Takeover Tuesday: Sharon K. Connell

Happy Tuesday, Reader Friends!

Thank you so much for stopping by Soulfully Romantic blog for another Takeover Tuesday post. Today’s guest is Sharon K. Connell, author of A Very Present Help. Grab a cup of tea (or coffee) and chat with Sharon!

Hello, everyone. And a big thank you to Toni for inviting me to take over her blog today.

First a little about my writing.
My last published book, His Perfect Love, was written in a new style, one in which the readers can immerse themselves into the story. The first novel I published, A Very Present Help, has been rewritten in that same style, deep point of view, and I’m working on a second edition for my next two published novels as well, Paths of Righteousness, and There Abideth Hope.

The deep point of view style of writing has opened up a world where readers can truly experience all the actions, feelings, emotions, and personalities of the characters in the story. Instead of telling the readers what’s going on, the readers can put themselves right into the scene like a bystander watching every move made. But not only that, they get to experience what is going on inside the character: fear, happiness, sadness, anxiety, distrust. It’s better than watching a movie.

Speaking of movies…have you ever watched the special features at the end of one of your favorite films on DVD? Quite some time ago, I started watching these to find out exactly how the director, producer(s), and actors made things so real. From these, I’ve found a wealth of information that I can use in my own writing techniques. Some of the things I’ve learned is to research to get enough background in order to make it realistic. Yes, it’s fiction, but it needs to be based on something real. If you have a character, as I do in His Perfect Love, who is in a to-the-death fight with someone, you can’t have that character do something that doesn’t happen in real life. That’s fine for fantasy, or maybe even science fiction, but not in a romance-suspense-mystery or other genres. We author’s do take author’s license, but we shouldn’t take it to the extreme.

You can count on what I’ve written into my stories as having a realistic base. Some things may not be common happenings, and some things may be taken to the extreme, but they can happen.

These are some of the skills I’ve learned during the years I’ve been writing. I hope some of it helps other writers, and shows readers what they can expect in my books.

Here’s an excerpt from His Perfect Love, the fourth book I wrote.
~ He fingered the Fairbairn-Sykes Dagger, ran his hand over the Bowie Knife, and on past the Special Ops Combat Folder and custom-made switchblade to the set of Ninja Throwing Stars. He’d been smart to make the call to an acquaintance here in Houston the first night. Even more fortunate that his acquaintance put him onto a source for these. “You owe me for that too, Windham.”
……(name removed to avoid spoiler)….. gazed at the Fairbairn-Sykes, with its seven-inch, double-edged blade. The anticipation of the pleasure he’d experience sliding the smooth metal into his quarry’s flesh sent an electric charge up his spine. That’s after he had his satisfaction from her. How he loved his work.
“Yes, I won’t need anything else, gorgeous.” He balanced it on his fingers. “You’ll do just fine.”~

Yes, it is a romance suspense with a bit of mystery, this section heavy on the suspense.

And now here’s a little about A Very Present Help, the second edition of the first story I wrote and my latest release.
~One chance encounter with a Marine other than her fiancé brings doubt to the mind of Shannon Collins. Will it mess up her chances for happiness?
The young teacher, her heart broken by her childhood sweetheart, has her faith tested almost to the limit when stalked by a man whom she’s recently met.
Does God have a better plan? Will she lose her faith in the meantime? Will Shannon ever find true love?
Events weave a tapestry in the lives of all involved. Shannon’s piece of the tapestry includes a daunting path of fear and betrayal causing her to cling desperately to A Very Present Help in time of trouble.

About the Author

Sharon was born in Wisconsin but only lived there for five short days. Through college, she lived in Illinois, mostly in Chicago, but also the surrounding suburbs. For over twenty years, Pensacola, Florida was her home, where she graduated from the Pensacola Bible Institute. She has also lived in California, Ohio, and Missouri. Now retired from the business world, she resides in Houston, Texas, enjoying every minute of her full-time writing career.

A member of the American Christian Fiction Writers organization, Sharon writes stories in the Christian Romance Suspense genre about people who discover God will allow things in your life that will help you find Him or grow in your faith. She tries to mix in as much mystery as she can and a good measure of humor as well. Her stories have delighted readers since the publication of her first book in 2014.

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About the Book

The Blurb: “What if God threw your life a curve? Would you still have faith in Him? 5 Star Reviews Shannon’s story is one of love and betrayal. After her life is turned upside-down by a broken engagement, will she find happiness again? Or, will she become a victim of a stalker. ”