Eva Marie Everson is an award-winning author, a successful speaker, and a radio personality. She has also led numerous Bible studies and women's retreats and is the coauthor of The Potluck Club and The Potluck Club-Trouble's Brewing. She lives in Casselberry, Florida.Welcome to Novel Journey, how long did it take you to get published?
That’s a difficult question to answer. The short story is: nine days from my first pitch to contract offer. The long story begins when I was three and put crayon to paper, knowing something needed to come out of me, was straining to come out of me. But, of course, then I didn’t know what it was. For years I wrote. For years I hid it. Sometimes I would let friends read my work. I did have an article published in the local newspaper when I was ten. It’s framed and hanging on the wall behind me. But it wasn’t until I was 40 years old that a door opened, slowly at first, and I walked in, not a bit shy or timid. I just walked through. Our church needed some script writers for the children’s ministry and I said, “Oh, I can probably help with that.” The rest is history.
Do you think an author is born or made?
Both. You are born with the talent, no doubt. But you have to sharpen that talent. Some of us are born with the talent of writing. Some with singing. Some with playing a musical instrument. Others are born with a talent for brain surgery or cardiac surgery. Some are born with a talent for organization and others a talent for knowledge. But every one of those talents have to be sharpened. The real tragedy is when a talent born into a person is not realized, or—worse still—realized, but never sharpened.
What is the first book you remember reading?
God’s Good Gifts by Ruth S. Gray (Broadman Press, Nashville, TN., 1952). It was given to me for Christmas, 1962 by my kindergarten teacher, Edna Skipper, and her assistant, Della Robbins. I know because I still have it.
What common qualities do you find in the personalities of published authors?
We can be pretty strange creatures.
How do you know if you have a seemingly “stupid” book premise that is doomed to fail versus one that will fly high?
Well, first of all, I get this fluttering inside when it’s a great book. A giddy-ness. The premises that are doomed to fail…well, I don’t think I would call them “doomed to fail.” The premise is a good one but it won’t flesh out. So, it’s a good idea with no where go grow.
What is the theme of your latest book?
The Secret’s in the Sauce is about the secrets women hide from not only each other but from their families and ultimately themselves. Each woman in the Potluck Club is struggling with what she thinks is the unthinkable, only to discover friendship, like God’s love, covers a multitude of sins.
At what point did you stop juggling suggestions and critiques and trust yourself (as a writer)?
Hmmmm…. I dunno.
Are takeaway messages (in your book) important to you?
Yes. But for my work they’re typically not blatant. You have to look inside yourself as the reader. I hope that it means one thing to one person and another to someone else because we all have our own story to tell, to live out.
When do you know you’ve got the finished product and it’s your best effort?
When I quit.
Any anecdotes about the research or writing of your books?
I’m going to wear shoes without toes from now on. If it’s cold, open toed shoes with thick socks. I’ll tell you why. When I was researching for the book Reflections of God’s Holy Land, I walked my big toenails off (while in Israel). Then, Linda and I went to New York City to research and develop for the next Potluck Club and, once again, I walked my big toenails off. Both times I was wearing expensive walking shoes! Now, after nearly a year, they’re just about grown back in. So…no more closed toed shoes while walking out research!
How would you pitch this book to your intended audience?
You know these women. You are these women. They’re in every church, every group, every community. These are the women of the Potluck Catering Club. They’ll make you laugh. They’ll make you cry. They’ll make you reach for those around you who know you best and love you anyway. And they’ll speak to your heart about the love of the Father for his children.
Website: http://www.evamarieeverson.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/EvaMarieEversonMySpace: www.MySpace.com/evamarieeverson Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=713080294
When do you know you’ve got the finished product and it’s your best effort?
When I quit.
Any anecdotes about the research or writing of your books?
I’m going to wear shoes without toes from now on. If it’s cold, open toed shoes with thick socks. I’ll tell you why. When I was researching for the book Reflections of God’s Holy Land, I walked my big toenails off (while in Israel). Then, Linda and I went to New York City to research and develop for the next Potluck Club and, once again, I walked my big toenails off. Both times I was wearing expensive walking shoes! Now, after nearly a year, they’re just about grown back in. So…no more closed toed shoes while walking out research!
How would you pitch this book to your intended audience?
You know these women. You are these women. They’re in every church, every group, every community. These are the women of the Potluck Catering Club. They’ll make you laugh. They’ll make you cry. They’ll make you reach for those around you who know you best and love you anyway. And they’ll speak to your heart about the love of the Father for his children.
Website: http://www.evamarieeverson.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/EvaMarieEversonMySpace: www.MySpace.com/evamarieeverson Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=713080294
Welcome to NJ, Eva. I'd love to start out this day with some insight on what it is like to coauthor a book. Is it hard to combine two voices to make the book "sound" smooth?
ReplyDeleteEVA MARIE!!!! Hey there lady. Great interview, and The Secrets in the Sauce sounds like a wonderful read.
ReplyDeleteMany blessings on this novel journey, and much love to you.
Hello Dionne!
ReplyDeleteIt is both rewarding and frustrating (at times and if I am going to be honest) to coauthor a book. When you write a novel alone, you can go your own way, at your own pace. The characters can change the story and it doesn't effect anyone BUT your own characters. But with coauthoring, you have to think of the other author, the other author's characters, you can't just up and change the storyline without first thinking of the other author.
But, these books are quite unique, aren't they? Linda and I have worked VERY hard to keep the voices distinct. And I think that comes from our having worked so hard to defeine who these women are before we started writing.
Also, I cannot begin to tell you how much FUN these books have been in the writing process. Linda and I have done some wacky things and some awesome things in order to bring about the storylines. And, we've discovered what works and what doesn't.
I am truly amazed at how well the books "work." Six distinct first person point of view characters scared a few editors but then they read what we had and were "with us." Again, I think this comes from the hard work Linda and I have given to this project.
Many times "coauthoring" means one person writes while the other dictates or researches. That kind of thing. But with Linda and me, it's a TRUE parternship. She writes three characters and I write three. We talk out the plotline but are ready for surprises. It's been quite the "kick!"
Thank you for your question!
Eva Marie
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteHey, girl!
Eva Marie