Blog Tour Feature: Soon After by Sherryle Kiser Jackson

Getting to Know Sherryle Kiser Jackson

TPS: Sherryle, when did you first begin writing?


Sherryle:  I can say I have been preparing to be a writer my whole life. I was that one who got in trouble for writing notes in school. My notes were so entertaining that in high school I would dramatize crushes and break-ups in mini books. I remember wanting to be a news reporter. I have an early memory of a typewriter I used to carry up and down the stairs with me. I remember falling down the stairs with it and being extremely sad when it didn’t work anymore. Subsequently, I wrote articles and copy for both my Junior and Sr. High School newspaper and yearbook. By my senior year, I was editor-in-chief of both.

TPS:  What is the name of your first published work and what is the story about?

Sherryle:  Soon and Very Soon was my first novel published in 2007 by Urban Christian/Urban Books/Kensington. It was a story about two pastors who get married and decide to combine their churches.

TPS:  How do you come up with your stories, characters, etc.?

Sherryle:  Most stories have characters or themes I have meditated on for some time. With my first novel, Soon and Very Soon, I wanted to write on what I knew. It really was a marriage- a marriage between my passion (writing) and my faith. In my second novel, I wrote about a troubled teen and his parents' struggle to get him on track. I had seen enough of this scenario as a teacher in the Middle School. Soon After marks the return of my franchise characters, Willie and Vanessa Green.

TPS:  When do you get most of your writing done?

Sherryle:  I get my writing in mostly in the morning before anyone is up and the house is quiet. Sometimes I write by the light of the computer screen. Because I am a teacher, I have the added benefit of writing during the summer.

TPS:  Do you have any other projects on the horizon?

Sherryle:  I am currently writing my 4th novel Taylor-Made.

TPS:  What other authors do you like?

Sherryle:  I love Ernest Gaines and Pearl Cleage. They are expert storytellers whose style is simplistic and clean. Now for action, I got to read Eric Jerome Dickey. His Gideon series – hot, it’s just pure adrenaline. I credit Victoria Christopher Murray with helping me define which genre I wanted to write for. Her stories are edifying entertainment without being preachy.

TPS:  What activities do you enjoy in your spare time?

Sherryle:  Sitting still - -honestly sounds like paradise to me. I’m very busy so in my down time I like to sit and reflect, read a little bit, maybe listen to music

TPS:  Please share your upcoming events (book release, signings, workshops, conferences)?


Sherryle:  As you know, this interview is apart of a blog tour. I will be appearing on several blogs like RAW SISTAZ (www.rawsistaz.com) on Sept. 7th, Shades of Romance Magazine (sormag.blogspot.com) on September 8th and APOOO ( www.apooobooks.com) on Sept. 10th.

My Soon After Mystery Launch party will be held at the Urban Knowledge Bookstore in the Arundel Mills Mall, Hanover MD from 5-8. After that, I am signing books at the Capitol Bookfest in Harrisburg, PA (Sept. 18) and Largo, MD (Oct. 2nd) & the Baltimore Bookfest on Sept. 26th.

About the Book

The Ministry birthed by one will be exploited by another. Can Willie Green stand idly by and let that happen?

When Pastors Willie Green and Vanessa Morton got married and moved to merge their churches, they never expected so much resistance. Now it seems someone is sending a strong message by setting fire to the Harvest Baptist Church building.

The newly unified Pleasant Harvest Baptist Church is no more than four months into business as usual before Co-Pastor Willie Green is drawn into the middle of an arson investigation. Alexis Montgomery, an overzealous reporter, sees the experienced pastor as a great source to latch onto as she tries to unearth the stories that might solve the crime. Instead of being bothered by the presence of this woman, Co-Pastor Vanessa uses it as a distraction to help conceal her own secrets.

Orchestrating the unification rift makes Deacon Charley Thompson a prime suspect. His unexpected silence only fuels the accusations of guilt, and his meek wife becomes his unlikely spokesperson. Meanwhile, his nephew, Abe Townsend, couldn’t care less about family allegiances. Led by an anonymous publicist, Abe and the remaining displaced members of Harvest Baptist Church gain notoriety when news reports garner an outcry of sympathy and support.

What should have been a simple unification of two churches has turned into something much more complicated, and it will take plenty of faith to hold it all.

About the Author

Multi-published author, teacher, wife and mother, Sherryle seeks to be a fresh voice in Christian Fiction. Her triumphant debut novel, Soon and Very Soon (2007) was followed up by her sophomore release, The Manual (2009). Soon After marks the return of her franchise characters, Pastors WIllie and Vanessa Green and the Harvest Baptist church saga. Sherrryle is currently working on her fourth novel for Urban Christian (Urban/Kensington) titled Taylor-Made. She currently lives in Maryland with her husband and two children.






LISTEN TO AN EXCERPT FROM SOON AFTER

Purchase the Book Online at:
• Amazon
• BarnesandNoble
• Borders
• Books A Million

• Indiebound

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
• Visit the author online at Sherryle Jackson