We all have our talents and strengths. For some, it’s athletic prowess. Others,
it’s an acute literary aptitude. For a select group, it’s a combination of
culinary skills and the arts. If you’ve ever watched The Cake Boss on
TLC, you
know exactly what I am referring to! The designer cakes created on the show by
Buddy Valastro and his teams of pastry chefs are truly works of art. I can only
imagine what it would be like to taste one of them! I bet they are as yummy as
they look…and then some!
This month’s Jen’s
Jewels, Lynne
Hinton, knows what it’s like to whip up the perfect cake. In
her latest release, CHRISTMAS CAKE, our favorite church ladies are at it again as
they try to spread some holiday cheer in the tiny town of Hope Springs, North
Carolina. And as an added bonus, with each chapter comes a delicious cake
recipe to share with family and friends! Without a doubt, it’s the perfect
ingredient to add to your recipe for a happy holiday season.
As part of this interview, Avon Books has generously donated five copies for
you, my lucky readers to try to win. So, don’t forget to look for the trivia
question at the end of the column. Thanks for making Jen’s Jewels a part of your
2009 reading adventure. Happy Holidays!
Jen: Your path to becoming an author has taken quite the circuitous
route as you have embarked on more than one career. So that my readers may have
a better understanding of the woman behind the words, please share with us your
educational and professional background.
Lynne:
I thought I
would be a minister from the time I was
fifteen. Since, however, I had never met a woman pastor; I never considered I
would get that job. I thought I would be a missionary and a doctor. When I was
a freshman at Wake Forest University and failing Chemistry, however, I knew the
career in medicine was probably not going to happen. I studied to become a
chaplain and I worked for a while as a chaplain with Hospice. It was there I
learned some very important lessons for my living. In all my professional
considerations I never really thought about being a writer. Again, I had no
point of reference, never knew a writer. I have, however, always loved writing
things down, being creative with words. When I attended seminary, Pacific
School of Religion, I read literature that inspired and touched me in a way
literature never had before. I was also encouraged in my writing, and it was at
that time I considered being a writer.
Jen: As a pastor, your primary purpose is to shepherd your flock. As an
author, your main goal is to entertain your readers. Do you view your writing
career as part of your ministry, or are they merely two separate components of
your life?
Lynne: I read a story once by Elie Wiesel that basically says that God
loves stories. I do see my writing as a ministry, but probably not in the way
some people think. For instance, my books are not available in the Christian
Booksellers Market. My stories are considered a bit too raw for that market. I
try to tell stories that feel truthful to me about the human situation, which
means things are messy and not so tied up in the end, and my ministry in
writing is trying to open people’s hearts and minds to the stories of those
they are not likely to pay attention to in real life. I believe in the power of
stories to change lives and I love being a vehicle of that change.
Jen: As a columnist for The Charlotte Observer, you have yet another
outlet in which to share your talents. What is your main focus? And, are your
columns available on-line for readers?
Lynne: I write what I call Spirituality-lite. I try not to speak using
only the Christian language, choosing to speak more about issues of meaning and
purpose and living authentically. I rarely quote scripture or tell church
stories. This is more of a forum to speak to those who seek to find meaning in
everyday occurrences. I’m considered a Guest Columnist, so I’m unsure about the
on-line availability. I do have a blog where I post most of the columns. Check
out my website to find the blog link.
Jen: In terms of your writing career, you have written mysteries, non-
fiction, and fiction titles. Let’s start by talking about your mystery series
under the pen name Jackie
Lynn. Describe for us its premise. Also, what makes
it unique compared to other mystery series on the market today?
Lynne: I never expected to write mysteries. The first one, DOWN BY THE
RIVERSIDE, came to me after the untimely death of a friend. I was
devastated by
his tragic passing and writing the mystery seemed to bring some level of
comfort to me. I learned later that PD James was asked why she wrote mysteries
and why people like to read them, she replied, “We’re all looking for order out
of our chaos.” I think that was exactly my reason for this series. The premise
is that the stories take place at a campground along the Mississippi River in
West Memphis, Arkansas. It’s unique because there is a spiritual element to the
series, a search for the characters to find “home” and family.
Jen: Your non-fiction title, MEDITATIONS FOR WALKING, seems to be the perfect book for those
who want to start anew in 2010. Combining fitness and prayer is always a
winning combination. How did you come up with the idea? And, what type of
fitness program do you follow?
Lynne: Ah, love this question! Thank you. I was building a path in a
forest of pine trees behind my house and I was pastoring my first congregation.
Somehow, the two seemed to compliment each other and I found myself writing
about the physical labor along with the spiritual work involved in being a
pastor.
I am a runner. I’ve tried lots of fitness programs, but I have found that
running with my yellow lab Carmella is the perfect fit for me.
Jen: Your latest release, CHRISTMAS CAKE, is the perfect gift for all the bakers in my
audience. The fourth title in the Hope Springs Trilogy, our favorite church
ladies are back in the kitchen whipping up some delectable cakes for the
holidays. For those readers not familiar with it, please give us a brief
overview of the series.
Lynne: The titles in the series are CHRISTMAS CAKE, FRIENDSHIP CAKE, HOPE SPRINGS, FOREVER FRIENDS, and due
out in June 2010 is the fifth, WEDDING CAKE. These are the stories of women in a church who
become friends when they decide to put together a cookbook for the church. The
group is made up of older women and one young female pastor who journey
together on this path of faith, finding friendship to be the sweetest part.
Jen: The main characters Beatrice, Louise, and Jessie embark on this new
project in hopes of lifting the spirits of the dear friend, Margaret, whose
cancer has returned. Quite ironically, their good will objective turns into a
soul searching mission for each one of them. Let’s start with Beatrice. Why
does she take the news the hardest of all?
Lynne: Beatrice speaks the truth for them all; Margaret is the glue that
holds them together. She was the rock of that group of friends and of that
community. Beatrice just cannot imagine her life, that community without
Margaret.
Jen: Louise is quite the persnickety one always looking for argument
even at the most inopportune times. Why does she wear this badge of
disagreement so often? What is she hiding?
Lynne: Louise is hiding her own pain at losing the people she most
loves. Deep down, I think she imagines that life is unfair, that the best
people die and the worst of the humans live long years. Louise is just one of
those crusty old women whose exterior you just have to overlook. Deep down,
she’s a true friend to all.
Jen: Jessie seems to be the voice of reason holding the group together
even in the hardest of times. With whom does she share the most in common and
why?
Lynne: She and Margaret were the most alike, reasonable, sturdy, but
Jessie depended quite a lot on her old friend. She is strong, but she also
knows Margaret was part of the reason she had strength.
Jen: Of course, the story centers around Margaret’s coming to terms with
her prognosis. Not surprisingly, it is she who teaches the group the importance
of letting go. In turn, what lesson does she learn from her friends?
Lynne: She learns that friends will take you anywhere, love you through
anything. She learns a final time and in a final way, the true meaning of
friendship.
Jen: With each chapter, you share a scrumptious cake recipe with your
readers. First of all, how did you collect the recipes? And secondly, which one
is your favorite?
Lynne: Most of the recipes come from Fran’s Front Porch, the restaurant
of a church member from my first parish. And as far as favorites, I like any of
the ones with chocolate as a main ingredient!
Jen: What’s in store next for our favorite friends? And, when can we
expect it to hit the shelves of our bookstores?
Lynne: It’s WEDDING
CAKE, due out in June 2010. There are quite a number of unexpected unions
in this story!
Jen: Let’s switch gears and talk about your promotional plans. Will you
be going on a book tour? Do you participate in author phone chats? And if so,
how would my readers go about scheduling one?
Lynne: I usually do book tours near my home. Last year I did go back to
NC and enjoyed a week of visiting stores across the state. I didn’t do any
tours for this book. Hopefully, I can work something out next year. I’m open to
author chats. Contact me on my website and we can work something out.
Jen: Please take us on a tour of your website. Do you have promotional
materials (i.e. bookmarks, bookplates) available for readers? Do you have e-
mail notification of upcoming releases?
Lynne: I am happy to send holiday bookplates for any books bought as
gifts. If you’ll contact me on my website, give me names and an address to send them, I’ll
gladly get those to your readers by Christmas! My website has reader’s
guides for book clubs, a bio about myself, a bit about each book I have
published, and a means to contact me personally. I can notify readers about
upcoming books if they’ll contact me and let me know.
Jen: Thank you for taking the time out of your busy holiday schedule to
stop by and chat with my readers. I truly enjoyed the story, and I look forward
to reading WEDDING CAKE
in the spring of 2010. Merry Christmas!
Lynne: Thank you, Jen, for choosing me as a guest on your site. Thank
you, also for the very thought-provoking and lovely questions. I hope you and
your readers have a lovely, restful, warm holiday season!
I hope you have enjoyed my interview with Lynne Hinton. If you still have some
names on your list, why not pick up a few copies of CHRISTMAS CAKE today? It
would most certainly make the perfect gift. How would you like to win one
instead? Answer the following question correctly and you could be one of five
winners. Good luck!
What is
the name of Lynne’s fifth book in the Hope Springs Trilogy due out in June 2010?
To kick off the New Year, I will be bringing to you my interview with crime
writer Lou Berney.
You won’t want to miss it!
Happy Holidays!
Jen
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