Talkshow Thursday: Meet Kristen Terrette

Talkshow Thursday: Meet Kristen Terrette

Linda:  Thanks for joining me today. Congratulations on the release of the devotional Anchored & Secure: 60 Days of Resting in Grace with Wholly Loved ministries. Can you tell us a bit about your association with the organization and how the project came about?

KRISTEN: Thank you for having me. Wholly Loved Ministries was founded by Jennifer Slattery, and we came to know each other through our American Christian Fiction Writers Association memberships. Much like guest blogging here, we did the same on our personal blogs and became friends. She asked me to come on board, and since I loved her drive to spiritually grow women because I share the same drive, it was an easy yes.

Our latest devotional book, Anchored & Secure: 60 Days of Resting in Grace, came about because it was noticeably a hot topic amongst the needs of our group’s women, a theme that kept coming up. Typically, when the subject is settled on, we find verses that deal with it and assign them to the Wholly Loved writers who have agreed to contribute to the project. We all follow guidelines to write these devotionals, including studying/reading commentary about the verse and the section it’s in, and making it personal. It’s challenging, but so worth it when the book is complete, and your words hold the potential to help someone on their journey with God.

LM: You also write fiction and young adult books as well as nonfiction articles. How is your process different for the various genres? The same?

KRISTEN: I’d say different. Though writing in the morning is absolutely a must for me to get anything “good” down, my fiction writing is all about having a general outline of where the story is going, but then winging how to get from scene to scene. Writing devotionals, at least for me, is more of an approach I used in college to write essays or papers. We want to remain biblically sound, so it’s important to really understand what the writer of the verse meant when it as written. And though I love researching history for my fiction books, writing about fake characters is much more about letting my creative mind run wild and hoping for the best.

LM:  What is your favorite part of the writing process?

KRISTEN: I love getting to the end of writing a story and realizing it’s come together better than I could have imagined. God is crazy awesome! There have been times where I wasn’t sure how a scene would play out, and He worked it in a way that surprised me. So, basically, I’d say my favorite part is writing the endings. There’s also an excitement that happens when you’re one step closer to bringing the characters—who you’ve gotten to know VERY well—to readers so they can love them too.

LM: Who are your literary heroes/heroines?

Victor Hugo

KRISTEN: Yikes, I don’t know what to say! I have loved Les Miserables by Victor Hugo since I was a child, so definitely a hero would be Jean Valjean. I also love Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, so Michael Hosea is another one.

LM: What has been the most challenging part of the road to publication for you? What advice do you have for fledgling writers?

KRISTEN: Publishing happens at a snail’s pace, so have patience and don’t give up. Without a doubt, I get better as a writer with every book I write, so keep writing and learning. Don’t think you know everything. Take criticism well and listen to it when coming from someone you trust to have your best interests at heart. I struggle with wanting to be further along on this journey, but it’s just that, a journey. And everything is on God’s timing. Keep taking steps forward, and God will orchestrate things to “happen” at exactly the right moment.

LM: Here are some quickies:

KRISTEN:

Favorite season: Fall

Favorite vacation spot: Seagrove Beach, Florida

Favorite place to write: My desk. Boring!

LM: What is your next project?

Photo: Pixabay/11778011

KRISTEN: I’m currently seeking representation for my latest YA Contemporary novel, but while doing that, I have started writing another story, a book idea that’s brewed for years. It’s another YA time slip novel (like the one I have releasing with Elk Lake Publishing later this year or early spring), and the setting is the Mississippi Delta. It’s about a sixteen year old girl finding out where she comes from, and the mysteries surrounding her parent’s families—who hate each other like the Montagues and Capulets! Of course, she’ll have new friends and a love interest to help her along the way. Hopefully, I can make it all come together on paper like it plays out in my head!

LM: Where can folks find you on the web?

KRISTEN: http://www.kristenterrette.com

About Anchored & Secure: 60 Days of Resting in Grace: Thanks to Christ's death and resurrection, we don't have to stress, strive, or perform. We simply need to rest in what Christ has already done. That is when we begin to come alive; to live as He intended. That's when we experience true and lasting freedom. This sixty-day devotional helps women reflect on God's grace and the freedom of living deeply anchored in Him.

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B088B9ZCKR