JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Michelle Stimpson, author of Trouble In My Way
(Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster)

It’s all Karis’ mom’s fault. If she hadn’t snooped into Karis’s diary, she never would have known about Karis’s unauthorized activies. Now, Karis is grounded indefinitely with no modem, no iPod…and no cell phone.

There’s just no way Karis can survive being cut off from the world. Add a “shiesty” potential stepmother, a dangerous relationship with a self-proclaimed bad boy and the constant pressure to cover her sneaky tracks – the combination makes a perfect recipe for high drama.

Will faith in God help Karis get through, or has she pushed grace, and her mother, too far?

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration for Trouble In My Way?

Michelle Stimpson: I was sitting in a Florida restaurant with ReShonda Tate-Billingsley discussing the release of her new young adult book, talking about what a ministry God has opened up through young adult fiction. She encouraged me to write a book for young adults, so I did.

When I write Christian fiction for adults, I know that I’m often trying to “undo” some of the damage that we’ve endured in our lives. When I write for young adults, it’s more proactive. I like that aspect. I wanted to write a book about a young lady who learns some things the hard way so that my readers hopefully won’t have to.

JP: What sets Trouble In My Way apart from your other releases?

MS: This is a short, fun read with a serious message. Since it’s for a different genre, it’s being promoted, shelved and received differently. I hope to be able to capture a whole new audience with this one.

JP: What have you learned from getting your previous book published that will help Trouble In My Way be better than the rest?

MS: Hmmm…this is a tough one because I don’t know that Trouble In My Way is necessarily “better.” All of my books are like my children, so I can’t say which one is better. I can, however, say that Trouble In My Way took me way back as a writer and made me think/reason in teenage terms. In that sense, it has a voice all its own.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Trouble In My Way?

MS: I wrote this book mostly over the Christmas Break of 2006. It took me about 6 weeks to write, and I enjoyed every single minute of it. I had a pretty detailed outline and went from there. Since I was pretty much able to write from sun up to sundown (no school, no work), it went fairly quickly.

JP: What’s next for Michelle Stimpson?

MS: I just signed another 3-book deal (adult Christian fiction), and I’m working on a follow-up to my first novel, Boaz Brown. Aside from that, I’m releasing short stories, and I’ll probably do a little teaching at the college level this fall. I’m also working to earn my ministry license.

http://www.michellestimpson.com/
http://www.womengrowinginchrist.com/
http://www.wegottaread.com/

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