Giveaway and Author Interview: Something Stirs

Welcome to Writing for Christ Thomas Smith, it is great to have you here! Do you have an interesting fact about yourself the average reader probably doesn’t know?

      Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity to hang out with you and meet your readers.

      I guess the thing most people don’t know about me is that my comedy material has been performed on The Tonight Show.

What surprised you the most about being a published author?

      You mean other than the fact I could actually do it? The thing that has really surprised me is just how close knit the writing community is. For example, people I once admired and knew only through the shelves at my favorite bookstores are now colleagues and friends. Some have become very good friends.

Do you have a favorite genre to read/write?

      I enjoy suspense and horror. Not the blood-and-guts-splattered-all-over-the-room kind, but what has been termed “Quiet Horror.” I love a story that makes the setting as much a character as the people (and other “things”) that inhabit the story. In fact, a friend recently said, “You are going to be pegged as a Christian horror writer if you’re not careful,” to which I replied, “That works for me.”

When you aren’t writing or interacting with fans, what do you enjoy doing?

      I enjoy traveling with my wife, gem mining, and playing guitar with the praise band at my church.

Do you have a nugget of writing advice that has completely changed how you view writing?

      Writing is equal parts passion and discipline. It has very little to do with inspiration, art, waiting for the muse or those sorts of things. The actual doing -- writing, thinking, plotting and editing -- that’s what fuels the writing process. The information and inspiration already live within each of us. And as we write, the writing takes on a life of its own. It’s like the long “begat” sections in Matthew 1 and Luke 3 (“Abraham begat Isaac...” etc.). The first sentence begat the second sentence, the second sentence begat the third sentence and so on. In short, the act of writing inspires writing. But it’s not just mechanics. Without the passion for the process, the discipline won’t come.

What do you enjoy most about being a published author?

      I love both the process of writing and the fact that I am living my dream. I have wanted to be a writer since I was in the third grade. In fact, my first novel was about Fluffy the Kitten. It was a massive four pages long!

What do you like readers to take away from your books?

      Even in our brokenness there is redemption. There is a God who loves us and wants to restore us to Himself.

Places for readers to learn more about you?

      You can go to my web site (www.thomassmithonline.com), the book web site (www.somethingstirs.com), my Facebook page (http://profile.to/thomassmithwriting) or you could ask my mother. She has dozens of embarrassing stories to share.

Thank you for being with us today!

      Thank you. It has been my pleasure.

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Contest is only open in the U.S. and void where prohibited. Chances of winning are based on the number of entries and winner is draw from a non-biased third party- Random.org. I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items for said prize.

Thanks for coming by to enter! Contest ends on April 15th.