My Writing Journey - Michelle Sutton

Today's guest blogger is Michelle Sutton. I've come to know Michelle through her networking site, Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers. And her reputation as a savvy author was also what convinced me to submit to Desert Breeze. Michelle's story is slightly different than my previous posts in that hers is shared through several questions. Thanks for taking the time Michelle!

Tell us about your start in writing, and your upcoming release with Desert Breeze Publishing.

I started writing fiction in August of 2003. At the time I had a favorite author, Cynthia Rutledge. I wrote to her about how much I loved her stories and she told me she started writing after her kids left home. I thought, if she can do it so can I. Her stories were good. Mine weren't, at first, but I kept working at the craft, reading books, and getting critiques, etc. I also practiced a lot by simply doing it.

I've also attending five writer's conferences. This was not a fly by night hobby for me. I was serious about it and willing to invest money in my future. I'm sure that helped a lot. I used to think my first novel would never get published but I sold it. The original version is not fit for consumption but the revised version is pretty good, LOL! It releases in January 2010 and is called First Impressions. It's an e-book through Desert Breeze.

What led me to write the story was living around Tombstone and seeing the story potential in that setting. The story is about a woman and man who dress up like they are from the old west. He is a Christian and she is not. The heart of the story is about staying close to the Lord and not dating people who don't share faith in Christ.

How did you find an agent, Michelle?

How I got my agent is kind of funny, actually. I met with Tamela Hancock Murray because she had a cancellation at the Denver 2004 ACRW conference. I hadn't planned to meet with an agent but decided to give it a try. I told her about my story (not in print yet) and she said she thought it was more suited for ABA. I took that as a thanks but no thanks despite her telling me to send her a proposal.

Well, a few months later I wrote to her and said I'd never sent the proposal because I connected with an editor who help me overhaul the book. She said she was still interested in seeing a proposal. I told her I thought she didn't want it. She said she repped CBA and ABA books so she was merely commenting on where it would best fit. She then read my proposal and ultimately my entire book and took me on as a client. The rest is history.

So the first book you wrote is about to be published. Can you tell us a little about the first book you got published?

It's Not About Me was my fifth book and It's Not About Him was my sixth. What inspired the first in the series was an attack on a friend of mine who was alone in the church office and didn't realize the door was unlocked. Then an intruder came in an asked for money and well, you know the rest...

Well, I know the rest...but some of you may not, so I'll leave that up to you to find out. Michelle's second book in the 'Not About' series released in September, and her third book in the series, 'It's Not About Her,' comes out next fall. Michelle also released an ebook, 'Danger at the Door' with Desert Breeze Publishing in August.

For more information about Michelle and her books check out her sites.

http://www.michellesutton.net/
http://edgyinspirationalauthor.blogspot.com/