, I’d just sent an e-mail and my eyes lit on my tagline that says, “Pouring my vial of words over Him.” I literally felt Him draw near and ask me again, “Will you promise to always write as worship?” He’d asked me this before and the first time, it was hard to answer because I feared He was asking me to lay down my dream of publication. I mean, who doesn’t want their kids to be able to point to a book at the store and say, “My mommy wrote that.”? So this time, without hesitation or heaviness of heart, I whispered, “Yes, Lord, You know I will.” I am not kidding when I say THAT very second…the phone rang and it was my agent with The Call.

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?

Oh, yes. All the time. In fact, a good writer friend (Mary Connealy) calls it “Sender’s Remorse” and I’m afflicted by it every time I mail something out for submission. I am a perfectionist and want every book to be better than the last. But with deadlines, I don’t have time to let the stories gel for a couple of years like I did prior to publication. LOL! I’m not as confident in sending stuff out.

What mistakes have you made while seeking publication?

Submitting things before they were ready. I was too new at it to even know I wasn’t ready. The mistake was thinking I was better than I was craft-wise. I naively thought, I wrote a book. Someone should publish it, right? Ha! After that, the more I learned, the more I learned I needed to learn.

What’s the best advice you’ve heard on writing/publication?

That has to be from my editor, Melissa Endlich. She said when an author gets to a point where they are publishable, sometimes it’s just a matter of getting the right story in front of the right editor at the right house at the right time. Don’t give up. Keep submitting.

The other thing was from Krista Stroever, Shirlee McCoy, Tamela Hancock Murray and Chip MacGregor who all said, “Be someone (character-wise) that they (editors and agents) want to work with.” You can have the best story in the world, but if you gain a reputation for being difficult, that could be reason enough for rejection. And definitely do not expect editors to have time to clean up your work. Aim for excellence. Send it in the best shape possible.

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve heard?

This question is so hard because I’ve hardly heard bad advice. Probably from secular writer friends, who I love dearly, and who took my writing to new levels craft-wise. They told me to steam up my stories because erotica was hot and selling right now. I said I’d rather never sell than sell out. I hadn’t always been a Christian and wanted to honor God with everything I do and am. I wanted to chase after Him and not market trends or money. BTW I was the first in that group to sell, LOL! Gotta love God’s humor. I must say they are all truly, genuinely happy for me though.

What’s something you wish you’d known earlier that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

That it is okay to follow up with a polite letter in a reasonable amount of time. I’m such a rule-follower, and didn’t want to take up agents’ or editors’ valuable time with a follow up letter. I learned the hard way that things DO get lost and fairly often in publishing. On the other hand, if it’s only been three to four months, don’t harass them. Be patient but don’t wait three years to follow up either.

Is there a particularly difficult set back that you’ve gone through in your writing career you are willing to share?

I haven’t encountered what I’d call a set back. My first post-sale rejection was a bummer. Not because I didn’t expect to ever get one, but because I felt like I’d let my editors down. In my mind, they’d invested time in me and in reading the ms only to end up not being able to use it. Now I know it’s better to take fifteen minutes to run an idea by them than to fly blind and solo and have her spend hours reading a project that won’t work. I needed to realize I now have a working relationship with my editor, and she’s very open to access and gracious about brainstorming ideas with me.

What are a few of your favorite books? (Not written by you.)

I love true stories about people whose life had maximum impact on this earth. Books about Mother Theresa, or Corrie Ten Boom. Books from Jackie Pullinger-To and Mahesh Chavda. There are many more, but those came to mind. I love Max Lucado’s books, especially an older one called The Applause of Heaven. I love Passion for Jesus by Mike Bickle.

Fiction-wise, I read anything high action or romance both secular and Christian. Dee Henderson’s Uncommon Heroes books are among my favorite, as are Suzanne Brockmann’s secular SEAL series. (If you pick Susie’s books up without having read them, consider yourself warned that they WILL melt the covers off your Heartsong and Steeple Hill books if you set them in the middle of your bookshelf. LOL!) If you can rip your eyes away long enough to flip past those parts, they’re fabulous reads.

I also love to read stuff by Ravi Zacharias. I’ve been to India on a missionary journey with his daughter Sara Davis, and she’s as gifted in logic, humor and writing as her father. She writes books about realness and relationships titled Confessions from an Honest Wife and Transparent from Revell. Similar to Shaunti Feldhahn’s books. I enjoy Linda Lael Miller, and of course so many ACFW authors, I can’t name them all for fear I’d forget one. LOL!

What piece of writing have you done that you’re particularly proud of and why?

A poem called “Dear King” that I posted on my blog. I had so many private e-mails from people who were deeply moved by it, I know it had to be from Him. LOL!

Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?

Not really, other than contest entrants complaining publicly about their judges if they haven’t finaled, or about editors, agents or houses who’ve rejected them. To me, that is unprofessional and shows inconsideration for the valuable time and effort made to help them. Sure, we all get disappointed and need to vent sometimes, but it would bug me less if people would keep it private or contact the coordinator after they’ve had a few weeks to get over the initial sting. I’m probably going to make people mad saying this but in my opinion, the contest forums need to mysteriously “go down for repairs” for about two weeks following the announcement of finalists. LOLOL!

Take us through your process of writing a novel briefly—from conception to revision.

I like to write about characters with really unique careers. So I know my characters first. That takes weeks or years. Then comes research which is ongoing and intense. I went to another continent to research a book once. I go to extreme measures but entire series come out of this.

When I have sufficient information, I plot out a series idea and blurb several stories. I get to know my characters deeper for the first book. I think of a working title and figure out their story goals, motivation/background/childhood, as well as what makes one or both of them resistant to relationships. I determine who is most resistant and why. I determine what, plot-wise will throw them together in the book as well as challenge their growing relationship. I figure out their spiritual issues or their faith struggle.

Then I plotstorm and compile a scene index and think of my major disasters and conflict so my story will have sound structure. With that info, I complete my synopsis. I spend an excruciating amount of time thinking of my opening hook then I’m off and running. I hole myself up and write for days until the mess draft is finished. Or at least the first three chapters since I’m selling on proposal now. I start and end every chapter with a hook, and even each scene if I can.

Then I make sure I have at least three reasons for a scene (great advice from mentor Margaret Daley). Then comes tedious rewriting and revision and layering that comes in several passes. I then go back and wear my keyboard out polishing the first chapters and layering which consists of deepening emotion and POV, and the sensory experience. Then I send it to my critters for slaughter and they do send it back bleeding and I crave that. So I fix any common concerns and then proof it to death and send it to one more set of eyes because by now I can no longer see the mistakes and I’m sick of the story that I just want it GONE.

I let it sit for several days or a few weeks so I can come back to it with fresh eyes and proof it once more. Then I mail it and dive into a
nother story as therapy for “Sender’s Remorse.” LOL! I do want to say though that it’s important for each writer to find out what works for them. I don’t know any two writers who write the same once they get their groove.

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

I can’t believe I’m admitting these, but here goes. These are my Eph 3:20 dreams:
---Race my editors to the stage at RWA when we win a RITA.
---Race them again when ACFW’s Book of the Year Coordinator calls our names.
---Final in the Maggie Contest.
---Have Robin Lee Hatcher, Debbie Macomber or Francine Rivers call, begging to endorse my book. LOL!
---Have Margie Lawson use a snippet of my book or books in her EDITs workshop on the projector screen in her class.
---Get a Reader Letter from Laura Bush saying she loved the book
----Have Kelly Ripa call, asking if I can fit her into my schedule.

ROFL! Okay, now, I’ll be serious: Mostly, more than anything, I want God to smile at every word I write, and for Him to reach through those pages and apply my words like balm to reader’s hearts. Whether they need to laugh, or want to get to know Him better and wonder if He will love them like He loves my characters….THAT is the ultimate dream. I hope to satisfy the core readership of my publisher, but also, I really hope to widen their readership base by reeling readers in who don’t normally read Inspirationals.

Was there ever a time in your writing career you thought of quitting?

No. There was a time I feared God would ask me to, and I would certainly freak out if that happened. Yet, I’d obey. That’s the only way I could quit. I have to write. Have to. I know 100% writing is one thing I’ve been put on this earth to do.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

Least part? Having to tell people about my books. I hate feeling like I’m pushing myself off on people. Unless they ask and genuinely want to know, then I can’t seem to shut up. I promo and market in creative ways and try to have a sense of humor about it. LOL!

My favorite part, I discovered recently, is getting reader letters. Good ones that is. LOL!

Another favorite part is the challenge of revisions and getting my line edits back from my editor and see the places she wrote hearts or smiley faces. That is way cool. I love seeing the passage the SH team picked out for the teaser page, and I love reading what they came up with for the back cover blurb. It’s the most amazing feeling to work with a team of people who are as excited about the story as you are, and to see they really get what you tried to do. That team effort and vast collaboration utterly fascinates and humbles me.

How much marketing/publicity do you do? Any advice in this area?

I do nice pens and postcards that I can cut in half then and make bookmarks out of if I have any left over. I am big into digital marketing because it’s mostly free and gets the word out rapidly. I think writers should do what they like most, because their excitement for their project will show. Be creative about it. Use your strengths. Rely also on God to market your work. Ask Him to draw people to your book. But don’t use that as an excuse not to do any marketing or promo. Seek Him for how much money and time to spend on it then don’t do one minute or cent more or less than what He tells you. He’ll spark creative marketing ideas.

Have you received a particularly memorable reader response?

I’ve received so many letters, and each one is special. But letters from military personnel or their families have meant the most because my constant prayer in planning and writing this PJ series was that God would help me honor them and not offend. Also, one woman said my book made her genuinely laugh and she hadn’t in quite some time because of difficult life circumstances. She said (and I’m tearing up as I type this) that she knew my book was meant for her for this time in her life as it tugged her out of a depression. Another military reader, separated from her new spouse due to deployment, said a certain page in A Soldier’s Promise made her know beyond a doubt that God would work it out. She mailed the book to her husband, also deployed but in a different country than her.

Parting words?

I think I’ve covered it, but I just wanted to thank you for having me. I love Novel Journey and consider it a great privilege to be featured. Thank you for helping to promote our books. You guys are wonderful as is this blog. Thanks also to everyone who took time to read the interview. Your support means so very much. Thank you. Now please go purchase one or two or ten copies of the book to read and give away. LOL!