Thank you for joining us for part two of our conversation with award-winning LDS author Sherry Ann Miller. If you missed part one, click here.
Sherry Ann, when we left off yesterday, we were getting ready to talk about your books. What was your first novel?
My first novel ever published was “One Last Gift.” But, it is not my first novel. I wrote many, many novels while my children were young . . . all of which never published. As I read them now, I know why they were never published. They lack continuity, they lose momentum, and the writing within their pages is atrocious.
How did you get the idea for “One Last Gift?”
When I was a young girl, my Aunt Jane told me a story she had heard. It involved a special miracle that had taken place on a hunting trip. As I pondered upon what I should write, after receiving Elder Nelson’s encouraging words, I thought about that miracle, and how it could be written into an inspirational novel. My children, by 1997, had all married and were living away from my home. I had time to devote to writing, and so I asked my hubby not to bother me for a few weeks. Then, I began pouring myself into the story.
How long did it take you to write it?
For two weeks straight (Sunday excluded), I wrote the entire book, not going back to do any corrections or rewriting. I worked from the moment I woke up until I went to bed at night . . . about sixteen hours every day. When I was finished with the first rough draft, I set it aside to let my mind cool down a while. A month later, I went back to the story and began the arduous rewrites . . . all the while my husband reminding me not to “overwrite too much.” He honestly feels my best work is the story that isn’t “rewritten to death,” which I have a tendency to do. I admit that I am overly critical of every single word I write. And, I agonize over typos that sometimes end up in the final publication no matter how hard I try to eliminate them. I spent about two and a half months rewriting it from start to finish. It took about 4 months, including the one-month cool down period.
What novels have you written since?
When “One Last Gift” debuted, a lot of readers were disappointed that Ed did not end up with Kayla. In my way of thinking, Kayla and Josh were perfectly matched because of their great love for the ocean and all things in it. It would not have been fair to Ed to give up ranching for the ocean, and it would not have been fair to Kayla to do the reverse. The only solution was to write Alyssa Mae’s story to resolve the issues over Ed’s disappointment.
“An Angel’s Gift” did just that, and did it so well that the book took first place in the Write Touch Readers’ Awards for published authors, it tied for first place in the Beacon’s Award for published authors, and placed fourth in the Utah Heart of the West Competition. “An Angel’s Gift” left the question, “What about Abbot?” whose story was told in “The Tyee’s Gift,” where a more mature Abbot emerged triumphant. This left Hans and Tom without eternal companions.
“Charity’s Gift” became Hans’ answer to love . . . as Hans learned to put his own needs and wants aside for the needs of Charity. The only remaining story to tell is about Tom Sparkleman. Tom was accused of a vicious crime in “One Last Gift,” but now his life has come full circle. He has learned to put selfishness aside, has changed his life completely and put his trust in the Lord. The surprises awaiting Tom will astound everyone, and that’s all I’m prepared to reveal at the moment. Tom’s story is called “The Refiner’s Gift,” and it will debut this fall (2007).
Thank you for this synopsis, Sherry Ann. They all sound fascinating!
Believe it or not, this isn’t even the full catalog of this author’s work – we’ll learn more about Sherry Ann Miller’s impressive lineup tomorrow. In the meantime, be sure to visit her site.
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