FaithfulReader.com - CHRISTIAN CHICK LIT ROUNDTABLE

FaithfulReader.com interviewed eleven authors who write in the Christian Chick Lit genre --- Judy Baer, Tracey Bateman, Kristin Billerbeck, Lori Copeland, Penny Culliford, Sharon Dunn, Robin Jones Gunn, Neta Jackson, Annie Jones, Allie Pleiter, and Laura Jensen Walker. These talented writers discuss the essential elements of a Chick Lit novel, the differences between Christian Chick Lit and its secular counterpart, the scenes or characters they are especially proud to have written, and the impact that this genre (and its subgenres) can have on female readers.

Sharon Dunn

Sharon Dunn holds a B.A. in film and television production and an M.A. in history from Montana State University, where she currently works as an instructor/tutor. She has been published in a variety of magazines across the nation and is an award-winning short story writer and playwright.

SASSY CINDERELLA AND THE VALIANT VIGILANTE
Ruby Taylor's job at the university turns interesting and it isn't long before she's in a crash course on real love and deadly university politics. It's a mystery with more twists than a silly straw. Guaranteed fiction!

Kregel Publications
Browse Sharon Dunn's books on Amazon.com.
Read a review of SASSY CINDERELLA AND THE VALIANT VIGILANTE

Robin Jones Gunn

Robin Jones Gunn grew up in Southern California and began writing for publication in 1985 when her children were young. Her storytelling attention turned to writing novels for teens as a result of being involved with her husband, Ross, in full-time youth ministry for over 20 years. Robin is the much-loved author of the "Glenbrooke," "Christy Miller," and "Sierra Jensen" series, with 3 million books sold worldwide.

Recently, Robin began writing the Sisterchick� novels for women who are ready for God to meet them in new ways as they enter the next season of life. The series consists of SISTERCHICKS ON THE LOOSE, SISTERCHICKS DO THE HULA, and her latest, SISTERCHICKS IN SOMBREROS.

Robin and Ross live near Portland, Oregon, and have a twenty-year-old son and a teenage daughter.

SISTERCHICKS IN SOMBREROS
Two Canadian sisters inherit beachfront property in Mexico and take off on an adventure to claim their inheritance. They travel opulently by cruise ship to Ensenada and survive a rocky trip through Baja California, only to be shocked when they arrive in San Felipe. Their beachfront property is, indeed, on the beach, but the "structure" is a cement slab and the Airstream trailer their uncle parked on the property in the early 1960s! With the help of a few locals, the Canadian cuties figure out what to do with their less-than-desirable legacy. The true gift, they find, is that they are reconnected as sisters and discover that everything that happened along the way was part of God's plan.

RobinGunn.com
SisterChicks.com
Multnomah
Browse Robin Jones Gunn's books on Amazon.com.
Robin Jones Gunn Answers The Faithful Fifteen -- October 2004
Author Interview -- February 2004

Neta Jackson

Neta Jackson's love of perfectly placed words has never wavered. As a high school senior, she took the winnings from a Scholastic Magazine First Place Award for story writing and bought a typewriter. She hasn't quit writing since. She planned to attend Wheaton College but spent her first year in a Bible college closer to home. Husband Dave said he is glad she did. That is where they met and fell in love. Neta stayed true to her dream of attending Wheaton the next year and left Dave behind, trusting that if God meant for them to be together, things would work out.

Hundreds of letters later, they were married. After two children, one foster child and grandchildren of their own, Neta and Dave enjoy one of the most successful writing partnerships ever. Their "Trailblazers" series, HERO TALES, and other books have garnered many prestigious awards, including two Silver Angel Awards, the Best Children's Book of the Year Award from the CBA New Zealand, the C. S. Lewis Award, and the ECPA Gold Medallion Award.

THE YADA YADA PRAYER GROUP GETS DOWN
As Jodi Baxter gradually recovers from her car accident that killed a young boy, a confrontation in her third-grade classroom threatens to completely undo her progress of inner healing. A well-meaning gesture at Adele's Hair and Nails opens old wounds of bitterness and pain for MaDear, who witnessed the lynching of her brother decades ago, forcing the group to confront generations of racial division and distrust. And, when a heroin-crazed woman robs the prayer group at knifepoint, each woman's faith and strength is alarmingly put to the test.

Neta Jackson's Website
Integrity Publishers
Browse Neta Jackson's books on Amazon.com.
Author Interview -- January 21, 2004
Read a review of THE YADA YADA PRAYER GROUP GETS DOWN.
Read a review of THE YADA YADA PRAYER GROUP.

Annie Jones

Annie Jones is a beloved, bestselling author who's written more than 19 titles for houses including Multnomah and Waterbrook. She is currently writing for Steeple Hill Caf� and Love Inspired. Her awards include a Virginia RWA Holt Medallion, for which she was a finalist an unprecedented four times, and an Affaire De Coeur award for Best Inspirational Fiction. THE PRAYER TREE and SAVING GRACE (Multnomah) were on Ingram's "most requested books in America" lists. The Houston Chronicle named Annie best Christian fiction author of 1999 for a series of romantic comedies she wrote for Waterbrook.

She also writes as Luanne Jones, and her novel published under that name, THE DIXIE BELLE'S GUIDE TO LOVE (2002), was chosen by the Literary Guild, a rare occurrence for a mass market book, and voted one of the top 5 romances of 2002 by Library Journal, which praised it as "Written with sass and style and brimming with endearingly eccentric yet wonderfully memorable characters, this is an unabashed delight."

Annie lives with her husband and two children.

SADIE-IN-WAITING
Wileyville, Kentucky needs a graveyard superintendent. Accepting the mayor's proposition, Sadie adds 'Fraidy Sadie the Cemetery Lady to the other roles that sometimes seem unreal to her --- former Dogwood Blossom Queen, pharmacist's wife, mother of two teenagers, daughter of a man who fancies himself King Solomon --- or King Lear? But her daddy's antics and a journey with her sisters into the past bring Sadie a stunning revelation, and an understanding of what she's been waiting for.

Steeple Hill Cafe
Browse Annie Jones' books on Amazon.com.

Allie Pleiter

BAD HEIRESS DAY is Allie Pleiter's debut with Steeple Hill. She is also the author of two nonfiction titles, BECOMING A CHIEF HOME OFFICER and FACING EVERY MOM'S FEARS, published by Zondervan under the aegis of the "Hearts at Home" workshop series. She has been featured on Dr. James Dobson's TV show for his Focus On the Family ministry and has also appeared on "The 700 Club." She is a dynamic public speaker and travels around the country speaking weekly to groups like Hearts at Home National Conference, MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), Mom2Mom and Moms and More. Allie grew up in Connecticut, holds a BS in Speech from Northwestern University, spent 15 years in the field of professional fundraising, and currently lives in suburban Chicago, Illinois with her husband of 15 years and two children.

BAD HEIRESS DAY (January 2005)
What would you do with $1 million? That's a question Darcy Nightengale never thought she'd need to answer. But a sudden inheritance of just over $1 million begs a more immediate response. And when Darcy learns of her father's last request that she "give it all away," she discovers just how quickly big money makes big problems.

Her husband believes that charity begins at home. His home. And her children are sure it's only a matter of time before the presents start rolling in. Right? Darcy wants to do the right thing --- as soon as she can figure out what it is. Can the path of righteousness be paved with gold? Darcy's surprising answer turns her world on end.

AlliePleiter.com
Steeple Hill Cafe
Browse Allie Pleiter's books on Amazon.com.

Laura Jensen Walker

Photo � Charr Crail Laura Jensen Walker is a national speaker, humorist, author, and breast cancer survivor. Her humor books include DATED JEKYLL, MARRIED HYDE; THANKS FOR THE MAMMOGRAM!; and MENTALPAUSE. DREAMING IN BLACK AND WHITE, which will be released in March 2005, is her first work of fiction.

Photo � Charr Crail

DREAMING IN BLACK AND WHITE (March 2005)
It's Bridget Jones meets You've Got Mail for the Christian who loves Chick Lit! Not your typical size two Chick Lit heroine, Phoebe Grant aspires to the madcap life of a forties-style career gal --- she lives in a cool apartment (even if it does need a little work), works at the city newspaper (ok, she writes obits --- but she's sure she'll get her dream job reviewing movies), and has a best girlfriend (that would be Lindsey) to play straight-woman to her life's witty script. In fact, aside from a steady stream of laughably bad blind dates, over-thirty Phoebe has a great life --- even if her leading man appears to have missed his cue.

But when she loses her job and her mother breaks both arms, Phoebe finds her carefully constructed screenplay being re-written in ways she hadn't planned. And when Lindsey secretly signs her up for an online personals service, the script suddenly becomes a slapstick.

This is a funny, light-hearted look at what it means to be a thirty-something Christian singleton --- with all the drama, adventure, and joy that women everywhere will recognize. Two thumbs up!

LauraJensenWalker.com
Thomas Nelson
Browse Laura Jensen Walker's books on Amazon.com.

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