Author Interview ~ Sheila Lipsey

Shelia E. Lipsey is an award winning novelist, inspirational speaker and Executive Director of Living Your Dreams Now Non Profit. Lipsey graduated magna cum laude from Belhaven College with a Bacherlor's Degree in Business. She is the extremely grateful and proud mother of two adult sons, and the grandmother of three exceptional grandsons. Lipsey presently resides in the Pacific Northwest.

Welcome to Novel Journey, how long did it take you to get published?

I was blessed to receive a two book deal from my publisher the first time I submitted my complete manuscript. The name of that first novel is Into Each Life.

Do you think an author is born or made?

I believe an author is born. It is not by accident. Like many other spiritual gifts, I believe my writing is a gift from God. It can not be duplicated because what God gives me to write can only be written by me. On the flip side, authors can be made as well. That is what I believe is being done today; we are utilizing our talents and skills to write, thus the massive increase in authors.

What is the first book you remember reading?

I’ve read my entire life since the age of around four so the only thing I can pull from my memory is the book in school about Dick and Jane.

What common qualities do you find in the personalities of published authors?

Passion is what I see in the published authors.

How do you know if you have a seemingly “stupid” book premise that is doomed to fail versus one that will fly high?

What makes the book fail versus fly is often based on a number of issues such as poor editing, lack of character development and plot, and characters. The next thing is marketing/promotion. A book does not sell by itself. It is up to the author to get what it takes to get your book in front of the audience you are writing for. That can be endless because all the time I am doing something about getting my books pushed before the eyes of readers.

What is the theme of your latest book?

The theme of Beautiful Ugly addresses issues of how we feel about ourselves, dealing with low-self esteem, low self consciousness and self worth. It touches on topics such as obesity, promiscuity, as well as how we feel about ourselves can determine who we allow in our lives.

At what point did you stop juggling suggestions and critiques and trust yourself ?

Just recently, but there are still times I need to be stroked. I have finally begun to believe in the talent and gifts God has placed in my spirit, body and mind. Knowing that He makes no mistakes has begun to make me believe in the power of words, including mine so I now stay pretty level headed about my work. When I chewed on that thoroughly, I finally received my breakthrough.

Are takeaway messages important to you?

Yes, indeed. I actually weave my stories in such a way that the message is always found within the pages. I believe a message is important. I write for God and His glory which means that everything I write must be divinely given to me by God. The messages are spelled out through the novel and different readers get different messages that seem to suit their needs and desires.

When do you know you’ve got the finished product and it’s your best effort?

This is a tough question because I write until the Holy Spirit within tells me to stop. I also know when I am drawing near to the end because of how my story is flowing during my writing process.

Any anecdotes about the research or writing of your books?

I’d say that it is important to do as much research about the publishing industry, internet promoting, marketing and to make certain that your book is a totally professional edited book before it hits the stands.

How would you pitch this book to your intended audience?

What I would do is to address issues of how many young women and people in general can deal with issues of low self esteem and low self-worth. I used the internet most of the time because it is an excellent tool for authors and aspiring authors.